NICCI, Bagmati University sign MoU to strengthen academia-industry ties

KATHMANDU: Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) and Bagmati University signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Kathmandu on Thursday to boost cooperation between academia and industry.

The MoU was signed by Sunil KC, president of NICCI, and Prof Dr Chandra Mani Poudel, president of Bagmati University. The partnership aims to bring academic knowledge and industry practice closer, equipping students with practical skills and supporting innovation and entrepreneurship through joint efforts.

Under the agreement, the institutions will collaborate on internship and job placement facilitation, joint research and innovation, capacity‑building and training programmes, and the co‑hosting of academic‑industry conferences, summits, workshops and seminars. The initiative will also cover knowledge exchange and publications, curriculum and pedagogy enrichment, entrepreneurship and start‑up support, joint projects and case studies, student and faculty engagement, policy leadership, and infrastructure and centre development.

Following the signing, the presidents of both institutions said they were confident the partnership would strengthen ties between academic institutions and industry, enhance youth skills and encourage entrepreneurship in the years ahead.

Bagmati University is a public institution established by the Bagmati Provincial Government under the Provincial Higher Education Act, 2078, with a focus on research‑ and innovation‑driven education. NICCI, founded in 1993 by a group of entrepreneurs and industrialists, is a bi‑national non‑profit organisation that promotes economic relations and cross‑border cooperation between Nepal and India across multiple industrial and service sectors.