Dr. Usha Bhandari

Dr. Usha Bhandari is a distinguished expert with 30 years of experience in the education sector. She currently holds the position of TVET sector specialist and advisor for South and Southeast Asia at Swiss Contact. Her extensive career reflects a profound dedication to aligning education systems with the demands of the labor market and fostering collaboration between academic institutions and industry.

Dr. Bhandari champions the development of market-responsive curricula, work-integrated learning, and the critical concept of "permeability" within educational pathways, including the recognition of prior learning. She expresses optimism for the future of education in Nepal, advocating for modular courses, remunerated internships, and a shift towards valuing vocational skills. Her work includes initiatives such as "Practice Enterprise" (Digital Dreamers Nepal) aimed at facilitating school-to-work transitions, and she views industry-integrated degrees, like those promoted by NAS IT, as a transformative model for progress.