Nepal, June 18 -- The endorsement of the Sahid Dashrath Chand Health Sciences University (SDCHSU) Bill on May 18 by the House of Representatives is a right step towards regional equity in Sudurpaschim Province. While much of the public attention is centred on the fact that Nepal's remote and historically marginalised regions will now host a promising public medical university and research centre, the significance of SDCHSU extends well beyond geography. It offers a promising glimpse into what could become Nepal's long-overdue transition from a labour-exporting economy to one rooted in knowledge, innovation and self-sufficiency.

Nepal's fragile growth model

For decades, labour outflow has served as Nepal's economic lifeline. Remittances ...