Idea Studio Nepal holds press meet for College Idea Hunt 2025

KATHMANDU: Idea Studio Nepal (ISN) organised a press meet in Kathmandu to launch College Idea Hunt 2025, on Sunday.

Representatives from various educational institutions, entrepreneurs and officials from the organising body shared their perspectives on the programme's objectives, significance and impact.

Anil Basnet, Business Development Director at ISN, opened the programme by outlining its goals. He said College Idea Hunt (CIH) aims to establish incubation centres in 15 community and private colleges, develop faculty, revise curricula and launch a knowledge and talent hub under the "Academy Champion" initiative. Basnet highlighted international partnerships with Ishizaka Inc, Japan, Fourth Valley and Barcelona School of Management, and noted student involvement through the "Pratibha Dabali" programme. He stated that from 2017 to 2024, CIH had received over 1,300 ideas and reached more than 7,000 students and young individuals across over 400 colleges. He added that the application period began on May 25 and cited ventures such as Digo Nepal and Skill Sewa as examples of the programme's achievements.

Surendra Subedi, Principal of Kathmandu Model College (KMC), emphasised the need for such platforms to engage young people in the business world. He noted that two KMC students were CIH winners and underlined the programme’s value for students from the higher secondary level to Master's level. Subedi confirmed KMC's full support for the collaboration between MIT College and ISN.

Professor Dr Mahananda Chalise, Dean of the Faculty of Management at Tribhuvan University (TU), discussed ISN’s collaboration with various colleges. He stated that if even 20% of the 170,000 students in the BBS programme started businesses, it would significantly benefit the country's economy and society. Chalise also explored the concept of "content to context" and the future of the gig economy, adding that training for hotel management students was forthcoming.

Dr Govinda Tamang, Director of the School of Management at Tribhuvan University (SOMTU), said the curriculum must be revisited, with faculty trained to act as mentors and students serving as consultants. He stressed the importance of establishing incubation centres on every campus and noted that an Impact Café was being prepared at SOMTU in partnership with ISN. Tamang also announced the launch of a postgraduate course in sustainable development, in collaboration with Barcelona School of Management, and indicated that opportunities to explore Japanese culture and economic sectors were emerging through a collaboration with Fourth Valley. He mentioned a startup validation and entrepreneurship support programme in partnership with ISN and Nabil School of Social Entrepreneurship (Nabil SSE).

Aaradhana Ojha, co-founder of Ray Mini Scooter, recounted her experience of taking part in CIH despite her engineering background, explaining how she gained knowledge in innovation, law and government policy. She asserted that "an idea never dies" and said she currently manages Amplified Digital and Ray Mini Scooter, adding she is a golden ticket holder for Nabil SSE.

Ashmita Khambu, founder of Stitch Perfect (Handmade with Love), detailed how establishing a crochet and knitting business whilst studying for her BBS has now created employment for 15 individuals. She noted improvements in her confidence and public speaking skills and expressed gratitude to ISN for the networking opportunities provided.

Joseph Shrestha, founder of RVM Cold, commented that ISN fosters an entrepreneurial mindset, while Ramkrishna Dahal, co-founder of MIT College, provided insights on the significance of the IT sector, Australia’s CRC model and the courses offered by MIT College.

Tshering Lama, ISN Executive Chairperson and co-founder, stressed the importance of "knowledge-based innovation". He provided details on the partnership between ISN and TU and highlighted the recent collaboration with MIT College. Lama stated that "only by putting content into context can we make an impact on society" and thanked all the academy champions involved. College Idea Hunt 2025 continues to offer opportunities for Nepali youth to transform their ideas into thriving businesses, with speakers at the press meet asserting that such programmes will enhance the country's economic and social development.

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