Swiss Ambassador pays courtesy call on Education Minister
KATHMANDU: Switzerland’s Ambassador to Nepal, Daniel Meuli, paid a courtesy call on Nepal’s Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel, at the Ministry in Singha Durbar on Monday, where the two sides discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in education and development.
During the meeting, both officials exchanged views on mutual interests, development assistance, and expanding partnership in Nepal’s education sector, particularly in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
Switzerland is a long-standing development partner of Nepal, especially in supporting skill-based education through the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT).
With support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), three major projects are currently being implemented under CTEVT: the National Vocational Qualifications System, Enhanced Skills for Sustainable and Rewarding Employment, and Quality Technical and Vocational Education and Training for Youth.
Minister Pokharel expressed gratitude to the Government of Switzerland for its continued assistance in Nepal’s education and development sectors.
He informed that a draft law related to CTEVT is in the process of finalization and that expert consultations are being undertaken to modernize technical education in line with current needs, with plans to table it in Parliament soon.
Highlighting government priorities, the minister said Nepal is open to expanding cooperation with Switzerland beyond technical education into areas such as digitalization and inclusive education.
He also shared ongoing efforts to establish special autism schools across all seven provinces and emphasized the importance of job-oriented education starting from school level.
He noted that the “Book-Free Friday” initiative implemented in Kathmandu Metropolitan City has been effective and could be scaled nationally by integrating it into the curriculum.
Ambassador Meuli reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to continue supporting Nepal’s education sector and said Switzerland remains ready to cooperate in line with Nepal’s development vision. He also suggested merging the three ongoing education projects into a more integrated framework to enhance their effectiveness and impact.
Both sides expressed optimism that the long-standing partnership between Nepal and Switzerland will further deepen in the coming years, especially in skills development, digital transformation, and inclusive education.
