Kathmandu University and Heidelberg University Sign MoU for Academic and Research Collaboration

Kathmandu University (KU) and the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) at Heidelberg University, Germany, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on September 21, 2026, to strengthen academic cooperation, scientific research, and institutional exchange.

The agreement was signed at the Nepal Technology Innovation Center on Kathmandu University's Dhulikhel campus.

Prof. Dr. Bal Krishna Bal, Dean of the Kathmandu University School of Engineering, and Dr. Michael J. Winckler, Administrative Director of IWR, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions.

The ceremony was attended by KU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bivek Baral, Registrar Dr. Biraj Singh Thapa, Deputy Head of the German Mission in Nepal Benjamin Seidel, IWR Professor Dr. Peter Bastian, and Dr. Suboor Bakht, Director of Heidelberg University's Office for South Asia in New Delhi.

Key Areas of Academic and Research Cooperation

The MoU establishes arrangements for long-term academic and scientific cooperation between Kathmandu University and Heidelberg University's IWR.

The agreement covers:

• Exchange of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

• Visiting professorships and scientific visits.

• Joint research projects and mutual consultations.

• Academic lectures, seminars, and collaborative teaching activities.

• Staff development and exchange of academic information and materials.

These activities are intended to support cooperation between students, faculty members, and researchers at both institutions.

Summer School on Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computing 2026

As the first initiative under the agreement, Kathmandu University and IWR jointly organized the Nepal–German Summer School on Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computing (AMSC 2026).

The academic program was held from September 21 to 25, 2026, at the Nepal Technology Innovation Center in Dhulikhel.

The summer school brought together 45 students and early-career researchers from Kathmandu University and Tribhuvan University (TU).

Designed for students and researchers from Nepal and Germany, the program combined theoretical instruction with practical training in applied mathematics and scientific computing.

Participants studied mathematical modeling of real-world processes, numerical methods used in simulations, and computational tools for scientific applications.

The program focused on applying mathematical and computational methods to problems in science and engineering.

Two Lecture Series on Mathematical Modeling and Scientific Computing

The summer school featured two main lecture series delivered by experts from Heidelberg University's Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing.

Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations

Prof. Dr. Peter Bastian of IWR conducted the first lecture series on the numerical solution of partial differential equations (PDEs).

The sessions addressed mathematical modeling based on physical principles and numerical methods used to solve differential equations.

Applications included groundwater flow, contaminant transport, and surface water flow. Participants were also introduced to numerical approaches such as finite element and finite volume methods.

Modelling and Parameter Estimation for ODEs

Dr. Michael J. Winckler conducted the second lecture series on modelling and parameter estimation for ordinary differential equations (ODEs).

The sessions examined mathematical representations of processes that change over time and methods for estimating unknown parameters from observed data.

Practical examples included chemical reaction processes and the mathematical modeling of infectious disease dynamics.

According to Kathmandu University, the initiative was the first German summer school in Nepal focused on mathematics and computing.

University Representatives Expect Further Academic Cooperation

During the program, Kathmandu University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bivek Baral and Benjamin Seidel, Deputy Head of the German Mission in Nepal, welcomed the academic partnership.

They expressed confidence that cooperation between Kathmandu University and Heidelberg University's IWR would create additional research and learning opportunities for students and faculty members at Nepali universities.

Both representatives congratulated the organizing team and expressed optimism about expanding academic and scientific cooperation between the institutions.

The MoU provides a basis for continued student exchange, joint research, academic visits, and teaching collaboration between Kathmandu University and Heidelberg University's Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing.