At Tribhuvan University’s 51st convocation ceremony held on Thursday (25th December 2025) at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, outstanding students who received medals appeared proud. This time, the medalists said they would invest the knowledge they gained in various fields while staying in Nepal.
Medal-winning students who attended the convocation reiterated their commitment to use their knowledge and skills within the country.
A Shift From the Earlier “Medal and Visa” Trend
In the past, young graduates were often seen holding a medal in one hand while preparing an overseas visa in the other. This time, that pattern appears to have changed.
Graduating students said the country’s changing circumstances have highlighted the need to create opportunities within Nepal.
Kamal Paudel Won Three Medals
Kamal Paudel from Tansen, Palpa, received three medals this time. By profession, he is an engineer. He secured a GPA of 3.77 in an MA in Economics and ranked first, receiving the following awards:
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Tarapad Chaudhary Gold Medal
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Khagendraman Singh Pradhan Medal
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Chandraraj Dhungel Memorial Award
He felt honored when Prime Minister and University Chancellor Sushila Karki handed him the three medals. Paudel, who attended the convocation with his father, said the medals would open more opportunities for him.
“My batchmates have all gone abroad, but I want to stay and work in Nepal,” Paudel said after receiving the medals. “I have heard about the struggles of friends who went abroad. There are opportunities in Nepal for those who can and want to work. I also received this opportunity in Nepal.”
Working as a vehicle examiner at the Butwal Transport Management Office, he added, “My bachelor’s is in Mechanical Engineering, but seeing the country’s economy as weak, I became interested in pursuing a master’s in Economics. I did a lot of research online. Today, achieving success made me truly happy. I believe these medals will be milestones for shaping my future.”
He said he never studied with the sole goal of securing the top position. “To understand the country’s economy, I moved from engineering to economics. As I continued study and research, it became very interesting,” Kamal said. “In the coming days, I will use the knowledge and skills I gained to strengthen the national economy while remaining in government service.” He expressed his intention clearly: “I will now look for opportunities in Nepal.”
Bhawana Adhikari Aims to Strengthen the Justice System
Bhawana Adhikari, winner of the Lokraj Gnyawali Medal and Award, said she would use the knowledge and skills gained through day-and-night effort to help make the country’s judiciary clean.
The 25-year-old Bhawana secured first position with a GPA of 3.80 in the LLB examination. She is currently working as a law officer at the Department of Livestock Services.
Bhawana, from Sarlahi, said she has never been attracted to going abroad, possibly due to a family environment deeply rooted in patriotism. “My father is a teacher at a government school, and his dream is also that his daughter should stay in Nepal and work in government service,” she said during a meeting with Nagarik. “If you have high morale and strong self-confidence, opportunities exist in Nepal.”
She added, “I also entered the civil service as a law officer after securing second rank in the Public Service Commission. Now I have a dream to make the country’s justice sector clean. This medal has added more responsibility.”
Sujan Lamichhane Returned From Geneva to Receive His Medal
Sujan Lamichhane, who secured first position with a GPA of 3.79 in an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy and received the Dr. Dubsu Chhetri Gold Medal, said he had passed Civil Engineering, is working in Geneva, and came to Nepal to receive the medal.
“After studying civil engineering, many advised me to go abroad,” Sujan said. “Abroad, you can earn more financially, but you do not get family happiness and peace there.” He said his father is a retired civil servant and his mother is also serving in the civil service, and that his family environment is patriotic.
He added, “With a simple life and high thinking, I decided to work in Nepal. I will use the knowledge gained abroad to develop the country’s foreign policy. I will focus on economic development as well.”
Raksha Bhetuwal Targets a Stronger Banking Sector
Raksha Bhetuwal, who received the Shri Indrabhakta Shrestha Gold Medal for achieving the highest marks in the MBA level while studying at the School of Management with a GPA of 3.93, said she aims to strengthen Nepal’s banking sector.
“Instead of suffering abroad, the happiness you get by putting the same effort into Nepal is incomparable,” said the 25-year-old Raksha. “I have visited half a dozen countries. TU’s curriculum is of an international standard. It seems there should be a bit more focus on practical aspects.”
She added, “I will use the knowledge I gained to strengthen the country’s banking sector. I will work in Nepal.”
Niru Basnet Plans to Work on Climate Change in Nepal
Niru Basnet, who secured first position from Tribhuvan University’s Department of Environment, Kirtipur, with a GPA of 3.92 in MSc Environmental Science and received the Madan Vidya Environmental Science Award, said she has decided to work in Nepal in the field of climate change.
Currently working as an Environment and Social Risk Analyst at NIMB Bank, she said Nepal’s climate finance remains weak and that she would contribute in this area.
Participation, Guests, and Convocation Messages
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Deepak Aryal said that TU’s 51st convocation ceremony included the participation of 40,000 people, counting 16,380 students who applied for convocation along with their guardians. He said TU celebrated the academic success of 89,191 graduating students at the ceremony, with world-famous physicist Prof. Dr. Takaaki Kajita present.
TU’s Pro-Chancellor and Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Mahabir Pun, said the certificate students receive at convocation is not only a credential but also an identity that reflects their capabilities.
“The key to Nepal’s prosperity is in the hands of the youth. Practical knowledge and science centers must become the heart of an economy that embraces innovative research,” Pro-Chancellor Pun requested. “Transform the knowledge you have gained into service and economic development.”
Prime Minister Karki on University Governance
Prime Minister and Chancellor Sushila Karki said the government has begun groundwork to end the system in which the Prime Minister serves as the Chancellor, to remove extreme politics within universities.
“Unnecessary partisan interference in educational administration has continuously affected Nepal’s higher education sector, and understanding this, we have initiated this effort,” Prime Minister Karki said. “We have realized that the system of having the Prime Minister as the university’s Chancellor needs to be revised.”
She added, “Serious consultations and groundwork are ongoing on this issue. There should be initiatives to make university education research-oriented and to turn the university into a center of research.”
Nobel Laureate Kajita’s Message on Confidence and Research
Chief guest, world-famous Nobel Prize-winning Japanese scientist Prof. Dr. Takaaki Kajita, congratulated students and urged them to move forward with confidence. He suggested that confidence does not necessarily make the path easier, but it gives more strength to walk that path.
Sharing his experience from his decade-long PhD-related research, he said, “After completing my doctorate in 1986, I began studying neutrinos, which many doubted. They also advised me to choose another easier path, but I did not give up. As a result, after 10 years, in 1998, we discovered that neutrinos have mass. This changed the understanding of physics itself.”
Broader Context and Questions Raised About New Universities
Each year, more than 500,000 students pass Grade 10. Among them, 50,000 go abroad, and 50,000 choose universities other than TU. TU itself is educating, graduating, and training 400,000 students.
On the other hand, within the past 10 years, seven new universities have been established in the country. However, even up to today, those universities do not have as many students as a single constituent campus of TU. Participants at the TU convocation raised the question of whether those universities have been opened only for appointing officials.
Tribhuvan University Convocation