Tribhuvan University’s 67th Anniversary: From Improved Global Rankings to a Leap in Research
Tribhuvan University (TU), the country’s foremost institution of higher education, is celebrating its 67th TU Day today, Shrawan 7. Quality education, research-based activities, the use of modern technology, and the availability of skilled human resources have established TU as a respected academic institution internationally.
According to newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa, TU has the foundation needed to become one of the world’s top-tier universities, with outstanding students, sufficient faculty and staff, and adequate resources. TU currently has around 15,000 faculty and staff members, 62 constituent campuses, 44 central departments, and more than 1,000 affiliated colleges.
Through these institutions, education is provided across diverse fields, including science, engineering, medicine, forestry, agriculture, humanities, law, and management.
Former Vice-Chancellor Dr. Kedar Bhakta Mathema considers TU Nepal’s largest, oldest, and most historic institution of higher education. He says the university has produced everyone from rulers, administrators, and political leaders to rebels.
TU’s Presence in International Rankings
Among higher education institutions in Nepal, TU is the only university to have secured a place in global ranking lists. This year, TU has been placed in the 1501+ band of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In 2022, it reached 855th position, its highest ranking to date.
TU has secured 601st position globally in medicine and health. This places it ahead of many universities, with only around half a dozen Indian universities ranking higher.
Similarly, TU has been ranked 919th by USNews.com. In the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) 2026 list, TU ranked 1,581st among 21,291 universities worldwide, placing it in the top 7.5 percent globally. In the previous year, it was in the top 8.3 percent.
TU is also expanding its international engagement and collaborating with more than 180 higher education institutions worldwide.
Significant Growth in Research and Publications
TU has four specialised centres for research and innovation:
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Centre for Economic Development and Administration (CEDA)
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Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS)
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Research Centre for Educational Innovation and Development (CERID)
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Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST)
The TU Research Directorate manages the distribution of research grants.
In 2025 alone, members of the TU community published 16,645 articles across various disciplines. In the past, around 700 articles were published annually, but the rate of research publication has now increased 24-fold.
As a result of this progress, TU has entered the top 25 percent of universities worldwide. From 1996 to the present, the TU community has published 170,008 articles on Google Scholar.
Former Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Kamal Krishna Joshi has emphasised the need to focus research on solving problems in the industrial, agricultural, and commercial sectors. TU has also established a Business Incubation Centre to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.
Calls for Degree-Awarding Autonomy and Freedom from Political Interference
There have been growing calls to introduce a “degree-awarding” model that would provide academic and administrative autonomy to the campuses and institutes operating under TU.
Former Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mathema says TU’s institutions need a model similar to that of the London School of Economics under the University of London, allowing them to develop their own curricula and manage their academic affairs independently.
Although Nepal has 11 universities, around 80 percent of the country’s students—nearly 500,000—remain concentrated at TU.
According to Prof. Dr. Kamal Krishna Joshi, political support is necessary for TU’s development, but political interference is not. He has stressed that undesirable political activities such as lockouts, strikes, encirclement protests, and class boycotts must be completely stopped.
Tribhuvan University