ICIMOD Transfers Himalayan University Consortium Secretariat to Kathmandu University

Kathmandu, 10 December 2025 — The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has formally transferred the secretariat of the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) to Kathmandu University (KU), marking a significant milestone in regional cooperation for sustainable mountain development across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. The handover was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 10 December 2025 at ICIMOD Headquarters in Kathmandu.

A consortium rooted in mountain-region solidarity
Founded in 2007 and originally hosted by ICIMOD, the Himalayan University Consortium was created to bridge collaboration gaps among universities and research institutions within the HKH and beyond, aiming to jointly address mountain-specific development challenges. Over nearly two decades, HUC has expanded into a vibrant network of more than 100 universities and institutions across and outside the region.

With KU now hosting the HUC Secretariat, the consortium enters a new phase — one in which it gains greater academic anchoring, institutional independence, and regional legitimacy. This shift aligns with long-standing recommendations that HUC be hosted by a university rather than a non-academic institution. The move is widely seen as strengthening HUC’s capacity for mountain-focused research, education, capacity building, and co-generation of knowledge.

A former deputy director-general of ICIMOD and past steering committee member of HUC, Eklabya Sharma, called the transfer “a proud and heartening moment,” noting that the consortium’s future impact depends on deeper regional collaboration in research, education, and dissemination of mountain knowledge.

A stronger platform for mountain-region research and policy impact
Under KU’s leadership, HUC is expected to scale up efforts to support mountain-specific scientific research, innovation, and policy engagement across HKH. The handover underscores KU’s emerging role as a regional academic leader and promises to mobilize academics, students, and stakeholders toward addressing urgent challenges such as climate change, fragile ecosystems, and sustainable development in mountain communities.

ICIMOD’s current Director-General, Pema Gyamtsho, expressed confidence that the change will “guide HUC into its next phase as an independent and regionally rooted consortium,” and looked forward to continued collaboration in nurturing future mountain scholars, innovators, and leaders.