KATHMANDU, March 23: Kathmandu University (KU) has been appointed chair of the interim executive committee of the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC), a multilateral network of universities from the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region.
The interim committee, represented by KU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Achyut Wagle, will oversee HUC’s activities, including the adoption of its new charter, byelaws, and the renewal of memberships. Prof. Wagle will serve as chair until the General Assembly, scheduled within a year, elects a permanent committee, KU said in a press release.
The new committee was formed during a two-day HUC retreat in Kathmandu hosted by KU, attended by 70 international guests, including 29 Vice-Chancellors from the HKH region. Delegates from India, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Bhutan participated in the event, which focused on establishing a roadmap for HUC’s financial sustainability and global positioning.
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According to the press release, keynote speaker Prof. Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Chancellor of The Energy and Resources Institute School of Advanced Studies, India, emphasized integrating indigenous knowledge with scientific research to build climate-resilient communities and protect biodiversity hotspots in the region.
Likewise, former Supreme Court Justice Dr. Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, special guest of the event, highlighted the need to align local laws with global frameworks such as the Paris Agreement, ensuring environmental conservation becomes a sustainable reality across the Hindu Kush Himalaya.
Similarly, Prof. Wagle underlined the urgent responsibility of universities to use data-driven research to influence policy, stressing threats to ecology, indigenous cultures, and regional flora and fauna.
The press release further stated that during the retreat, participants deliberated across seven technical sessions, covering HUC’s financial sustainability, academic collaboration, global positioning, and the creation of a Vice-Chancellors’ forum. Discussions also focused on revising HUC’s charter and harmonizing byelaws, along with thematic priorities in Food-Energy-Water Nexus, Disaster Risk, Climate Change, Mountain Agriculture, Green Economy, and the role of AI and digital competency in bridging research and policy gaps.
On the sidelines, KU signed MoUs with the Indian Institute of Technology-Mandi and the University of Ladakh to conduct joint research on Himalayan ecology, culture, and transboundary issues.
Established in 2007, HUC comprises 107 member universities from the HKH region. Initially hosted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, HUC’s secretariat was transferred to Kathmandu University in December 2025, the press release said.
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