Learning the London way

Interview with Rajen Kandel CEO and founder of The British College 

Founded in 2012, The British College (TBC) stands tall on the grounds of Thapathali, defining itself as a landmark for graduate and undergraduate education courses with a local-to-global approach. The institution embodies global exposure and quality education by encouraging independent, rational and critical thinking. CEO and founder, Rajen Kandel, updates us about the college.

Nepali Times: How does the college maintain the quality and standards it has promised since its inception?

Rajen Kandel: The administration is constantly evaluating processes and practices while also maintaining a state-of-the-art infrastructure, such as a fully-equipped library and IT labs specialising in networking, forensics, security and research, to ensure a comprehensive educational experience for students. Also, we interact with both students and parents to get feedback and suggestions on how we can improve as an institution, which this has fostered a close bond between us.

Have Nepali students, who are accustomed to rote learning and a laid-back culture, been able to adapt to the independent and time-bound learning and teaching styles of London?

The practicality of the courses, interactive nature of the teaching, and diverse assessment techniques ensure students gain knowledge that extends beyond dependence on a simple textbook. The British education system is indeed challenging and demanding for students. However, this has built a foundation, in terms of the characters of students, which has helped to achieve incredible accomplishments in the community. In spite of the short period of our existence, our graduates have already succeeded in diverse fields, from entrepreneurship to working for multinational companies.

What are the challenges for growth and development of the College?

The current bureaucratic system of government is really the bottleneck to our growth. For example, we would like to introduce additional courses for students, not only from Nepal but also China, India and Bangladesh. Current policies require approval from the Ministry of Education for any new programme. However, because ministers are changing from time to time, it delays the application process. As a result, Nepalese students are forced to go abroad.

Does the college have future plans for additional courses?

Despite the challenges, we are currently planning to introduce programs in areas like health and hospitality.