Dr. Ram Lama
As a research-based institution, one of the main objectives of Kathmandu University is to develop a bridge between academia and industry, such that the research activities of the academics are driven by the actual industrial problems. Within a few years of establishing the Academia-Industry Cooperation Division, KU has gained momentum and created a remarkable achievement in uplifting this cooperation through joint projects, workshops/training, promoting local entrepreneurs, and conducting research works on local problems. This Wing is working to initiate the pilot project “Green Urea Production in Nepal (GAP-Nepal)” Project funded by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) at the Green Hydrogen Lab for the Identification of perspectives of hydrogen for the production of fertilizers in Nepal using Our own excess Hydroelectricity.
Apart from the National collaboration and research focusing on state-of-the-art technologies, there is a need for establishing a research culture in the industry of Nepal by focusing on specific problems. The idea is to attract industrial investment in the research activities of KU, and generate novel ideas to uplift the country’s overall development. After successfully implementing its vision as the Academia-Industry Cooperation Division of Green Hydrogen Lab, it has been upscaled to the University level to link the research being conducted in the whole University to the local industries.
Green Hydrogen Lab is broadening its academic research scope in the field of hydrogen as a future fuel with a vision to produce highly skilled human resources that can contribute to the national as well as the global domain of the hydrogen industry. In the present context, hydrogen has not been prioritized in Nepal but globally it is gaining the wide attention of developed nations for shifting from conventional fuel to a hydrogen-based fuel economy. The industrial wing at KU believes in the essence to start a collaboration of Nepalese Governmental entities and Universities to work for the development of the hydrogen and hydrogen-based industry for solving these problems. The wing aims for identifying major challenges and suggest policy advocacy as well as technological and academic knowledge.
In the short period of its formulation, the Academia-Industry Cooperation Division, Office of the Vice Chancellor, KU has been able to attract the interest of several government agencies of the country. In order to solve the ever-increasing problem of fertilizer shortages, the division has associated Green Hydrogen Lab, KU with Nepal Electricity Authority to start a Pilot scale Green Ammonia Production facility in Nepal utilizing the electricity from hydropower. A similar association has been developed between Green Hydrogen Lab and the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture & Cooperatives – Bagmati Provincial Government to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for an Industrial scale Green Urea Production facility in Nepal. The division has several other such projects in the planning phase to associate Nepalese industries and agencies to research laboratories at Kathmandu University. Moreover, this division is working to bridge the Aviation Industries of Nepal with University for mutually working in the field of Aviation Education in Nepal. Finally, new horizons for commercially applicable research will be the keen interest of this division which will be closely working with industries by bridging all the concerned research-based Laboratories, Departments, and Divisions.