• Start Date:
• July 19, 2025, 8 a.m.

    

 

About the Conference 

The “Transformative Learning in Action” conference brings together educators, researchers, and school leaders to explore innovative practices that enhance knowledge and professionalism in teaching. This event offers a space for sharing strategies, reflecting on classroom practices, and building networks for long-term growth.

Under the theme “Transformative Learning in Action,” the conference provides a platform for sharing innovative teaching strategies, engaging in critical dialogue, and advancing professional learning in Nepal’s education system.

This one-day event will feature:

• Keynote speeches
• Paper presentations
• Workshops
• Panel discussions

All the sessions will center on promoting reflective and transformative educational practices in schools and beyond.

Conference Objective

• Promote professional growth and learning among teachers and school leaders.
• Encourage innovative, context-sensitive teaching practices.
• Share best practices across schools and disciplines.
• Facilitate reflective dialogue among educators.
• Strengthen academic and professional network across institutions. 

Themes

Main theme: Transformative Learning in Action 

Sub themes

• Reflective Teaching and Professional Identity 
• Innovative and Context-Sensitive Pedagogies 
• Education for Equity and Inclusion 
• Teacher Leadership and Collaboration 
• Classroom-Based and Research and Action Research 
• Curriculum Reform and Assessment Practices 

Date and venue

Date: 19^th July, 2025 

Venue: Staff College, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur

Registration Time: 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

Program Time: 8:30 AM - 5:10 PM

Call for Presentation

We invite educators, researchers, and practitioners to present at the conference.
Submit your abstract to cpep@kusoed.edu.np or complete the Google form to participate by following the registration link in the registration section below.

Submission requirement:

• Title of presentation
• Abstract or summary (max 250 words)
• Name, affiliation, and contact info

Registration

Register Here: https://forms.gle/mNWnDziebdLHgFCp6

Deadline: 17^th July 2025.

Registration Charge: NRs. 2000 per participant 

Who should attend?

• School Teachers
• Students
• Educational Leaders
• Teacher Educators
• Researchers
• Curriculum Developers

Why should you attend?

• Engage in meaningful educational discussions
• Discover and share the best teaching practices
• Gain insights for professional development
• Network with peers from across Nepal

 

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Keynote Speakers:

Prof. Bal Chandra Luitel, PhD

Dean, Kathmandu University School of Education

I completed my M.Ed. (1997) from TU, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma (2002), MSc (2003), and Ph.D. in Mathematics Education (2009) from Curtin University. 

My service at KU began in 1998, initially as a Lecturer, followed by Assistant Professor in 2005, Associate Professor in 2012, and Professor in 2018. I have served in various administrative roles, including Coordinator of Research and Publication, Coordinator of Master's Programs, and Associate Dean. Additionally, I have served as a Senate Member (Teacher Representative) for approximately three years. Currently, I am the Dean of the School of Education. 

 

 

Swostika Shrestha

CEO, Teach for Nepal

Swostika Shrestha is the Co-founder and CEO at Teach For Nepal, a movement of outstanding university graduates and young professionals who are committed to ending education inequity in Nepal, starting with a two-year teaching fellowship in public schools.
 She has a Bachelor's in Psychology from Olivet College in Michigan and a Master's Degree in Public Affairs with a concentration in International Development from Cornell University.
 Before co-founding Teach For Nepal, Swastika facilitated youth leadership, life-skill development, service learning, and experiential learning projects for more than 12 years.
 She has also worked as a civil affairs officer in UNMIN and as a development consultant for various organizations.
 

Personalities in the Panel Discussions:

Hon. Bidhya Bhattarai

Member of Parliament, Federal Government

Bidya Bhattarai is a Nepali politician and the past Minister of Education, Science, and Technology of Nepal. Since 2019, she has been a member of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament of Nepal.

Prof. Bal Chandra Luitel, PhD

Dean, Kathmandu University School of Education

I completed my M.Ed. (1997) from TU, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma (2002), M.Sc. (2003), and Ph.D. in Mathematics Education (2009) from Curtin University. 

My service at KU began in 1998, initially as a Lecturer, followed by Assistant Professor in 2005, Associate Professor in 2012, and Professor in 2018. I have served in various administrative roles, including Coordinator of Research and Publication, Coordinator of Master's Programs, and Associate Dean. Additionally, I have served as a Senate Member (Teacher Representative) for approximately three years. Currently, I am the Dean of the School of Education.

Mahashram Sharma, PhD

Chairperson, National Examination Board

Dr. Mahashram Sharma is an educator and administrator from Nepal who was appointed as the chairman of the National Examination Board (NEB) in 2024. He was selected for the role on the recommendation of the Public Service Commission, following a formal interview process conducted in December 2023. Dr. Sharma, who is 64 years old, has a long-standing career in education and civil service in Nepal. He began his teaching career in 2033 BS (1976 AD) and later transitioned into civil service in 2042 BS (1985 AD), eventually becoming the Secretary to the Government of Nepal in 2072 BS (2015 AD). He also served as the chairperson of the Citizens' Investment Fund in 2074 BS (2017 AD).

