Civil Insight: A Technical Magazine Volume 2 | Page 77

INTERVIEW
CIVIL INSIGHT 2018
77
AN INTERVIEW WITH
DR. PRACHAND MAN PRADHAN
Currently the Head of Department of Civil and
Geomatics Engineering at Kathmandu University,
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Prachand Man Pradhan has held
an important position in the department since
its inception. With signifi cant contributions to
the design of many civil engineering structures,
Dr. Pradhan has truly created an impact in the
development of Nepal in the construction sector. He
is also involved as a Technical Committee Member
for OPC Cement for Nepal Bureau of Standards and
Metrology; an Advisory Committee member for
powerhouse guidelines for design for the Ministry
of Energy, and an Advisory Committee Member for
the Revision of NBC 105. The Editorial Team of Civil
Insight got in conversation with this diligent and
frank personage.
Q. How would you describe your
professional life so far? Any milestone
that you feel like sharing with us?
I started as a civil engineerfrom 1991. Later in 1998,
I enrolled into IOE, Pulchowk, for ME in Structural
Engineering. I designed and supervised many
structures professionally from Far Western to Eastern
regions of the country till 1998 — many buildings,
roads, some bridges, hospitals, some overhead water
tanks, and other civil engineering structures. I was
involved in cost estimation too. After completing
my master’s level, I joined Khowpa Engineering
College in 2001 as an Assistant Professor. Eventually,
I became the HOD; later the Head of Post Graduate
Department of Earthquake Engineering which
was established with my involvement extensively
for Masters in Earthquake Engineering degree.
Then I came to KU in December 2008, when I
taught ‘Strength of Materials’ to the Mechanical
Department initially. After February 2009, we started
Civil Engineering here at KU. I was also one of the
Committee Members to draft the syllabus for Civil
Engineering. In 2014, I completed my PhD in Civil
engineering and have become an Associate Professor
in 2018.