Human and Natural Resources Studies (HNRS) at Kathmandu University (KU) currently offers Master’s and PhD degrees. These are research-oriented professional degrees that seek to impart research and analytical abilities necessary to understand the structure and functioning of rural society and their natural resource base.

This interdisciplinary program is comprised of both academic courses and action research, with the goal to provide the students with substantial interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding in the field of human and natural resources management.

The major objective of the program is to produce a cadre of professionals capable of coordinating, guiding, evaluating, improving and propagating efforts aimed at identifying people’s problems of multi-faceted nature, and arousing and assisting the communities in resolving those problems through the application of appropriate integrated approaches to exploring, enriching and utilizing the multifarious human and natural resources. Specifically, the program aims at assisting students to:

• Acquire knowledge and skills concerning natural resources and community linkage, information gathering and analyses, indigenous community-based knowledge systems and institutions.
• Develop capability and confidence to contribute nationally and internationally towards managing the human and natural resources fruitfully.
• Be able to effectively conduct basic and applied research, work in a team and individually, prepare and present (communicate) findings in the field of human and natural resources management.
• Prepare for the pursuance of further studies in related areas.

 To achieve the above objectives the program emphasizes on:

• Social dimension to natural resource management
• Research of action- and people-oriented nature
• Attention to the poor, disadvantaged, and marginalized groups of people
• Analyzing and addressing the real-life situation in Nepal
• Utilization of past studies and research outputs

 Please refer to the document section to obtain more details.