Under an exchange program with the University of Oklahoma called as the ‘Professional Fellowship Program’ conducted by the Department of State, the United States, 2 to 3 people get selected from Nepal, twice a year. They get to visit the US and are placed in an institution or company based on their relevance and professional suitability. Similarly, the professional fellows visit the participating professionals and related institutions in Nepal as well.
The overall aim of the program is to observe, share experiences and hence learn from each other’s endeavours. This helps in establishing long-lasting connections among various national and international professionals and learn from each other. This also helps in understanding the diverse cultures and contexts.
As a part of the program, five fellows and coordinator of Outbound Exchange Professional Fellowship Program, University of Oklahoma team visited King’s College on Sunday, January 19, 2020, to observe and understand the activities of the college in entrepreneurial development. The team also interacted with the representatives from Do-Lab and Demola (the significant units at King’s College working towards the development of entrepreneurial mindset and problem-solving skills). Then, the fellows met the young entrepreneurs and idea-generators (idea-tors) from King’s College/King’s Incubator. The entrepreneurs exhibited their products. The team then interacted with the entrepreneurs/idea-tors sharing their work experiences and insights from Oklahoma.
On Monday, January 20, 2020, King’s College also hosted an OU Mentorship Program with the visiting fellow professionals, participating students, young entrepreneurs and fellow professionals (alumni) from Nepal. The highlights of the panel discussion included the means to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and ways to adopt the same. The fellows shared their experiences and answered the queries of the participating students. The program ended with one-on-one interaction of students with the Outbound Professional Fellows and other Professional Fellows Alumni from Nepal.
The Professional Fellows Alumni from Nepal who attended the program included Juna Mathema (Blitz Media), Chetez Tamang (Act 360 Degree), Sudeep Kandel (Himalayan Adventure Labs), and Damodar Acharya (Architect).
NYEF is coordinating the programs of Outbound Exchange Fellows from Nepal. NYEF staff and members Sakshi Saraf, Sweety Tuladhar and Nivita Pradhan were also present during the program.
Exchange programs like such pave the path for local students and young entrepreneurs to learn from the knowledge and experience of international experts and professionals. They help these young strivers to learn about the global context and challenges and provide them with the opportunities to learn about various ideas for promoting the local products and services in the global market.
By Sushant Rijal, Program Officer, King’s Incubator, KIng’s College
