Friday, June 15, 2018

MIT launches global start up labs in Nepal

The US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) launched MIT Global Start-up Labs (GLS) – a global initiative that promotes technology entrepreneurship among youths, especially in emerging nations – in Nepal.
Sri Lankan envoy to Nepal Swarna Perera; cultural affairs officer of US Embassy Grace Caroll; senior director of Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) Ananda Raj Khanal; registrar of KU Professor Bhola Thapa, MIT’s Prof Amarasinghe, and MD of Ncell Amarasekera jointly inaugurated the MIT GSL in Nepal.
The MIT, Ncell and Kathmandu University (KU) will jointly collaborate to promote technology entrepreneurship in Nepal targeting the country’s technological advancement, a press note issued by Ncell reads. "This collaborative effort that focuses on mobile technology and entrepreneurship, will engage 35 selected students of KU to take part in an intensive boot camp where instructors from MIT will help them grow as entrepreneurs and foster start-ups."
The boot camp will last until August 2 starting today. MIT GSL-Nepal will last for seven weeks, during which the students will develop start-up projects, from ideation stage to execution, it adds.
MIT has been conducting such programmes since the last 18 years in 25 countries, including India and Sri Lanka in South Asia, promoting economic development by cultivating young technology entrepreneurs.
The MIT GSL programme focuses on mobile and internet technologies and is structured so that students are exposed to the commercial possibilities of technologies.
"We are delighted to partner with MIT and KU to bring the MIT GSL programme to Nepal," managing director of Ncell Suren J Amarasekera said, adding that it is in line with the company's vision to help nurture ‘technopreneurship’ spirit among young talent through innovation.
During the launch event, faculty director of MIT Global Start-ups Lab at MIT Prof Saman Amarasinghe said that the programme has trained nearly 3,000 budding entrepreneurs across the world to become leaders in the new information economy. "MIT has brought GSL programme to Kathmandu for the first time," he said, hoping that some of the participants will be able to use this experience to revolutionise Nepali digital ecosystem and even make a global impact.
Likewise, vice chancellor of KU Prof Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha, on the occasion, said that the boot camp will provide the participating students an opportunity to get utmost exposure and encourage them to go back to their own community to identify their needs and the potential that exists in their own community and come up with innovative ideas that would be globally validated and propagated.

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