GCN, SOMTU hold session to strengthen academia-industry links for sustainable business leadership

KATHMANDU: Global Compact Nepal (GCN) and the School of Management, Tribhuvan University (SOMTU) held a knowledge-sharing session in Anamnagar, Kathmandu, on Friday. The event aimed to strengthen links between higher education and the private sector and to advance sustainable business leadership.

Held at LeadX Nepal, the meeting brought together more than 30 participants from academia, businesses, development organisations and sustainability practitioners to discuss emerging sustainability challenges and opportunities for collaboration between universities and industry.

Opening the programme, Yogendra Chitrakar, Vice President of GCN and Executive Director of Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness (ECCA), stressed the need for closer collaboration among academic institutions, businesses and development actors to advance responsible business practices and sustainable development in Nepal.

Dr Govinda Tamang, Director of SOMTU, then presented the School’s Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Business Management (PGDSBM). He said the programme integrates sustainability into management education through curriculum development, research, stakeholder engagement and practical learning, with modules on ESG management, sustainability reporting and responsible business practices designed to align academic training with industry needs.

Meanwhile, Nikita Rajbhandari, Co-Founder and CXO of Zite, outlined an ESG scorecard initiative being developed with GCN to help organisations measure and improve ESG performance. The proposed framework would convert sustainability data into measurable indicators through scoring, benchmarking, diagnostics and year-on-year tracking, and aims to support a nationally relevant ESG approach for Nepal’s business context.

Rashmi KC, Programme Manager at GCN, spoke about the United Nations Global Compact’s Communication on Progress (COP) framework, noting its role in promoting accountability, transparency and continuous improvement among participating companies and saying the COP is intended as a tool for self-assessment and organisational learning.

A roundtable moderated by Rajshree Karki, Associate at GCN, brought representatives from finance, renewable energy, manufacturing, hospitality, education, consulting and development sectors. Participants discussed drivers of sustainability initiatives, gaps between academic preparation and industry requirements, challenges in ESG reporting, and the growing role of technology and artificial intelligence in sustainability data management and performance monitoring.

A recurring theme was the value of a multidisciplinary approach drawing on business, governance, technology, law, environmental science and finance. Dr Tamang noted that industry feedback has already influenced the design of SOMTU’s PGDSBM and pointed to opportunities for continued collaboration between businesses and academic institutions.

The session concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen partnerships between academia and industry to advance sustainability leadership and responsible business practices in Nepal.