Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and started the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) in Nepal in 2016. One of the primary objectives of IRDP is to support Nepal’s rural development by strengthening research and development capacities of Kathmandu University. The implementing agencies for the project are: Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Nepal office, on behalf of the Republic of Korea; and Kathmandu University, on behalf of the Government of Nepal. The project is completed on October, 2023.
Education is the mirror of society
Education is the mirror of society, and is the seed as well as the flower of socioeconomic development. It frees human beings from the shackles of ignorance and social deprivation, and puts them and their nation on the path to social and economic development. It is for this reason that universities such as Kathmandu University, where higher level education and research take place, are usually considered as true agents for socio-economic change.
Rural population in Nepal
The rural population in Nepal in 2016, as per a World Bank report, was reported at 81% With this big portion of the country’s population in rural areas, there is now a growing awareness of the need to see rural development from a broader perspective, beyond the usual agricultural and rural resource-based ones. In this new holistic perspective, education, entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social infrastructure all play important roles in rural development.
Society’s needs
Kathmandu University is fully cognizant of its responsibility to contribute meaningfully to the overall socio-economic development of the country, and more specifically, to support rural development by working with a more holistic perspective. And it is perfectly poised–as envisioned in the above mentioned MOU–to bridge the gap between education and rural development through Nepal Technology Innovation Center (NTIC) of the Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP).
KU-IRDP: Memorandum of Understanding Signing
(MOU) on 6 February 2018. Click here for MOU document
“Integrated Rural Development of Nepal through Strengthening Research and Development Capacity of Kathmandu University”
Objective
1. Contribute for integrated rural development of Nepal by strengthening research and development capacity of Kathmandu University.
2. Promote technology innovation for improving quality of life and income status of people in rural communities in Nepal
Project Duration – 2016 to 2023, eight (8) years
Project Budget – KRW 11,400,000,000 equivalent to Ten Million USD (USD 10,000,000)
Implementing Agencies
on behalf of the Republic of Korea, KOICA Nepal
on behalf of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Kathmandu University (KU)
Major Milestone of IRDP
KU formally established Nepal Technology Innovation Center (NTIC) as per its official meeting held on January 18th 2019 (EC No. 568).