When students walk into our department initially, I often see a mix of excitement and uncertainty in them. Sometimes they are not quite sure about their decision, but they know they want to tell stories, understand the media, comprehend literary texts, or simply find their voice. It is because of their zeal, a ray of hope in them, which actually roots me here.
Since I started as a faculty member, the Department of Languages and Mass Communication has been my second home. The inception was small, with big dreams yet a simple belief: that Nepal is in dire need of storytellers, filmmakers, journalists, researchers, communicators and literateur who understand both the world and their own background. Keeping this in mind we have extended our horizons into eleven programs; from short-term courses to doctoral research; but our mission stays intact. We are here to help our students figure out who they are and what they want to be.
I must be honest with you. This field of communication, media, language and literature isn’t easy, because technology has transformed these disciplines overnight. What worked yesterday might be obsolete tomorrow. But that’s why we have exactly built this department. We don’t just complete our syllabus, but we teach students how to think, how to ask questions, and how to adapt in this evolving world.
Our faculty members; which I am incredibly proud of; listen to the students, push them when they need pushing, support when students stumble, and celebrate with them in the time of their success. Our faculties are also evolving with their students, who genuinely care about their students’ growth.
We have invested in equipment that matches what the students find in professional studios. We have built partnerships with media houses, production companies, literary clubs and news organizations because we know that internships and real-world experience matter just as much as the grades. The University has created a scholarship ecosystem because talent shouldn’t be limited by financial constraints.
Here is something that keeps me going: every single student who has graduated from this department has found meaningful work. The 100% employment rate isn’t just a statistic I mention at various meetings, programs and conferences; it represents real people with real careers. Some are running their own production companies in and outside Kathmandu. Others are teaching and studying at universities abroad. Some are making films and documentaries that have screened at prestigious national and international festivals. They have taken different paths, but they all started here, often sitting in the same classrooms where our future students will be sitting.
Whatever program our students join, we want our students to discover their own unique voice, find a particular niche and angle, and narrate stories that no one else can tell quite the way you do. We are not interested in churning identical graduates, we want students to find diversity in themselves.
This department runs on a simple principle: we succeed when our students succeed. Your questions matter. Your ideas matter. Your background, your language, your perspective, it all matters. We believe in taking our local knowledge to the global stages; and fostering glocal approach of learning. We have embraced technology, language, research and ethics wholeheartedly, standing as pillars to hold this department strong. We think that students should know about classical knowledge, become adept in contemporary scholarships, and have a contextual understanding.
I won’t promise you that every day here will be easy or that you’ll love every assignment. But I will promise you this: if you’re willing to work, help yourself, if you are curious, if you are ready to make mistakes and learn from them, you’ll leave here transformed.
So welcome. Or welcome back, if you’re already part of our family. Let’s figure it out together.
Prof. Nirmala Mani Adhikary, PhD
Head of Department
Department of Languages and Mass Communication