The International Conference on Contemporary Research was successfully organized on Saturday, 16 May 2026, at Southwestern State College, Basundhara, Kathmandu, Nepal. This premier academic forum was jointly organized by the Steam Research Centre, co-organized by Southwestern State College (SWSC), and supported by its strategic partner, the Southwestern Center for Research & PhD Studies (PhD Centre). The event served as a high-level platform for multidisciplinary knowledge exchange, bridging academic research with practical applications across fields such as medical sciences, engineering, management, and social sciences.
The conference officially commenced at 8:00 AM with participant registrations and networking over refreshments, followed by a formal opening ceremony at 9:00 AM featuring the National Anthem. The inaugural session was distinguished by a video welcome address from Prof. Ts. Dr. David Ngo Chek Ling (President & Vice-Chancellor, KLUST, Malaysia) and a welcome address by the Chairperson of the host institution, Southwestern State College. Click here for the video link:
A key highlight of the morning was the inaugural keynote address delivered by Hon. Prof. Dr. Sudan Jha, memberr of the National Planning Commission, which set a visionary benchmark for the sessions to follow. The conference also featured an array of prominent international experts, including Keynote Speaker Dr. Rita Dhungel (University of the Fraser Valley, Canada); Guest Speakers Dr. Wanamina Boston Ali (Prince of Songkla University) and Dr. Kamaljeet Kaur, Kuala Lumpur University of Science and Technology (KLUST), Afternoon Keynote Speaker Dr. Behrooz Gharleghi (Gisma University of Applied Sciences, Germany), and a Special Video Message from Prof. Dr. Haridev Singh Yadav (Vice-Chancellor, Sikkim Professional University).
The conference adopted a hybrid model, successfully attracting more than 60 physical participants at the venue alongside numerous attendees and presenters who connected virtually from various national and international locations. A total of 35 research papers were presented across three distinct thematic sessions, which were organized into focused presentation tracks to accommodate the wide scope of research.
Session I: Medical, Technical & Environmental Sciences was chaired by Dr. Dipendra Shrestha and featured a total of 9 presenters splitting their research into two key technical tracks: Medical Science & Public Health alongside Science, Engineering & Environment.
Session II: Management, Governance & Finance was chaired by Dr. Amit Kumar Wagle and emerged as the largest segment of the event, accommodating 17 presenters who shared insights on structural, administrative, and modern financial frameworks.
Session III: Social Sciences & Sustainability was chaired by Dr. Laxman Datt Pant and featured 9 presenters highlighting current global challenges across Social Science, Agriculture & Sustainability.
The presentation tracks saw active involvement from a diverse cohort of researchers, including university faculty members from various academic streams, corporate professionals, PhD scholars, and postgraduate (PG) students. Senior technical session chairs Dr. Dipendra Shrestha, Dr. Amit Kumar Wagle, and Dr. Laxman Datt Pant actively steered the panel discussions, providing rigorous academic critiques and constructive commentary on each paper. The environment was highly interactive, with both physical and virtual participants engaging in vibrant open-floor Q&A segments, driving deep scholarly dialogue and cross-disciplinary inquiry.
The primary outcomes of this international conference materialized in the form of robust academic collaborations, strategic data-sharing agreements among participating institutions, and the upcoming compilation of a peer-reviewed conference abstract volume. Furthermore, the forum established actionable cross-disciplinary frameworks that will enable faculty members and PhD scholars to jointly pursue international research grants. The intensive peer feedback directly helped PG students refine their methodologies, ensuring higher standards for forthcoming degree dissertations and organizational project designs.
The event concluded seamlessly at 7:00 PM with the formal declaration of outcomes by the Conference Convenor, followed by certificate distribution and a formal vote of thanks.
Event Highlights
