Problems with agricultural academic institutions and Universities in Nepal 🌾 🥕

As we all know, agriculture has major contribution to national GDP in Nepal. Approximately 66% of Nepalese people are engaged directly in agriculture for first source of income. In addition, more than 50% people have agriculture as second source of income in Nepal. However, our agriculture system is just subsistent since long back ago and mostly integrated with livestocks. In general, agriculture is significant economic contributor as well as an important daily subsistent way to live in Nepal. 

The importance of agriculture has been understood by our ancestors during early civilization. The tradition of agriculture and farming has been inherited since that time and today's generation is still following the similar tradition and tools. It is very much known fact  that, agriculture is backbone of Nepalese economy, socio-economy, cultures and values.  The importance of agriculture in Nepal can not be easily ignored and in another hand, agricultural importance has been understood by our forefathers since long. 

However, academically, the importance of agricultural education came on spotlight from government sector for more than 6 decades only i.e.  since 1957AD.  Since 1957, Tribhuwan University has started academic program for Agriculture studies through school of agriculture.  Later after, agriculture has taken attention to improve the academic program, therefore became Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) in 1974 AD. However, from the private sector, importance of agriculture education has been started just 2 decades ago.

Photo: Academic institutions related with agriculture studies, Source: WiKipedia

Since the start of academic program in Agriculture from both government and private sector, academic institution are focusing the teaching process and making syllabus from more theoretical perspective.  It looks like that these institutions are in similar condition since it had established with respect to the syllabus, teaching method and availability of resource. There are many problems associated with these institutions 

A. Same old syllabus  📖 (not relative to current time)

The 21st century is highly modernized and developed era. Most of the traditional business, academic system, teaching method and teaching content had already improved and developed according to the time. However, our academic institutions for agriculture studies such as IAAS, HICAST and AFU are still running with same old academic content and same old syllabus. Sharing my personal experience, today's generations are still studying same old content and syllabus since 6 decades. Once you meet your at least 5-6 years senior than you, you will find same academic experience with him/her at this stage, isn't it ironic? Time had already changed, our farming system had improved, globe went to modernization and mechanisation, however, we can see the same old theoretical academic content in these institutions which does not have improved syllabus so far with respect to demand of current time. We are talking for modernization, mechanization  and commercialization of agriculture, however, our academic institutions are not coherent with the content for modernizations. You will find same old handouts and same old written notes from your at least 6-12 yrs old seniors and these notes are being inherited every year. 

B. Too many subjects 📚without any specialisation 

Our agricultural academic institutions have too many courses in their syllabus such as 6-8 subjects each semester including 4-5 practical subjects. It is not always comfortable for students to study these much numbers of subjects to finish within very short period of time. Having knowledge in multiple subjects obviously increase level of knowledge to students, however, studying too many subjects in very short period of time will just make them 'jack of all, masters of none'.  Too many subjects in short period can deliver just a surface knowledge, however, does not make students masters in any field. 

C. No enough Practical studies 🧫🧬🔬

As we all know, agriculture demands much practical expertise and practical knowledge. However, our academic system does not have major focus on practical studies. The weightage of practical part is always tend to lower than theory, which looks like just opposite. The theory content supposed to be for deeper understanding of any concept through seeing it in the context of why it is important and or what is running behind. And another way, practical knowledge will reflect these theoretical knowledge and in wider way and can learn from doing and experiencing infront of our eyes. It is always a good concept to introduce theory first and reflect theoretical knowledge in practical to have long lasting experience and skill. Therefore, it is supposed to have more weightage in  practical than theory. Though, we can see that our practical subjects are less prioritized, have less credit hour and have less weightage over full subject credit. 

We can see the same old lab with very negligible number of laboratory equipment in our academic institution. It is almost irony that, we have same working lab and we do have same laboratory equipment that our 8-12 years old seniors have used.  In most of the cases, equipments are deteriorated, lab space is not enough and laboratory tools are not working. There is more demand of wider and more improved laboratory, more improved laboratory equipment and tools. However, it looks like our academic institutions are more focused with quantitative program instead. 

In other hand, practical subjects does not have clear practical syllabus. Furthermore, these practicals are not going more than identification and screening level since 5 decades. Undergraduate and graduate levels are recognized as more professional level of study, however, our academic system is inherited with same old practical approach i.e. identification, screening and developing understanding even at graduate level. 

