Nepali Academic Appointed Executive Dean at UK University

London. A Nepali intellectual teaching in the United Kingdom has been appointed as the Executive Dean of a British university.

Professor Dr. Padam Simkhada, originally from Dhading, has been appointed to the position of Executive Dean at the University of Chester. He now becomes a key member of the senior management team responsible for overseeing all academic and administrative responsibilities of the University of Chester. He is likely the first person of Nepali origin abroad to receive the responsibility of Executive Dean at a UK university.

Previously, Simkhada served as the Dean only for the Health Faculty at Huddersfield University, but at the University of Chester, he has taken on the responsibility of Dean of Global Impact and Research, overseeing cross-university matters.

'The responsibility of how to collaborate with various institutions globally, how to enhance research courses, how to expand branches in different countries, and how to work in partnership with other universities has now fallen on my shoulders,' said Simkhada.

Professor Simkhada stated that assuming this post within the university's senior management team is a significant achievement.

He is also part of the committee, appointed by the UK government, responsible for evaluating research conducted in British universities. This committee is tasked with scrutinizing research and submitting its report by 2029.

Padam Simkhada, born in a remote village in Dhading, now Ganga Jamuna, received his primary education from the proposed government high school. From the time he started attending school, he faced the hardship of not even having a room to study in. However, these difficulties could not stop his dreams. Continuous struggle and hard work have made him an inspirational figure.

While studying in Dhading, he moved to Kathmandu for higher education and completed his studies up to the Certificate and Bachelor's levels while managing studies and work simultaneously. With the aim of broadening his scope of study, he came to the UK in 1998 to pursue a Master's degree. After completing his Master's in 1999, he completed his PhD from the University of Southampton from 1999 to 2002.

After his PhD, Simkhada gained experience in academic leadership by working as a Program Coordinator and Course Coordinator in various educational institutions from 2005 to 2010.

While at the University of Aberdeen, nearly 120 of his students completed their Master's in Public Health, and some completed their PhDs.

From the end of 2010, he worked as a Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University for about four years. Subsequently, in 2014, he became a Professor at Liverpool John Moores University, where he taught and held significant academic leadership roles for about five years.

Honoring his leadership capabilities, Huddersfield University appointed him as Associate Dean at the end of 2019. It is due to this experience and contribution that he has now succeeded in securing the role of Executive Dean.