Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa Appointed Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University
Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa has been appointed to the post of Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University (TU). Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who is also the Chancellor of the university, appointed Prof. Dr. Thapa to the position on Friday.
Educational Background
Dr. Thapa, a resident of New Baneshwar, passed the SLC from Laboratory High School in first division in 1983 and completed the Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) in Science from Amrit Science College.
Under the Colombo Plan scholarship of the Government of Nepal, he completed his Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Mechanical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, India, in 1991. He then completed his Master of Engineering (ME) from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India, in 1999 and received a PhD from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway, in 2004 on the topic “Sand Erosion in Hydraulic Machinery.”
Academic and Administrative Experience
Dr. Thapa entered university service as a lecturer in 1994 and has been serving continuously as a professor since 2008. He has held important responsibilities at Kathmandu University (KU), including Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dean of the Kathmandu University School of Engineering from 2008 to 2016, and Registrar of the university from 2013 to 2018.
In addition, he led Kathmandu University as Vice Chancellor from January 2021 to January 2025. Earlier, he also served as Acting Vice Chancellor from December 2017 to January 2018.
Dr. Thapa has also served as a nominated member of the Medical Education Commission, the Senate of Far Western University, and the Academic Assembly of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).
Research and Honors
Focused on damage caused by sand and sediment in hydropower turbines and its prevention, Dr. Thapa has published several books, book chapters, and dozens of research articles in various international journals.
During his service period, he received various awards and scholarships for his contribution to the education sector, including a Netherlands Fellowship in 1993 and a gold medal with a certificate on Education Day in 1998 (BS 2054).
Tribhuvan University