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The Institute of Forestry (IOF) is the only institution
in Nepal for training middle and high level professional in
forestry and natural resource management (NRM). Started as
the Nepal Forestry Institute run by Singh Durbar, Kathmandu,
in 1947, it was relocated to Suping (Bhim Phedi) from
1957-58 and again in Hetauda in 1965 for better physical
facilities established by the Indian Cooperation Mission (ICM).
The institute was managed by the Department of Forests until
July 1972, when it was incorporated into the Tribhuvan
University System. Here it started its new era as the
Insitutue of Forestry (IOF). The IOF expanded its training
programs in 1981 to Pokhara where the infrastructure of the
Central campus was developed with technical and financial
assistance from the World Bank, International Development
Agency (IDA), United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) and the International Tropical Timber
Organization (ITTO)..
The IOF offered a two year Certificate Level in Forestry
only at Hetauda until 1981, when in order to meet the
growing demand for trained natural resource managers in the
country, it intitiated two academic programs; a 2 year
Technical certificate in Forestry (TCF) and a three year
Bachelor of Science in Forestry (BScF). In 1995, the latter
was increased to a four-year program in order for students
to attain sixteen years of education after the completion of
undergraduate level. Currently, IOF operates two separate
campuses, one at Pokhara and the other at Hetauda which
implement similar academic programmes, i.e. Technical
Certificate in Forestry and bachelor of Science in Forestry.
IOF has further grown and added a Master of Science in
Forestry (M.SC. Forestry) degree programme which is now in
its third year of implementation in Pokhara.
RATIONAL
The Institute of Forestry is a well-established national
academic and training institute. IOF has been training
forestry graduates (Bachelor of Science in Forestry) for the
country in the past twenty years. It is estimated that more
than five hundred B. Sc. Forestry graduates of IOF, besides
B. Sc. Forestry graduates from other universities, are
waiting to upgrade their academic qualifications in forestry
and natural resource management. Opportunities for advanced
studies (Master Degree level) in the field are limited in
the country. Many students go, either on government
scholarship programmes or on self-finance basis, every year
to foreign universities in the region or abroad to pursue
their graduate studies in forestry and natural resource
management.
The Institute of Forestry has more than twenty years of
experience in running undergraduate degree programme. It has
been expanding its physical facilities, including
(classrooms, laboratories, library, computer center,
research forests/nursery, students apartment) and upgrading
teaching staff. Most of the faculty members of IOF have got
their advanced training from Australia, USA, United Kingdom,
Norway, Philippines, Malasiya, India, and Pakistan. The
physical and human resources available at the Institute
allow running of Masters Degree programme in Forestry.
Additionally, it is not only the will and capability of the
Institute itself to have the fullest use of its available
resources, but also the growing need and interest of the
country in terms of human resource with advance training for
the sustainable management of its forests and related
natural resources in the twenty-first century.
ABOUT IOF
The Institute of Forestry (IOF), of the Trivbuvan
University, is the only institution in Nepal providing
professional level training and preparing manpower in the
field of forestry and related natural resources management.
Initially it started as Nepal Forestry Institute at Singh
Durbar in Kathmandu in 2004 BS, (1947 AD). It was shifted to
Suping (Bhimphedi), Makwanpur, in 1957-58. The Institute was
moved to Hetauda in 1965 in better facilities developed
under technical and financial assistance received form the
Government of India through the Indian Cooperation Mission.
The Institute was run by the Department of Forests, His
Majesties Government of Nepal until July 1972. It then
became a part of the Tribhuvan University, the first and the
biggest university in the country. After its incorporation
into the Tribhuvan University it became the Institute of
Forestry (IOF). IOF is one of the four technical institutes
of the Tribuvan University including those of medicine
(IOM), engineering (IOE), and agriculture (IAAS). Until late
1970s the IOF trained only sub-professional or technical
grade forestry manpower (Rangers etc). The IOF expanded its
academic programme in 1981 to a two -year technical
certificate in forestry level and Bachelor of Science in
Forestry degree. The Bachelors degree programme was shifted
to new campus premises at Pokhara, built with the financial
assistance from the World Bank (WB) and International
Development Agency (IDA), and technical assistance from the
United States Agencies for International Development (USAID).
The IOF has received further development assistance from the
USAID, ITTO (International Tropical Timber Organization),
the Government of India and others.
Currently, IOF operates at two separate campuses, one at
Pokhara and the other at Hetauda, implementing academic
programmes, such as Technical Certificate in Forestry,
Bachelor of Science in Forestry & Master is Forest Science.
IOF has further grown and added Nine Master is different
despairs degree programme, & with M.Phil & Ph.D. Community
Forestry at Pokhara. IOF/TU is also collaborating currently
with NORAGRIC of the Agricultural University of Norway (AUN)
in implementing Master of Science in Management of Natural
Resources and Sustainable Agriculture (M.Sc. in MNRSA)
programme partially at Pokhara. IOF's two Campuses are
administered by separate Campus Chiefs under the leadership
of the Dean of the Institute of Forestry. The Dean is
supported by two assistance deans in steering the course of
IOF into the 21st century.Home Page |
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