Mahendra Thapa, PhD

Visiting Faculty, KUSOED

With a specialized degree in training and development, Mahendra Thapa has been actively engaged in the professional development of teachers, with a strong focus on enhancing communication skills, effective classroom management, and educator wellbeing. With a passion for empowering educators, Mahendra combines his scientific background with practical training expertise to create impactful learning experiences that support both personal and professional growth in the education sector.

Krishna Prasad Adhikari

President, PABSON

Krishna Prasad Adhikari was elected as the president of the Private and Boarding School Organisation of Nepal (PABSON) at its 16th National General Convention held in Praya Pratishan, Kamaladi, Kathmandu. Prior to this, Mr. Adhikari was engaged there as Vice President of PABSON. He emphasized his commitment to enhancing quality education in PABSON-affiliated schools and highlighted the need to address the recently introduced Education Bill.

 He also outlined his plan to play a role in including school issues in the School Education Act. Mr. Krishna Prasad Adhikari is also the founder and principal of Valley Public School.

 

Bio of Workshop Facilitators:

Meenakshi Dahal, PhD

Early Childhood Development and Education Expert

Visiting Faculty, KUSOED

Title of the Workshop: Pedagogical Approaches in Early Childhood Development 

With over 20 years of diverse experience in the education sector, I have worked extensively across governmental, non-governmental, and donor systems—from grassroots initiatives to national-level programs. My work has consistently focused on promoting children's rights to quality basic education and ensuring their holistic development.

I have led and contributed to numerous programs aimed at enhancing early childhood care and development (ECCD), with a strong emphasis on inclusive education, particularly increasing enrollment among girls and socio-culturally marginalized groups. My expertise includes designing educational policies, strategies, guidelines, training packages, and resource materials that support quality learning environments.

Fluent in cross-sector communication and experienced in multicultural settings, I have provided technical support and research leadership on ECCD and broader educational practices. I also bring strong experience in organizational development and have contributed to building institutional capacities in various educational organizations. In addition to ECCD, I am actively engaged in research and training in areas such as community leadership, women's empowerment, strategic planning, results-based monitoring and evaluation (RBM), and project cycle management (PCM). My work is grounded in a commitment to equity, participation, and sustainable educational outcomes.

Prem Phyak, PhD

Associate Professor, KUSOED

Title of the Workshop: Place-based pedagogy 

My research area broadly covers the intersection of language, society, and education. My specific research interests include language education policy, multilingual education/literacies/pedagogies, translanguaging, critical applied linguistics/sociolinguistics/TESOL, decoloniality and Indigenous education, social justice/equity, community engagement/agency/advocacy/activism, and teacher education. I focus on how global ideologies (e.g., neoliberalism and development) shape the creation and implementation of local educational policies, plans, and practices, and examine their role in social justice and equity. My theoretical perspectives are informed largely by decoloniality, anthropology/ethnography of policy, critical applied linguistics, and transformative learning to explore the ideologies shaping the creation, interpretation, and implementation of policies, curricula and pedagogies and unpack how they affect multilingualism, epistemic diversities, identities and learning of Indigenous youth and minoritized language speakers. I adopt participatory, social semiotic, engaged ethnographic and Indigenous methodological approaches to work with the communities of Indigenous people (parents, youth and activists), teachers/teacher educators, policymakers and non-government organizations to create education policies and pedagogies that recognize the languages, literacies, epistemologies, stories, histories, cultures, and places of Indigenous/racialized and minoritized language speakers as transformative resources for building equitable educational spaces. As an Indigenous Yaakthung, teacher educator, and critical applied linguist, I embrace educational research as a collaborative and transformative tool to build critical awareness, agency, advocacy, and activism of the communities of teachers, youth, parents, and the public for equitable educational policies, plans, and practices. I supervise and mentor students and provide consultancy services in the following areas: 

-   Language policy, multilingual education, and multiliteracies

-   Local-global interface in educational policies/plans, development ideology, and social semiotics of school space 

-   Indigenous language education, epistemologies, and decolonial praxis 

-   Social justice, transformative learning, and school-community engagement 

-   Teacher education, teacher research, and teacher mentoring 

Amrit Thapa, PhD

Senior Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania

Title of the Workshop: Education for Development

Amrit Thapa is a senior lecturer in the International Educational Development Program and an instructor in the Education Entrepreneurship program at Penn GSE. He also serves as a lecturer in the Department of Sociology in the School of Arts and Sciences. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, India, and M.Phil. and Ph.D. in economics and education from Columbia University. Dr. Thapa is also a research affiliate at Penn’s Population Studies Center, a Fulbright specialist, an affiliated researcher for the Center for Benefit–Cost Studies of Education at Penn GSE, a consultant to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, and an advisory board member of the International Journal of Educational Development. In 2019, Dr. Thapa was honored with the prestigious Penn GSE Excellence in Teaching Award.

