Prof. Dr. Bivek Baral has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of Kathmandu University (KU). Prime Minister and Chancellor of the University Walendra Shah appointed him to the post based on the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor Selection and Recommendation Committee.
Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel, who also serves as Pro-Chancellor of the University, presented the appointment letter to newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Baral at the ministry on Friday.
At the Kathmandu University Senate meeting held on Jestha 19, a recommendation committee was formed under the coordination of Education Minister Pokharel to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor. The committee included National Planning Commission member Reshu Aryal Dhungana and the University's founding Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Suresh Raj Sharma. (Kathmandu University)
Among the applicants, the recommendation committee published a shortlist of 10 candidates, including Baral. Based on presentations of action plans for university reform and interviews with the shortlisted candidates, the committee recommended three names to the Prime Minister. Based on the same recommendation, Prime Minister Shah nominated Baral as Vice-Chancellor.
A KU Graduate Becomes KU Vice-Chancellor
Newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Baral is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kathmandu University. He is the first person to study at KU and later become Vice-Chancellor of the same university. He also holds the record of being the first person to study at KU, serve at the university, and rise to the rank of professor.
Baral was a student in the University's second engineering batch. He enrolled in Mechanical Engineering in 2052 BS and completed his bachelor's degree in 2056 BS. He began teaching at KU in the same year he completed his studies.
Baral earned his master's degree from the University of Tokyo in Japan and his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His areas of expertise include fuels and energy, combustion science and environmental pollution, thermofluid engineering, and computational fluid dynamics.
Speaking to Gorkhapatra after his appointment as Vice-Chancellor, he said, “Various records have already been set at the university in terms of study and employment. Now, I have plans to do something new through my work as well to take the university to greater heights.”
Vice-Chancellor Baral said he plans to move forward through dialogue with stakeholders to make the University's academic, financial, and administrative activities more effective.
College News Education News