KATHMANDU: As growing numbers of Nepali students leave for universities abroad after high school, Kathmandu University is moving to make Nepal a more attractive destination for higher education. The university has launched a program to bring globally recognized professors and researchers to teach and conduct research on its Dhulikhel campus.

On July 1, the university announced a “Call for International Faculty” that drew more than 450 applications worldwide. Selected hires will be paid 50 percent more than existing faculty, according to spokesperson Uddhab Pyakurel. Already, professors from Taiwan, India, Nordic countries, the United States, Brazil, Britain, South Korea and China have begun teaching under the program.

The initiative builds on the university’s fellowships for foreign students, joint research projects with 284 institutions in 41 countries, and dual-degree Ph.D. programs with universities in Norway, Australia and India. Pyakurel said KU is now in talks with the government to ease visa rules, aligning with Nepal’s foreign policy to boost its global academic profile.