Tribhuvan University

History

Named after the late King Tribhuvan, Tribhuvan University was established on 25 June 1959 (11 Ashar 2016 BS). It is the oldest and largest university in Nepal. In its early years, all the postgraduate classes were held at Tripureshwor Campus, where the administrative office was also located. It was only in 1967 that the university was relocated to its main campus in Kirtipur – an ancient town about 5 km south-west of the city of Kathmandu. The university site, spread over 154.77 hectares, constitutes the Central Administrative Office and the Central Campus.

Academics

Since its inception, the state-owned university has expanded its programmes. There are five technical institutes and four general faculties. The university offers 115 courses for the technical proficiency certificate level. TU offers 1079 courses at Bachelor's level and 1000 courses at Master's level. It offers PhD degrees in the technical institutes and faculties.

Tribhuvan University ran its programmes only through its constituent campuses before 1980. With the increasing number of students seeking higher education, it was not possible to accommodate all the students in the constituent campuses. This situation led to the establishment of colleges in the private sector because the constituent campuses alone could not meet the demand. From 1979 to 1980, TU started providing affiliation to private colleges. As of April 2016, 1,084 private and public colleges were affiliated with TU.

In the 2014–2015 academic session 405,341 students were enrolled in TU academic programmes. 148,141 (36.55%) students study in its 60 constituent campuses including 38 central departments, while 257,200 (63.45%) students study in 1,053 affiliated colleges.

Student enrollment and educational quality

Tribhuvan University is the leading University in Nepal. Many colleges are affiliated with Tribhuvan University. In 1971, all the community colleges were part of Tribhuvan University. The university has the largest number of full-time enrollments in the world. The 49th graduation ceremony of Tribhuvan University was on 18 December 2023, in Kathmandu, Nepal. The registrar of Tribhuvan University said more than 73000 students were graduating at that time. The significant number of graduates made Tribhuvan University hold a Guinness World Record.

Although the education system of Tribhuvan University has produced many graduates, many of them still need to get jobs in the market. They cannot find jobs in Nepal, so they go abroad to look for financial opportunities. Nepal's Public colleges are government-funded, and community colleges are privately funded. Both types of colleges are university-oriented and implement the university curriculum and university exam system. The university's education and services, such as business education, employment, training, and vocational education, are not up to date with new technology and career preparation.

Rankings

Tribhuvan University is ranked in the top 1201-1500 universities in the world as per the Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2024, published by the Times Higher Education (THE) magazine. It is ranked among the 251-300 best universities of Asia. It is ranked at 6676 in the world and 1st in the country as per the unirank University Ranking.

Technical institutes

The university administers its science and technology programs, such as BSc, BE, MBBS, etc., through its technical institutes. There are five technical institutes at the university, each taking care of a specific domain within the field of science and technology education.

Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)

Institute of Engineering (IOE)

Institute of Forestry (IOF)

Institute of Medicine (IOM)

Institute of Science and Technology (IOST)

Faculties and associated Central Departments

There are four faculties and a total of 40 associated central departments and 4 Research centers at the university:

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Central Department of English

Central Department of Nepali

Central Department of Hindi

Central Department of Sanskrit

Central Department of Nepal Bhasha

Central Department of History

Central Department of Linguistics

Central Department of Buddhist Studies

Central Department of Sociology

Central Department of Psychology

Central Department of Anthropology

Central Department of Geography

Central Department of Economics

Central Department of Social Work

Central Department of Home Science

Central Department of Fine Arts

Central Department of Political Science

Central Department of Rural Development

Central Department of Population Studies

Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

Central Department of Library and Information Science

Faculty of Education

Central Department of Education

Central Department of Curriculum and Evaluation

Central Department of Educational Planning and Management

Central Department of Health and Physical Education

Central Department of Mathematics Education

Central Department of Science Education

Central Department of English Education

Central Department of Nepali Education

Central Department of Geography Education

Central Department of History Education

Central Department of Economics Education

Central Department of Political Science Education

Faculty of Management

Central Department of Management

Central Department of Public Administration

Faculty of Law

Central Department of Law

Research centers

Tribhuvan University has the following research centers:

Centre for Economic Development and Administration (CEDA)

Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS), formerly called the Institute for Nepal and Asian Studies (INAS)

Research Center for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST)

Research Centre for Educational Innovation and Development (CERID)

Schools

School of Mathematical Sciences

Graduate School of Education

School of Management

School of Forestry

Constituent campuses

TU has 64 constituent campuses;

Organization

TU is government-financed but still an autonomous organization. The head of the government, the prime minister, is its chancellor.

Chancellor: Prime Minister of Nepal (Balendra Shah)

Pro-Chancellor: Minister of Education (Sasmit Pokharel)

Vice Chancellor: Prof. (Dr.) Bhola Thapa

Rector: Prof. (Dr.) Khadga K.C.

Registrar: Prof. (Dr.) Kedar Rijal

Societies

Nepal Chemical Society

Nepal Mathematical Society

Nepal Physical Society

Nepal Geography Student Society

Nepal Geographical Society

Economics Students Society, Central Department of Economics

Facilities

Natural History Museum

Ayurveda Teaching Hospital

Tribhuvan University Central Library

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital

B.P. Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies (BPKLCOS)

Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground

Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular & Transplant Center

The free student union at Tribhuvan University

Tribhuvan University also has a free student union as another facility. This free student union has established the rights and interests of students who come to study at the university and to solve students' problems. The committee of the students' union has to be elected at the university. The university students who are affiliated with different political parties vote for their supporter leaders. The student union election is held every two years. Regardless of winning by embracing the idea of any party, the student union works to solve problems for all students.

Student Life

Student Organizations

The CSIT (Computer Science and Information Technology) Association at Butwal Multiple Campus represents students pursuing computer science and information technology programs at the campus. Located in Butwal, the capital of Lumbini Province, the association functions as a departmental student organization dedicated to advancing academic and professional development opportunities for CSIT students.

The association's primary objectives include advocating for the academic interests and rights of computer science students, organizing seminars and workshops to facilitate professional development, fostering collaboration between students and industry professionals, and addressing departmental challenges that affect student learning experiences. The association operates through an elected committee system, with leadership positions determined through student voting. Leadership elections are conducted periodically to ensure responsive representation of student interests.

The CSIT Association of Butwal Multiple Campus organizes various academic and professional development initiatives. Notable events and programs include:

BMC Innovatex (innovatex.csitabmc.com)- An annual innovation and entrepreneurship hackathon that brings together students, professionals, and entrepreneurs to showcase technology projects, startups, and innovative solutions in information technology.

Tech Month (techmonth.csitabmc.com) - A month-long series of technical seminars, workshops, and competitions focused on contemporary issues in computer science and information technology, conducted annually to develop technical skills and knowledge among students.

These initiatives provide platforms for students to gain practical experience, network with industry professionals, and contribute to technological advancement within Lumbini Province.

Beyond campus-specific initiatives, the association actively contributes to development efforts across Lumbini Province, extending its engagement beyond academic activities to support broader educational and community development goals in the region. The organization maintains a commitment to serving all CSIT students impartially, irrespective of any political ideologies or factional affiliations of individual members or elected representatives.