What Nepalese Students Gain from Japan and Their Role in the Future
One hundred years have elapsed since Nepal sent students to Japan for study. After a long hiatus since that time, regular dispatch of Nepalese students to Japan under Monbusho scholarship started as soon as diplomatic ties were established between Japan and Nepal in 1956. Since then, the number of Nepalese students to Japan have been steadily increasing.
According to the record of Japan University Students' Association, Nepal (JUSAN) as of 2002, 125 Nepalese students have come back home from Japan. Among them, 15 are medical doctors, 50 are engineers, and the rest are in humanities, natural science, languages, home science, environmental science, journalism, law, etc. Similarly, Nepalese Students' Association in Japan (NESAJ) has recorded as of October 2001, 124 Nepali students studying different subjects in Japan. Majority of the students returned from Japan are employed mostly in government and public sectors.
In recent years, notable contributions by the returning students have been identified in various fields. For instance, in the agricultural areas some praiseworthy work has been accomplished. In the 1970s, two types of ploughs, called Pragati holo, fixed and reverse type, and the rice thresher were designed, manufactured and introduced for the first time. Cross breeding of rice (Japonica and Indica) was developed and introduced. The improved variety of Mansuli rice is popular now. The Japonica type of rice, Taichun, is common in the Kathmandu valley and hilly regions. This type of rice is harder for threshing.
Therefore, a rolling manual thresher was designed and manufactured by the students returned from Japan. The thresher is widely used in the valley and hilly areas.
Our medical doctors are involved in taking initiatives to open hospitals and clinics inside the country. The major hospitals and medical institutes of the country also have Japanese trained medical doctors and experts.
It is hoped that many more achievements will be made in the subsequent years and the number of Nepali students to Japan will continue to increase. In general, many Nepalese have an interest in Japan's experience in the process of modernization and its advanced science and technology. Therefore, most of the students going to Japan are interested in those areas. At present, the overall interest in Japan's socio-economic activities is growing in Nepal and Nepali students are enthusiastic about study in Japan, and are eager to implement new ideas.
By virtue of living in Asia and sharing common values and culture, I think many things could be shared and learned from Japan. Culture and tradition plays an important role in the course of modernization. Japanese experience in this area is another field Nepali students should try to understand in order to play a significant role in development.
Nepalese students have received higher education in different fields including medical science, engineering, humanities, natural science, etc. They have been given a chance to see a developed country, Japan, and to learn about the history, culture, society and other development work. They have also had an opportunity to learn the basic requirements for the development of the country, the duty of being citizens of a country, implementation of their knowledge, skills, and experience of Japanese people. The message from Japan, and Japanese people to Nepalese people, is to be hard-working.
To establish a good friendly relationship between Japan and Nepal, it is very important to be laborious. To achieve the above mentioned, JUSAN has been working, and will continue to work for the benefit of both nations. We should not forget that Japan is our second home country.
Dr. Gajendra Baniya Chhetri
President of JUSAN
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