Blogs

Explore latest articles and insights.

admin

What Technology Taught Me About Education and Travel

People often know me as someone from the education and travel field, but my own studies went in a slightly different direction. I did my MSc in IT, and before that I studied Zoology. In fact, I even published a research paper on antibiotic residue in milk samples collected from different places in Kathmandu. It came out in an Indian journal in 2020. So my background is a mix of science and technology, and I think that mix shaped how I look at business.When I began working in education consultancy, I noticed something quickly. So much of the work was repeat work. The same kinds of documents, the same follow ups, the same questions from students and parents. I thought, there must be a simpler way to handle this. That thought led me to build small information systems. In 2014 I worked on a vehicle entry management system, and in 2015 we developed a tour package management system for our own travel company.These were not big or fancy projects. But they taught me a lesson I still use today. When you take a messy daily process and put it into a simple system, three good things happen. You save time. You make fewer mistakes. And you can give people better service, because your mind is free to think about them instead of searching for lost papers.Education consultancy is a very paper heavy business. A single student may have a passport, certificates, transcripts, recommendation letters, bank papers, test scores and visa forms. If even one of these is missing or outdated, the whole application can be delayed. In the early days, we kept everything in files and folders and trusted our memory. Today a well organised digital record makes sure that nothing is forgotten before a deadline. For a student who is already nervous, that peace of mind matters.Communication has changed too. Before, a parent would have to visit the office for every small question. Now a quick message or call can solve many things. Students can read about courses, compare colleges and watch videos about life in other countries from their phone. When I started, a student had to depend completely on the counsellor for information. Now information is everywhere.But here is something I have noticed. More information has not made decisions easier. In many cases it has made them harder. A student may read ten different opinions online and feel more confused than before. This is why I believe guidance still matters. Information is easy to find now. Good judgment is not. That is where an experienced person can truly help.Technology has also changed how we learn ourselves. I have done e-learning courses, including a Japan travel specialist course and the training programmes of different education bodies. I attended physical workshops abroad too, but online learning means that busy professionals can keep improving without stopping their work. I would encourage everyone in this field to do it. The rules and trends in international education change often, and you must keep up.At the same time, I want to be careful. I have seen some businesses depend too much on screens and forget the human side. A website can look perfect, but when a family is deciding about their child’s future, they want to talk to a real person. They want to look into someone’s eyes and feel that this person is honest. No software can give that. Technology should do the boring and repeated work, so that people can spend more time on care, advice and trust.So my message to young professionals is this. Learn the tools. Do not be afraid of them. Use them to work faster and cleaner. But never forget that behind every application form is a student with a dream and a family with hopes. If you remember that, technology will make you better at your work. If you forget it, it will only make you faster at being ordinary.I enjoy sharing these thoughts because this field grows when we learn from one another. If something I have written helps even one student or one young entrepreneur, I will be happy.

