The TPP Nepal project held a midterm disseminaton seminar to share the results of the project at its halfway point in Kathmandu in November 2018. The project develops Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programmes for the Tribhuvan University (TU) targeting inservice science, mathematics and social sciences teachers. The midterm dissemination seminar brought together participants from the Tribhuvan University and its partner organisations.

Representing the TPP project in the TPP Nepal midterm dissemination seminar: Mr. Juha Hautanen, Head of Department, JAMK; Prof. Dr. Tirtha Raj Khaniya, Vice Chancellor, TU; Prof. Dr. Krishna Prasad Gautam, Dean, FOE, TU; Prof. Dr. Lekh Nath Sharma, VC, Open University, Nepal; Mr. Martti Majuri, Research and Development, HAMK; Prof.Dr. Prakash Man Shrestha, Ex, Dean, FOE, TU
With nearly 80 participants attending the seminar, there seems to be a lively interest in ODL in Nepal. Open and distance learning is seen as extremely important especially from the viewpoint of equity of and access to education.
The seminar programme included presentations and lively discussion on the ICT infrastructure and its development, ODL pedagogy, the development needs of teachers and students, the role of guidance and counseling in ODL and the resources needed to offer ODL courses - that is, the same themes that are topical also in Finland. In the speech of one of the participants, the question on resources was chrystallized into the statement “human resources are the most crucial resources”. The kind of inspiration that can to overcome the numerous obstacles and challenges in ODL development could be felt in the seminar room.
The teacher educators from JAMK and HAMK will travel to Nepal in February 2019 to facilitate the launch of the ODL programmes together with the local master trainers in all the seven teacher education campuses of TU.
Text: Anne Leppänen, Tuulia Kiilavuori
This article has also been published in Finnish: Hankkeissa tapahtuu -blogi