Urlabari Multiple Campus Hosts Landmark National Academic Conference-2026, Promotes Research Culture in Higher Education
Urlabari, Morang | June 2026
Urlabari Multiple Campus (UMC), one of the leading public campuses in eastern Nepal, successfully organized its first-ever National Academic Conference on June 12 and 13, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s academic journey. The two-day conference, organized by the Research, Publication and Extension Sub-committee under the theme “Research, Innovation and Sustainability in Higher Education,” brought together scholars, researchers, faculty members, students, policy makers and education leaders from across the country.
The conference introduced an innovative Faculty–Student Collaborative Research Paper Presentation model, emphasizing mentorship, shared academic inquiry and the co-creation of knowledge. The initiative was supported by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Nepal through the Institutional Capacity Development Program.
A New Chapter in Higher Education
Established in 2043 BS, Urlabari Multiple Campus has been steadily transforming itself from a teaching-oriented institution into a research-centered academic hub. The national conference represented a strategic step in this direction and also reflected the campus’s commitment toward Quality Assurance and Accreditation (QAA).
According to the official report, the conference sought to establish a collaborative research culture between faculty members and students, develop critical 21st-century skills, bridge the gap between classroom theory and practical inquiry, and encourage the creation of localized knowledge relevant to Nepalese society.
Grand Inauguration with Distinguished Guests
The conference commenced with an inaugural session chaired by Acting Chairperson of the Campus Management Committee, Mr. Min Prasad Dahal. The Chief Guest was Honorable Umakanta Gautam, State Minister for Internal Affairs and Law of Koshi Province, who attended alongside educational leaders, policymakers and representatives from various academic institutions.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Dr. Hemraj Kafle of Kathmandu University presented an insightful lecture entitled “From Performance to Presence: Rethinking Leadership for Neo-liberal Settings.” His speech challenged conventional leadership models and emphasized reflective and value-based leadership practices within higher education.
Intensive Plenary Sessions and Scholarly Discussions
The conference featured plenary sessions led by renowned academicians and subject experts. Dr. Rajendra Adhikari and Prof. Dr. Jiwan Kumar Dhakal conducted discussions on improving student learning and promoting collaborative learning models in higher education.
One of the most discussed presentations was delivered by Mr. Gunaraj Nepal under the title “To Be or Not to Be A Bichoulia.” He strongly criticized the growing culture of academic middlemen and plagiarism in higher education, emphasizing the urgent need for critical thinking, originality and academic integrity.
On the second day, Prof. Dr. Basudev Kafle delivered a keynote speech on “Collaborative Research Culture.” Drawing inspiration from the ancient Sanskrit term Gaweshan, meaning “searching for missing cows,” he explained that modern education must move beyond the passive consumption of knowledge toward the active creation of new ideas and research. He stressed that sustainable academic development can only flourish when faculty experience is combined with student creativity and energy.
Prof. Dr. Hemraj Kafle later presented another influential session titled “Reclaiming Faculty Agency through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).” He argued that a healthy research ecosystem requires three essential elements: somewhere to go, something to read and someone to talk with.
Twenty-Seven Research Papers Presented
A major highlight of the conference was the presentation of 27 collaborative research papers, covering a wide range of contemporary social, economic, educational and cultural issues.
Research topics included:
- Financial literacy and socio-economic development
- Unemployment trends in Nepal
- Employee retention and career progression
- Corporate management practices
- English language teaching pedagogy
- Diabetes management among the elderly
- Autism and parental psychosocial coping
- Digital devices and cognitive learning
- Mobile phone dependency among college students
- Occupational work-life balance among nurses
- Fiscal decentralization and campus governance
- Smartboards in English language teaching
- TikTok as an informal learning platform
- Educational challenges faced by early-married students
- Digital divide in school education
- Sociolinguistic studies of community schools
- Indigenous livelihood systems and millet liquor production
- Funeral traditions of the Dhimal community
The papers employed diverse methodologies, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method approaches, demonstrating both academic rigor and practical relevance.
Broad Institutional Collaboration
The conference brought together approximately twenty academic, governmental and institutional partners from across Nepal. Faculty mentors and student researchers from campuses such as Tridev Multiple Campus, Janta Multiple Campus, Mechi Multiple Campus, Kathmandu University, Sukuna Multiple Campus, Mahendra Multiple Campus, Pathari Multiple Campus and others actively participated in the technical sessions.
The host campus itself showcased numerous collaborative research projects involving its faculty and students, reflecting its growing commitment to research excellence.
Key Achievements
The official report highlights several important achievements of the conference.
First, the event significantly empowered student researchers by giving them hands-on experience in academic writing, research methodology and scholarly presentations. Many student participants described the collaborative experience as transformative and stated that it fundamentally changed their perception of research.
Second, the conference contributed to the creation of localized knowledge by encouraging research on issues directly affecting Nepalese communities, ranging from educational inequalities and digital access to indigenous livelihoods and social practices.
Third, the event enhanced the academic reputation and institutional identity of Urlabari Multiple Campus. Organizers believe that the conference has strengthened the campus’s preparedness for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (QAA) and positioned it as an emerging center of research-oriented higher education in Nepal.
Challenges and Recommendations
Despite its success, the conference also identified important challenges confronting Nepal’s higher education sector.
Experts expressed concern about the growing prevalence of plagiarism and academic middlemen, inadequate research skills among students, limited time for quality research and the persistence of traditional lecture-based teaching methods.
To address these issues, the conference recommended:
- Promoting interactive and dialogue-based academic programs;
- Training students to independently moderate academic panels;
- Allocating dedicated institutional budgets for collaborative research;
- Conducting workshops on research writing, data visualization and presentation skills; and
- Developing a strict institutional code of research ethics with zero tolerance for plagiarism.
The UMC 1st National Academic Conference 2026 has been widely regarded as a historic achievement for Urlabari Multiple Campus. More than a routine academic gathering, the event demonstrated how collaboration between faculty and students can foster innovation, strengthen institutional capacity and create meaningful knowledge for society.
As Nepal’s higher education institutions strive to become more research-oriented and globally competitive, the success of Urlabari Multiple Campus may serve as an inspiring model for campuses across the country.
