Civil Insight: A Technical Magazine Volume 3 | Page 85

Civil Insight (2019)
Dr. Shyam Sundar Khadka’s Say on Tunnel and Underground Structures
a degree. The objective of starting MS by
Research was to indulge Civil Engineering
students into research work. The Department of
Civil Engineering of Kathmandu University has
created this wonderful platform for students to
research in their own country.
researching in those universities have
developed like a culture. They believe
that theory, practice, and research should go
hand in hand. KU has also been focusing on
similar research-based education in the recent
years. We have fully equipped and functional
basic academic laboratories for Bachelor’s
students, but laboratories for the research-
based education is still at its premature stage.
A major issue often experienced in Nepal is
that in large projects undertaken by foreign
donors, the agencies do not incorporate
university professors in their projects. This will
prevent the transfer of knowledge and will
consequently result in theory-based approach
of pedagogy, which, in case of Tunnel
Engineering is not the optimum method of
learning or for that matter, teaching.
Q) The construction of tunnel in Nepal are
usually done with the studies done by Japan
and Norway. Mostly, we have been relying on
results of other countries with similar geology.
Don’t you think it is high time for more in-depth
researches in rocks of our country?
We have been following foreign procedures to
construct tunnels in Nepal. Since the geology of
the country whose tunneling procedures we have
been following does not coincide to that of
Nepalese geology, it is high time we developed
our own procedures for constructing tunnel. It is
good that we take references and guidelines
from their data, but guidelines for our type of
geology should be developed. I have been
leading a three-year research project titled
‘Tunnel Support Technology Investigation’ funded
by Energize Nepal. The objective of the project is
to study development of tunnel support
technology and recent practices in tunnel
support in Nepal, and hence, develop guidelines
for tunnel construction in Nepal. Kathmandu
University’s Department of Civil Engineering is
building laboratories to aid into the researches.
The outcomes of the project will be visible in
various forums, through workshops and lecture
series so that the students and other
stakeholders are acquainted with tunneling in
Nepal. KU is also planning to start Tunnel
Engineering in Master’s program.
Q) Lastly, what advice would you like to give
to students of the Department of Civil
Engineering?
Civil Engineers play a pivotal role in the
infrastructural development of a country. It is
important that we become aware of our
country’s resources and feel that we can
flourish in our own nation. The Civil
Engineering students of Kathmandu University
excel at hydropower sector due to their
specialization in it. As Nepal has a ubiquitous
possibility in hydropower development,
economic development could surely be
achieved through the development of
hydropower. A suggestion to my dear students
would be: Always work for the nation and
make our University proud.
Q) You have been to two different Universities
as a PhD exchange student, namely University
of Porto, Portugal, and Seoul National
University, Korea. What are the fundamental
differences you found between them and KU?
Also, what must KU do to meet their standards?
Is it just infrastructure or KU needs a change of
culture?
Effective
and
efficient
pedagogy
“For this, construction companies,
universities, and research centers
should collaboratively function to
discuss about the problems
experienced while constructing
tunnels.”
and
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