KATHMANDU, May 30: Students' attraction towards the Open University is found gradually increasing in recent days. The Open University has opened in Nepal for the first time.
University Vice-chancellor Dr Lekhnath Sharma said attraction towards the university has increased as the university offers new subjects for study and the students can pursue their studies from home.
"Those people who are unable to attend classes in colleges and university on regular basis despite having money and time and those who have left college studies for many years can study in Open University from anywhere," Dr Sharma said.
The Open University has been established with the objective of providing the opportunity and access to life-long education to all through the self-study and learning method by means of open and distance education based on technology. The university has the mandate to run its programmes with on the country and abroad also.
Open University Bill endorsed
Presently, the university is conducting teaching learning activities in five subjects. The university offers classes in social science, education, management, law, science, health and technology faculties.
The Open University is offering MPhil courses in social science and information technology under the one and half year term, in post-graduate in distance and e-learning and diploma in library and information under the one-year curriculum and in e-governance under the two-year master level.
There are 406 students enrolled in various subjects. The university started providing classes from Sunday. Eight hundred students had filled up forms for the entrance exam. The university provides the diploma, post-graduate, master, MPhil and Ph D degrees.
One can study various subjects including general subjects under management and law faculties, and the faculties of social sciences and education as well as engineering through the distance learning mode. The university also offers courses on technical and vocational subjects under the faculty of science, health and technology.
Teachers take classes via (online) video conference. Teachers and students interact through the means of technology.
Students can directly ask teachers if they have any confusion on the subject topics. All the reading materials are available online.
Students have an access to materials available in the e-library. The students wishing to get connected with the online classes have been divided into 16 groups. Sometimes, student classes are conducted through the face-to-face interactions between students and teacher which helps cultivate closeness between two sides.
The Open University Bill-2073 BS which was endorsed by the parliament on June 17, 2016 has been already certified by the President.
According to Vice-chancellor Sharma, admission is opened twice a year in the Nepali months Fagun (mid-February - mid March) and Saun (mid-July to mid-August). "We have planned to add new subjects in the second phase of enrollment," he said.
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