Before Penn GSE, Dr. Thapa worked as a research director at the National School Climate Center (NSCC), an educational non-profit organization, where he was involved in several school climate-related projects such as development and validity/reliability studies of school climate/SEL metrics, comparative study of schools with and without social inclusion programs in collaboration with Special Olympics International, and studying the lives of students with learning disabilities over time. Dr. Thapa has also served as vice president and representative to the United Nations for the Institute of Global Education (IGE), an NGO that has consultative status with the Economic & Social Council of the United Nations. He was involved as a researcher for the Schott Foundation for Public Education and was a teaching fellow for the Program in Economic Policy Management (PEPM) at the School of International & Public Affairs at Columbia University. Dr. Thapa has also taught graduate-level economics of education courses at the Teachers College, Columbia University, and undergraduate-level economics courses at Queens College, City University of New York, and Kathmandu University, Nepal. Dr. Thapa finds fulfillment in community service activities, enjoys poetry and music, and loves to travel and spend time outdoors with Mother Nature.

Ranjita Dhital, PhD

Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Health Studies at UCL Arts and Sciences Department

Title of the Workshop: Education for Development

I'm a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH). I'm a registered pharmacist and have practised as an addiction-specialist pharmacist, community pharmacist, and worked in public health. I’m the Chair of the Royal Society for Public Health's Arts, Health and Wellbeing Special Interest Group. I founded and led the "International Arts in Pharmacy Special Interest Group" and "Creative Health Nepal" arts-health community research network. I also co-lead the "Neurodiversity In/& Creative Research Network". 

Previously, I've held positions as Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at the University of Reading and Post-doctoral Research Pharmacist at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London.
Qualifications: BSc Pharmacy (Hons), MSc, PhD, MRPharmS, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Professional Memberships:

-   Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (MRPharmS)
-   Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
-   Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH)

Medin Lamichhane

Principal, Ullens School

Title of the Workshop: Transformative Leadership 

Mr. Medin Lamichhane has been the Principal of Ullens School since its inception, and is the key driver for establishing Ullens with a progressive curriculum with the most updated pedagogy. He’s a life-member of NELTA, an Executive member of SAIBSA, and a Workshop Leader for the International Baccalaureate Organization. He has an Ed. M in Educational Leadership from the Bank Street Graduate School of Education, an MA in Sociology from TU, and an M.Ed. in Education from TU. A prolific writer, trainer, he strongly believes in fostering a strong environment for learning and growth, not only for the students but also for the teachers, and anchors professional development workshops on a weekly basis. Mr. Lamichhane continues to lead by example in bringing the entire Ullens community together and ensuring that all voices are heard, and has been exceptional in managing and growing an excellent team for Ullens School.

D.R. Simkhada

Visiting Faculty, KUSOED 

Title of the Workshop: Innovative Pedagogy

D. R. Simkhada is an educator and scholar with extensive experience in mathematics education. He currently serves as a Visiting Faculty at Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) and works as an Author and Editor at Readmore Publishers and Distributors. Mr. Simkhada holds two Master’s degrees in Mathematics Education; one from James Madison University (JMU), USA, and another from Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal. He also holds a Master's degree in Economics and Population Studies from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

A dedicated academic, Mr. Simkhada is currently pursuing a PhD in Measurement and Assessment in Mathematics Education at JMU, USA. His contributions to the field include the authorship and editorial work of over 50 textbooks and reference books, published by both private publishers and the Curriculum Development Centre (CDC), Nepal. His expertise and commitment to advancing education make him a valued facilitator in workshops on teaching, learning, and assessment in mathematics.

Samiksha Hada

Teacher Educator, KUSOED

Title of the Workshop: AI in Education

Samiksha Hada has been a faculty at Kathmandu University School of Education since 2023. She is serving as a Teacher Educator and handling various Digital and Innovation programs under CPEC. Ms. Hada is working with school teachers in integrating ICT and AI in their teaching and learning practices and empowering them in their professional development.

 

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Contact Information

Contact: +977-9813700718: Aarogya Dahal,

               +9779841360549: Samiksha Hada,

Or mail us at: cpep@kusoed.edu.np, aarogya.dahal@kusoed.edu.np, samiksha.hada@kusoed.edu.np

 

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Conference Organising Committee: Kathmandu University School of Education, Continuing and Professional Education Center

Conference Theme: Transformative Learning in Action: Advancing knowledge and professionalism among educators in schools.

