Impact Forum on Australian Education 2025 organized by AAERI NEPAL 

EDUCAST, AAERI Nepal 7th AGM was concluded with the Impact Forum on Australian Education 2025, featuring a series of insightful sessions and discussions. The event, hosted by Suhana Budathoki, brought together key stakeholders from Nepal and Australia to discuss collaboration, compliance, and the future of student recruitment and education partnerships.

The program began with guest registration, followed by the national anthems of Nepal and Australia. AAERI Nepal President Dwiraj Sharma welcomed participants with an opening speech, setting the tone for the evening.

The first panel discussion, moderated by Mahesh Babu Timalsina, Immediate Past President of AAERI Nepal, explored the theme “Sustaining the Student Recruitment Ecosystem in Nepal: Strategies for Collaboration, Compliance, and Market Diversification.” Distinguished panelists included Shristy Bhattarai (Navitas Group), Anup Shrestha (University of Adelaide), Subhi Pradhan (Southern Cross University), and Alkayet Hossain (Macquarie University).

Following this, Mr. Otto Dargan, CEO & Founder of Home Loan Expert in Australia and Alaya in Nepal, delivered a special session titled “The Magic of Nepal plus the Experience of the World.” Virtual messages were also shared by Vik Sing from Austrade and George Thiveos from the Australian Department of Education.

The second panel discussion, moderated by economist Dr. Paras Kharel, focused on “Harnessing the Impact of Australian Education: The Role of Returning Nepali Graduates in Shaping Nepal’s Economic Future.” Panelists included successful graduates and professionals such as Abhishek Shrestha (Barashingre, ICMS Graduate), Dr. Samir Dixit (UoW/WSU Graduate), Arushree Sharma (University of Sydney), and Ashlesha Karki (Mechi Crown Hotel, University of Melbourne).

A keynote speech was delivered by Honourable Member of Parliament Dr. Swarnim Wagle, followed by remarks from Chief Guest Her Excellency Leann Johnston, Ambassador of Australia to Nepal.

The evening concluded with a vote of thanks from Buddhi Sagar Aryal, Vice President of AAERI Nepal, and a group photo session before dinner and networking.

The event was made possible through the support of several sponsors and partners, including NIB, IDP IELTS, Nabil Bank, Nepal SBI Bank, Pearson PTE, Siddhartha Bank, Prabhu Bank, Neco Insurance Ltd., Alfa Care Diagnostic Center, and Jupiter Media.

With rich discussions and diverse representation, the Impact Forum once again highlighted the importance of strengthening the Nepal-Australia education connection, while recognizing the contributions of graduates in shaping Nepal’s development.