JICA Chair discussion on “Economic Development Policies and Practices in Nepal and Japan”

 JICA Nepal office organized “JICA Chair” academic symposium in collaboration with the Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS), Tribhuvan University (TU) on 30 and 31 January 2024 with gross 100 participants, calling on Prof. Hiroyuki Itami, Business Management Scholar, Hitotsubashi University, Japan. The theme of the seminar was “Economic Development Policies and Practices in Nepal and Japan”, referring to the various changes in economic and developmental activities over the years.

Prof. Itami delivered key lecture on Japanese-Style Management behind Japan’s Economic Growth. His presentation emphasized on theory of ‘Peoplism’, human oriented principle for organizing economic activities in a corporate setting from the experiences of Japan. Following his lecture, the symposium provided an opportunity to discuss what is needed for economic development in Nepal, taking consideration of social value including cultural, geological, and social condition, and so on.

From the Nepali side, mainly represented by Moderator/Speaker of the discussion, Prof. Mrigendra Bahadur KARKI, Executive Director, CNAS TU, suggested that economic development in Nepal should be comprehended as one of factor of integrated development including social economic welfare.

In one hand, the symposium this year discussed widely on the positive implications of Japanese experiences and principles of management, in the other hand, Nepalese values and accumulations should be taken in consideration for customizing development models. Various interactive sessions during the symposium led to productive discussions amongst the panelists and the audience who successfully developed new insights through sharing Nepalese and Japanese experiences.