Science and Tech conference kicks off

Kathmandu, May 7

An international conference on ‘Science and Technology Information Management System: Practices and Experiences’ kicked off in Lalitpur on Wednesday.

The event is being organised in collaboration with the Non-Aligned Movement and Other Developing Countries Science and Technology Centre (NAM-ST Centre).

Inaugurated by Minister for Education, Science and Technology and Co-Chancellor of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Raghuji Pant, the three-day conference has brought together 110 experts in information technology and data science from Nepal and member nations of the NAM-ST Centre.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Pant stressed that it's crucial to swap experiences to get the most out of technology in the digital age. He reckoned that creating an environment where the human resources in IT want to stay and work in Nepal is essential.

However, he maintained that there are policy challenges to overcome.

Minister Pant added that NAST should deliver initiatives that will genuinely improve people's lives and boost technological progress in the country.

The conference will feature a special guest speaker, five keynote speakers, nine working papers from member countries, 16 from Nepal, and 10 poster presentations. The topics being covered include Science and Technology Information Management, the experiences of those just starting out in the field, and how to make information systems in science and tech more secure and reliable.

Secretary of NAST, Dr. Rabindra Prasad Dhakal, said that work has been initiated to develop the science body as a manager of all information from the sector. The conference is being organised to exchange knowledge needed to formulate the strategy for the same, he said.

Vice-Chancellor of NAST, Prof. Dr. Dilip Subba, said that NAST is giving top priority to the information technology sector and is actively working to become a central hub for managing science and technology information.

The Director-General of the NAM-ST Centre, Dr. Amitav Bandopadhyay, explained that the centre supports the advancement of science and technology among lower-income and developing nations through things like scientific conferences and publications, and this information technology management conference is part of that effort. He also said the Centre is keen to build stronger ties with NAST in the future.

The conference aims to map out the way forward for managing science and technology information systems. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 May 2025.