D. Not enough work in thesis research

I would first world like to appreciate that, our undergraduate and postgraduate agriculture program have thesis and/or report writing component at final year. It is giving motivation for students to involve in problem solving research studies. However, based on the trend for research we carrying out and length of research study, I wonder how student have accomplished that kind of research?

First, research is always less prioritize which mean, there is just no time given for research, student have to carry out research simultaneous with other theoretical course load. There is no specific time available for students to carry out research for undergraduate students. This is very hard struggle for student to manage balance between other 6-7 theory subjects and practical component. 

Secondly, the research our supervisors are designing is to vague. We can see the very broad and complex research doing by students in both under and postgraduate level.  There is no any concept for specialization in specific research topic. We can see highly vague and extremely broad topic being supervised and carried out using very generic methods such as survey. I guess, this is not enough for for both undergraduate and postgraduate study.

First more time for students to involve in research make more sense. And secondly, the ongoing trend of doing very broad research does not make sense. It is reflecting that we are good on screening rather.  Nobody can focus on main aim of research question, if we carry out highly broad study in short period of time.  Therefore, there should be a concept to develop specific research work in both under and postgraduate study. 

E. Not enough both indoor and outdoor practical field 🧑‍🌾

Our agricultural academies have vast majority of subjects ranging from agronomy to horticultures to aquacultures. It includes pretty much everything that involve in agriculture, however, for the practical work, our institutions does not have enough either indoor and/or outdoor space.  The limited space are just enough for some seasonal and very small level of screening work only. In addition, we do not see the concept of indoor practical aspects in our syllabus first and secondly in our institutions. 

As modern agriculture development is only possible, when we can accelerate our research from any aspects such as controlled environment experiment to adaptation in normal field. Even though, we can not see large space to conduct research indoor or outdoor. 

F. Not enough trained human🧑‍💼 and physical   🚜 resource

Our laboratory are still running with the people having low or very minimal understanding about the subjects. People who does not have relevant academic knowledge are running the laboratory. In many cases, our academic institutions and universities are not being able to train them to be more technical plus they are not being able to give them more productive work. Until there is proper training and empowerment to labheads, lab assistant, we can not imagine the improvement in our practical education. 

In this modern era, our academic institutions still do not have digital platform and/or e-learning platform. It was just one decade ago, there was no any computer access for even post graduate students. The world is progressing towards digital era, however, our education still running behind pen and paper. The concept of paperless exam, paperless study, access to computer is still far away from imagination to students. 

Talking towards the digital databases, it looks like beyond imagination for students even in undergraduate and in post graduate level. Students are still struggling to access old hard book in limited space in library. Even the old books have not been replaced with new research outcomes, the management of digital access to databases and journals are still far beyond the imagination. 

The globe is implementing sensor based farming technology which is fully automated. But agriculture institutions in Nepal do not have internet access. Most of the research are carried out by finding non validated work from google and google scholar. Because of lack of update in recent research work in library and having no digital access to journals, research being carried out based on the no peer reviewed articles available in google. This is 21st century and our academic universities even do not have basic resource available for students,  how can we imagine the change, this is the great question?

G. Concept of memory based study

Once after finishing either under and postgraduate level study, many of the students pickup the public service commission examination for employment. To pass this exam, students have to memorize heavy volume of academic stuffs and it does not reflect in real work even after selection. 

Our academic institutions usually encourage students to go with public service commission examination, which is appreciative, however, this examination is highly based on the personal memory power. Who can memorize can have higher chance to pass examination.  In this way students are more encouraged to memorize the stuffs. Memorization, does not reflect the highest level of excellence, therefore everyone should be more concerned to build concept because memorization is not way to get success always. We should learn and experience by doing things which help to build long-last impression of doing things. Practical learning, learning by doing and learning by experiencing gives us long-last skill to implement in real life. 

There are following things that our universities and institutions have to improve

1. Improve syllabus with respect to time demand

2. Improve content with respect to time demand

3. Focus more on qualitative study

4. Improve laboratory, laboratory equipment, and space

5. Increase outdoor space for practical study

6. Develop concept of indoor practical and develop space

7. Increase more practical study instead

8. Give more weightage to practical study and work

9. Improve more technical and physical resource

10. No more memory based study

11. Digitalization of academic resources such as e-journals and e-books

12. Upgrade the physical books in library

13. Develop the best website for each institutions and have to give student service directly from internet