Kathmandu University (KU), one of Nepal's leading centers of higher education, has produced nearly 48,000 graduates in its 34 years of academic service. The university shared these figures during a press conference on Wednesday, ahead of the second phase of its 30th convocation ceremony scheduled for Friday.
According to KU spokesperson Ekku Maya Pun, a total of 47,831 students have graduated from KU since its establishment. In the current convocation phase, 1,129 students will be receiving their degrees, representing various academic disciplines and levels.
Graduates this year come from across KU’s seven academic schools. Among them, 163 students are from the School of Arts, 102 from the School of Education, 68 from the School of Engineering, 110 from the School of Management, 661 from the School of Medical Sciences, and 25 from the School of Science.
The convocation will also see the awarding of several advanced degrees. These include 14 doctoral (PhD) degrees, 8 Doctor of Medicine (DM) degrees, 10 Master of Chirurgiae (MCH) degrees, and 69 Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degrees. In addition, 513 students will receive postgraduate degrees, 4 will receive Post Graduate Diplomas, and 511 will graduate from undergraduate programs.
The graduating batch also includes 118 international students from Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Among all graduates this year, 575 are male and 554 are female.
This year’s ceremony is particularly notable for several academic firsts in KU’s history. For the first time, a student from the School of Engineering will receive a PhD in Geomatics Engineering. The School of Management will graduate its first group of 20 students with a Bachelor in Professional Hospitality. In the School of Medical Sciences, KU will confer its first Doctor of Medicine in Critical Care Medicine, and its first Doctor of Medicine in Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. The university will also award its first MSc degrees in Community Health Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, and Masters of Physiotherapy in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy.
The convocation ceremony will be chaired by Prime Minister and KU Chancellor KP Sharma Oli. Brendan G. Carr, Chief Executive Officer of Mount Sinai Health Systems in the United States, will serve as the chief guest.
