About the event

The Himalayan University Consortium (HUC), as part of the project ‘Research Based Education for Development of Hydropower Professionals for the Himalayan Region’ (Hydro-Himalaya, HHP), is organising a two-day leadership and partnership-building workshop for MSc and PhD students, faculty members, and stakeholders of HHP.

Objectives

• Launch the HHP Mentorship programme and provide orientation to both mentors and mentees
• Facilitate experience sharing and team building among faculty members researchers, students, mentors, and other stakeholders of HHP
• Impart essential leadership and partnership-building skills to participants

Participants

Participants include MSc and PhD students of all three batches of the HHP project, faculty members, researchers, project staff (including the ICIMOD-HUC team), mentors, and keynote speakers will attend the workshop. Staff from Tangent Waves, a Nepal-based consulting firm specialising in entrepreneurship development will be facilitating the workshop. Four keynote speakers from India, Nepal, and Europe (virtual) will speak on competence requirements for the renewable energy sector in South Asia and Europe.

Background

The project ‘Research Based Education for Development of Hydropower Professionals for the Himalayan Region’ (Hydro-Himalaya, HHP) (2021-2026) is funded by Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NOHRED-II) and implemented by the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) Secretariat, Kathmandu University, the Norwegian University for Science and Technology, University of South-Eastern Norway and Wuhan University. The HHP aims to develop sustainable and resilient technologies in the hydropower sector in Nepal by strengthening the capacity of higher education institutions in Nepal and other Hindu Kush Himalaya countries to produce higher-quality graduates, more and higher-quality research, and more inclusive higher education.

During the first three years of the project’s duration, 18 MScs and 12 PhD students were selected through an open and competitive process. The year 2023 marked the final enrolment batch and mid-point of the project.

As part of the efforts to enhance the competencies and employability of graduates in the fields of hydropower engineering, the HHP is launching a mentorship program for 30 PhD and Master students (HHP fellows), starting in 2024. The mentors will come from the private sector, development practice, and government or policy-making bodies in Nepal and will support, guide, and advise mentees to achieve their educational and personal goals.

The objectives of the mentorship programme are:

• Engage experts and inspiring individuals to leverage their knowledge and experience to enhance the personal and educational careers of the selected candidates
• Create a network of strong and motivated young professionals to contribute to the HKH region in a more meaningful way
• Support and advise candidates to further improve their knowledge, reaching their full potential and keeping them motivated and active throughout the project period
• Advise the Mentoring Coordinator from the HUC on the completion of the mentoring programme provide feedback where appropriate and help further improve future mentorship programme