Aug 14, Kathmandu - Kathmandu University (KU) has appointed Prof. Dr. Bibek Baral as its new Vice-Chancellor. The appointment was made by Prime Minister and University Chancellor Balendra Shah based on the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor Selection and Nomination Committee. Prof. Dr. Baral's four-year term officially began following the handover of the appointment letter by Minister of Education and Sports Sasmit Pokhrel during a ceremony held at the ministry on Friday.

The committee, chaired by Education Minister Pokhrel, had submitted the names of three candidates to the Prime Minister for consideration. From this list, Shah selected Prof. Baral for the prestigious position.

Earlier, on Jestha 19, the university's Senate meeting approved the formation of the selection committee for the new Vice-Chancellor. The committee included Rasu Aryal Dhungana, a member of the National Planning Commission, and Professor Suresh Raj Sharma, Chairman of the Kathmandu University Conservation Committee and one of the founders of the university.

Prof. Dr. Baral is a faculty member in Kathmandu University's Mechanical Engineering Department. Notably, he is the first individual to complete his studies at KU and subsequently become its Vice-Chancellor. He was also part of the second batch of students in the university’s engineering faculty.

He earned his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kathmandu University, followed by postgraduate studies at the University of Tokyo in Japan and a Ph.D. from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His primary research and expertise areas include energy and fuel technology, combustion science, environmental pollution, thermo-fluid engineering, and computational fluid dynamics. Prof. Baral advanced through various academic ranks, from assistant professor to associate professor, before reaching the position of full professor.