KU introduces mining engineering course

By Kedar Timalsina,Kavrepalanchowk, Aug. 5: To produce skilled manpower for the development of the mining sector of the country, Kathmandu University (KU) has decided to introduce a mining engineering course at the undergraduate level this year. 

KU said it hoped to produce 30 mining engineers every year. Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Dr. Bhola Thapa claimed that despite having thousands of mines and crusher factories, Nepal did not have many mining engineers. Even the Department of Mines and Geology (DoMG) lacks human resource related to mining, he said.

"Yesterday, when the state requested, we began producing Geomatics engineers. Today, the nation needs mining engineers and we want to produce them," Thapa said on Wednesday.

He said that the mining engineers the University produced would be able to work both inside and outside the country. Thapa also informed that an agreement had been reached to initiate a similar mining engineering course in Gandaki University too.

However, even though the University sought to admit 30 students in the course this year, only one person applied. 

Thapa said this was because of a lack of knowledge about the subject.

Director General of DoMG Ram Prasad Ghimire also spoke on the occasion and informed that the Department had 16 mining engineering-related positions open but only had five engineers including him.

"India, Australia and Canada also do not have as many mining engineers as they need," he shared.

Dr. Bikash Adhikari, the vice-chairman of the Nepal Engineering Council, said that his office approved the course in nine days.