KATHMANDU: The United Kingdom’s Minister for the Indo-Pacific and Equalities, Seema Malhotra, announced a commitment to enhance Nepal’s educational quality and expand technical education during a three-day official visit to Kathmandu.

Speaking at a high-level discussion organized by the Nepal-Britain Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Minister Malhotra emphasized investing in human capital by linking education to employment and economic growth.

She noted that bilateral ties are already strongly supported by UK-affiliated colleges in Nepal and the 23,000 Nepali students who migrated to the UK for higher education last fiscal year.

Malhotra met with senior leadership—including Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, and Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel—to discuss long-term partnerships via Official Development Assistance (ODA).

In response, Nepali education officials called for deeper foreign collaboration centered on equitable inclusivity, research-based higher education, the establishment of a Sector Skill Council, and the adoption of UK-modeled quality assessment systems.