Japan Emerges as Top Destination for Nepali Students Seeking Higher Education Abroad

Kathmandu. Japan is emerging as the top choice for students from Nepal seeking higher education abroad, with management studies being the most popular field of study among those going overseas.

Data from the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) issued by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for Nepali students pursuing higher education in foreign institutions shows Japan's growing appeal in the last fiscal year and the first quarter of the current fiscal year. The influx of students is attributed to the ease of studying and working in Japan after learning the Japanese language. Australia used to be the first choice for Nepali students until a few years ago.

The Ministry stated that a total of 28,585 students received 'No Objection Letters' (NOC) from the Ministry's branch office in Bhaktapur (Sano Thimi) from the beginning of the current fiscal year (July 17) to the end of Ashoj (October 16). Among these, 9,453 students received approval for Japan, 7,730 for Australia, and 4,611 for the United Kingdom. Birendra Jung Thapa, Chief of the Ministry's NOC branch, mentioned that the number of students going to Japan has increased recently due to the Japanese language test held in February.

He explained that due to the 'NIDC' system being down for some time today, they could not provide quick service to the students, but since the system for applying for NOC service based on 'online' applications and approval has been developed, approvals will be issued according to the turn of applicants with complete documents.

Navaraj Devkota, a resident of Jumla who applied for an NOC while preparing to go to Japan, complained that it was difficult to inquire about the status of his approval today due to the heavy rush of students at the branch office. Devkota is preparing to study at Kyurin International Japanese Language College in Fukuoka, Japan.

In the last fiscal year 2081/082, a total of 123,589 students received approval to study abroad in 84 countries. Japan accounted for the highest number with 39,847 approvals. Among the top five destinations, the UK had 27,475, Australia 16,279, South Korea 9,757, and the United States 8,870.

In terms of field of study, management was the most popular, with 116,780 students receiving pre-approval in that field during the last fiscal year. Information Technology followed with 30,744, Science with 20,674, and Hospitality with 14,023 students.

The Ministry recently updated the list of programs based on the authenticity of foreign universities and colleges and the suitability of physical infrastructure for teaching. The Ministry updated the list of institutions ranked by 'Times Higher Education' or 'QS World University Rankings' on Falgun 11, as per Article 18, Sub-article 4 of the 'Foreign Study Approval Guidelines, 2079' (as amended), which provides rankings for those with available university or teaching institution websites.

The Ministry facilitated the identification of the authenticity of universities and colleges with the intention that students going abroad should not face problems. Based on information received from official channels of those countries, the Ministry has published portals providing official information regarding universities and colleges in China, Australia, Norway, UAE, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Malta, United States, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Republic of Korea, Qatar, and Maldives.