New criteria for Vice-Chancellor applicants mandate non-political affiliation and no record of plagiarism

Kathmandu: The ‘Integrated Procedure for Selection and Recommendation of Vice-Chancellors of Various Universities, 2083’ has set eligibility criteria requiring applicants to be at least 40 years old, hold a minimum of a PhD degree, and not be members of any political party.

The committee formed to recommend candidates for vacant Vice-Chancellor positions in various universities has called on interested and eligible individuals to submit their applications within 10 days. As per the procedure, applicants must provide a self-declaration confirming that they have no conflict of interest with the concerned university, are not currently affiliated with any political party, and have not engaged in intellectual theft (plagiarism) in any article or publication.

The procedure, approved by the Vice-Chancellor Selection and Recommendation Committee, has been published on the website of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. It has been introduced to facilitate appointments to vacant Vice-Chancellor positions through open competition in accordance with the ‘Special Ordinance on the Removal of Public Officials, 2083’.

According to the notice issued by the committee, applications have been invited for the Vice-Chancellor positions at Tribhuvan University, Purbanchal University, Pokhara University, Lumbini Buddhist University, Agriculture and Forestry University, Madhya Paschim University, Sudurpaschim University, and Rajarshi Janak University.

The procedure stipulates that candidates must have obtained at least a PhD from a recognized university, possess a minimum of 10 years of experience in research and academia, and demonstrate strong management skills and capabilities in academic leadership or advancement.

Additionally, candidates must be 40 years of age, of high moral character, not disqualified from holding public office under prevailing laws, have no conflict of interest with the concerned university, be a Nepali citizen, and not be affiliated with any political party at the time of application. For the positions at Lumbini Buddhist University and the Agriculture and Forestry University, candidates must hold a PhD in a relevant subject.

Applicants are required to submit a vision paper along with a Strategic Action Plan for the university. A shortlist of 10 candidates will be prepared, and their vision papers and plans will be evaluated by multiple experts. Following this, candidates will undergo presentations and interviews, with the final evaluation conducted on a 100-point scale. Each applicant may apply for a maximum of two universities.