Venue: Nepal Administrative Staff College, Jawalakel, Lalitpur

EMCEE: Ms. Pooja Dangol and Chhabilal Devkota

 

Schedule for the Program

Time	Session	Details	Responsible
07:30-8:30 AM	Registration and Breakfast	Welcoming participants, distribution of kits	Kabita Panthi & Purnima Thapa and volunteers Kritika Pandey, Suchitra Devkota, Sujita Sharma
08:30-09:25 AM	Formal Program: Brihaspati Hall	Calling to Dias: Chairperson: Prof. Hem Raj Kafle, PhD, Associate Dean, KUSOED  Chief Guest: Hon. Raghuji Pant Distinguished Guest: Hon. Bidhya Bhattarai  Distinguished Guest: Hon. Sumana Shrestha, Member of Parliament Distinguished Guest: Prof. Achyut Wagle, PhD, VC, Kathmandu University Distinguished Guest: Prof. Dipak Aryal, PhD, (TU VC) Distinguished Guest: Prof. Shilu Manandhar Bajracharya, PhD (Open University VC) Distinguished Guest: Mahashram Sharma, PhD, Chairperson, National Examination Board Distinguished Guest: Swastika Shrestha, CEO, Teach for Nepal Distinguished Guest: Krishna Prasad Adhikari, President, PABSON National Anthem  Inauguration by Chief Guest: Hon. Raghuji Pant, lighting Panas Welcome note: Samiksha Hada Cultural Dance: Down Syndrome Society	Shila Thapa
09:25-10:05 AM	Keynote Speech: Brihaspati Hall	Keynote address by Dean  Title: Politics of Learning: Challenges of becoming a Teacher in dangerous times!	Prof. Bal Chandra Luitel, PhD, Dean, KUSOED
10:05-10:15 AM	Highlight the Ongoing Program of CPEC: Brihaspati Hall	Introduction and ongoing work from CPEC.	Sandip Dhungana
10:15-10:55 AM	Keynote Speech: Brihaspati Hall	Keynote address by CEO, Teach for Nepal Title: Who will stand with our Children? Hope and Truth of our students in Public Schools	Swastika Shrestha, CEO, Teach for Nepal
10:55-11:05 AM	Moving Break
Paper Presentations 6 Parallel Sessions
11:05-12:35 PM	Paper Presentation	P1: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6:	Brihaspati Hall Moderator: Anita Gurung Rapporter:
	Paper Presentation	P1: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6:	Janaki Hall Moderator: Eleena Gurung  Rapporter:
	Paper Presentation	P1: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6:	Pathibhara Hall Moderator: Shila Thapa Rapporter:
	Paper Presentation	P1: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6:	Lumbini Hall Moderator: Jagat Shekar Dhakal Rapporter:
	Paper Presentation	P1: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6:	Manjushree Hall Moderator: Rapporter:
	Paper Presentation	P1: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6:	Rara Hall Moderator: Rapporter:
	Paper Presentation	P1: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6:	Swayambhu Hall Moderator: Rapporter:
12:35-1:35 PM	Lunch Break
01:35-03:05 PM	Parallel Workshops on different themes
	Workshop (Janaki Hall): Land/place-based pedagogy for social justice		Assoc. Prof. Prem Phyak, PhD, Visiting Faculty, KUSOED
	Workshop (Pathibhara Hall): Pedagogical Approaches in Early Pedagogy and Childhood Development		Meenakshi Dahal, PhD, Visiting Faculty, KUSOED
	Workshop (Lumbini Hall): Transformative Leadership		Medin Lamichhane, Visiting Faculty, KUSOED
	Workshop (Manjushree Hall): Education for Development		Amrit Thapa, PhD, Senior Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania and Ranjita Dhital, PhD, Lecturer, University College London
	Workshop (Rara Hall): Innovative Pedagogy		D.R. Simkhada, Visiting Faculty, KUSOED
	Workshop (Swayambhu Hall): AI in Education		Samiksha Hada, Faculty, KUSOED
03:05-03:30 PM	Plenary Session		Hon. Sumana Shrestha
03:30 -05:00 PM	Panel Discussion (Brihaspati Hall) Moderator: Mahendra Thapa, PhD	Topic: Challenges and Current Practices of Contemporary Education in Schools	Prof. Bal Chandra Luitel, PhD, Dean, KUSOED Hon. Bidhya Bhattarai, Member of Parliament, Federal Government of Nepal Mahashram Sharma, PhD, Chairperson, National Examination Board Krishna Prasad Adhikari, President, PABSON
05:00-05:10 PM	Closing Ceremony Brihaspati Hall	Reflection  Token of Love distribution  Vote of thanks/closing remarks	Prof. Bal Chandra Luitel, PhD, Dean, KUSOED Prof. Hem Raj Kafle, PhD, Associate Dean, KUSOED
05:10 onwards	Tea, Refreshments, and Networking