The selection process for the next Vice-Chancellor of Tribhuvan University (TU) is underway as 43 individuals have applied for the position. The Ministry of Education is currently in the process of verifying the applications to ensure compliance with all necessary documentation.
The call for applications was made after Chancellor and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal directed TU to start the Vice-Chancellor selection through an open competition. The recommendation committee, led by Education Minister Ashok Kumar Rai, who also serves as the Pro-Chancellor, invited applications in the first week of January. At that period, the deadline for application was 15 days.
Out of the 43 applications received, 41 were from male candidates, and 2 were from female candidates said, Suresh Adhikari, secretary of the Ministry of Education.
Candidates who applied for the Vice-Chancellor position include Prof Dr. Shivalal Bhusal, Vice-Chancellor of Mid-West University, Prof Dr. Nanda Bahadur Singh, former Vice-Chancellor of TU, Prof Dr. Tirtha Raj Khaniya, former Vice-Chancellor of Open University Prof Dr. Lekhnath Sharma, and former Vice-Chancellor of Pokhara University and Prof Dr. Keshar Jung Baral and others.
Several prominent academic figures, including Dean Kusum Shakya, Prof Dr Chandra Mani Paudel, and Guna Nidhi Neupane, have also submitted their applications for consideration.
The selection process involves evaluating presentations and conducting interviews with the applicants. The recommendation committee, headed by the Minister of Education, will submit the names of the top three candidates with the highest marks to the Chancellor and the Prime Minister. The Chancellor will then appoint one person from the three recommended candidates as the new Vice-Chancellor.
Tribhuvan University has been without a Vice-Chancellor since the conclusion of Prof Dr Dharma Kant Baskota’s tenure on November 2. Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Shivalal Bhusal, appointed by Prime Minister Dahal, is currently overseeing the university for a three-month interim period.
A search committee, chaired by Education, Science, and Technology Minister Ashok Rai, was formed the following day to facilitate the Vice-Chancellor appointment. The committee faced much controversy over application requirements, resulting in a revised notification on January 8 to address concerns and start the application process.