admin

Thinking of Studying Abroad? Sit Down With Your Family First

Every year I meet students who are excited about going abroad. I also meet their parents, who are usually excited and worried at the same time. After many years in international education, I can tell you that the best decisions I have seen were never rushed. They were made slowly, with the whole family at the table.So if you are thinking about studying abroad, let me share how I would think about it, the way I would talk to a young person sitting in front of me in my office.First, ask yourself why you want to go. This sounds like a simple question, but many students find it hard to answer. Some say their friends are going. Some say it is just what everyone does now. That is not enough. Studying abroad costs a lot of money and a lot of effort, and it takes you away from your family for years. You should have a real reason. Maybe the subject you want is stronger in another country. Maybe you want to build international experience. Maybe you want to learn in a different system. Whatever your reason is, know it clearly, because it will keep you going on the difficult days.Then comes the question of which country. I have been lucky to visit many countries for my work, including the UK, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, India, the UAE and Vietnam. And one thing I can say is that every country is truly different. The cost of living is different. The culture is different. The way teachers teach is different, and so are the rules on part time work and staying back after study. A country that suits your friend may not suit you. Do not choose a place only because it is popular this year. Popular choices change, but your degree and your debts stay with you.Money is the next big topic, and I always tell families to be very open about it. Tuition fees are only one part. You have to think about rent, food, transport, health insurance, books and the small daily costs that nobody talks about. Sit together and write down the real numbers for the first year and for the full course. If the plan only works when everything goes perfectly, it is not a good plan. A good counsellor will help you see this clearly, even if the numbers feel heavy.This brings me to counsellors and agents. I say this with respect for my own profession. Not everyone in this field is equally trained or equally honest. Before you trust someone with your future, ask about their training. Ask if they know the rules of the country you are interested in. Ask what could go wrong with your visa. If someone only tells you good news, be careful. A real counsellor will sometimes tell you that your plan is weak and that you need to improve something first. That honesty may feel uncomfortable, but it protects you.I also want to say something about preparation. Visa rules change. Language test requirements change. Document checks become stricter. Most of the problems I have seen came from starting too late or from missing papers, not from a lack of talent. Begin early. Keep your documents in order. Be truthful in every form you fill. A small lie in an application can close a door for many years.And finally, think about what comes after. Education abroad should lead to something. Will you come back and use your skills in Nepal? Will you work overseas for some time and then return? There is no single right answer, but you should have some answer. When you know where you are heading, you make better choices about what to study and how to use your time abroad.To the parents reading this, I want to say a few words. You are doing the best you can for your children, and that love is the reason families sacrifice so much. But please do not decide alone, and please do not let anyone pressure you into a quick decision. Ask questions. Visit the office. Meet the counsellor. Read what you sign. A decision made with full information is always better than one made in a rush.Studying abroad can change a life. I have seen it happen. But it works best when the student, the family and the counsellor are all honest with each other from the very beginning.

admin

From a Small Village to the Boardroom

I often think about where I started. I come from a small village in Arghakhanchi-Nepal,where most people spent their days on farming, school and family work. Nobody around me talked about owning companies or flying to other countries for conferences. If you had told me back then that I would one day sit as chairman of several organisations, I would have laughed.But there was one thing I always did. I started things. In 2004, around the time I finished my +2, a few of us formed a youth club in our village and called it New Era Youth Club. I was the founder president. It was a small club with small ambitions, but looking back, it was my first real school of leadership. I learned that people do not follow you because you hold a post. They follow you when they see you are ready to work harder than everyone else.Soon after, I was invited into the community forest management committee and the school management committee in Sainamaina. I was very young to sit with elders who had seen much more of life than me. At first I mostly listened. And that listening taught me more than any book. I saw how a village decision is made, how people disagree and still find a way to move forward, and how a small amount of trust can get a lot of work done.When I came to Kathmandu, I carried that habit with me. I studied hard, first Science and then Zoology, and later I did my MSc in IT through Sikkim Manipal University in India. In 2009, I started Enlighten International Education and Enlighten Travels and Tours. It was not easy. I did not have a rich family behind me or a big bank balance. What I had was a willingness to learn and a belief that if I stayed honest with people, work would come.Over the years the family of companies grew. Education, travel, a college, a kids’ school, a resort in Lalitpur, a corporate group in Pokhara, an IT company, and more recently a skills and vocational training centre. People sometimes ask me how I manage so many things. The honest answer is that I do not do it alone. I learned early that if you try to hold everything in your own hands, you will drop something. You need good people around you, and you need to trust them to do their job.I have also never stopped being a student. I have done agent training courses with the British Council, ICEF and others. I have travelled to the UK, Japan, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE and Vietnam for workshops and conferences. Every time I come back, I bring something small with me, an idea, a way of doing things, a new contact. In business, the day you think you know enough is the day you start falling behind.Another thing that kept me grounded is social work. I have been part of Jaycees, I served as president of Balaju Jaycees in 2017, and I have been president of the Lions Club of Kathmandu Basistha Global. I am also a lifetime member of Bhusal Samaj and the Western Region Development Forum. Business gives you comfort, but service gives you meaning. When you sit with people who need help, your problems feel smaller, and your purpose feels clearer.If you are a young person reading this and you feel your background is too small to dream big, I understand that feeling very well. I had it too. My advice is simple. Start where you are. Do small things properly. Keep your word. Keep learning. And one day you may look back and realise that the village boy has travelled further than he ever imagined.