Kathmandu University organizes entrepreneurial talk show for students

Guest speakers--(from right) Rupesh Krishna Shrestha, Kim J Baaden, and Bobby Basnyat-- taking part in a panel discussion held during a talk show, in Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel on July 2019.

With an aim to encourage students towards entrepreneurship, Kathmandu University had organized a talk show with the theme ‘Leadership and Technology in Entrepreneurship’ on July 28, 2019, at its premises in Dhulikhel.

The varsity had invited three speakers -- KU Alumni Bobby Basnyat, Chief Executive Officer of Plus Leader Kim J Baaden, and Co-founder of Idea Studio Rupesh Krishna Shrestha-- to share their experiences and knowledge about entrepreneurship with the students.

Sharing the experiences, Basnyat said, “One should always have the motivation to move forward with new things and push themselves every day to do a real thing. It is good to work or to do something out of our comfort zone.”

Talking about his venture, Nepal VR, he recalled how he developed an interest in virtual reality (VR) and started the venture even when there were no online tutorials and Nepal lagged in software development. He also mentioned how Nepal is still in the shadow of India, adding that, “When we talk about VR technology, one would get a lot of opportunities based on skills.”

Similarly, sharing his insights, Baaden talked about four factors of growth including Entrepreneurship as one. He talked a great deal about how entrepreneurship is the key 4th National Social Business Challenge 2019 August 28-29, 2019 Venue: King’s College, Baneshwor AMITY Painting Exhibition August 24-September 3, 2019 Venue: Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, Naxal To Remember August 28-September 4, 2019 Venue: Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babar Mahal Sirjana BFA show 2019 August 29-September 3, 2019 Venue: Nepal Art Council, Babar Mahal Hexagon August 30- September 14 Venue: Gallery MCube, Chakupat 3rd Responsible Business Summit September 5-6, 2019 Venue: Hotel Yak & Yeti, Darbar Marg Kholo September 7, 2019 Venue: Woodcraft Gallery, Thamel to explore and grow. Likewise, speaker Shrestha shed some light on the reasons behind Nepal not progressing in the field of entrepreneurship. “The graph shows a dead line for Nepal from around 275 years ago. The same graph shows an improving bump for other countries. Hence, along with a passion to do something or bring a change, you must have the motivation coming from within yourself.” Adding, he said, the degrees would be worthless if one is unable to contribute to society based on their knowledge and talent. “To become an entrepreneur, not just education, but an entrepreneurial mindset plays an important role. You may know to unlock one’s potential.

Baaden also talked about his venture, Positive Leadership Unlimited Success (PLUS) and introduced the term ‘Entrepreneurial leader’ where it influenced the performance of group members towards achieving mutual goals. He showed the importance of distinguishing between leader-manager, and entrepreneur- business person through diagrams.

Whereas speaking further on entrepreneurial leadership, Baaden said, “Entrepreneurship is a risky investment and entrepreneurs are simply calculated risk-takers. He added that Entrepreneurial orientation consists of RIP (Risk Innovation Proactiveness) and stressed the qualities are essential for an entrepreneur to explore and grow.

Likewise, speaker Shrestha shed some light on the reasons behind Nepal not progressing in the field of entrepreneurship. “The graph shows a dead line for Nepal from around 275 years ago. The same graph shows an improving bump for other countries. Hence, along with a passion to do something or bring a change, you must have the motivation coming from within yourself.” Adding, he said, the degrees would be worthless if one is unable to contribute to society based on their knowledge and talent.

“To become an entrepreneur, not just education, but an entrepreneurial mindset plays an important role. You may know what to do but you should also know how to do it. It is all about how you transform your knowledge into service. The lack of entrepreneurial mindsets is not because of our politicians or any other factors, it is because of us,” he said.

A panel discussion was also held at the event where a question-answer session was held between students and speakers.

The fourth-year students of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DoCSE), with support from Kathmandu University Computer Club and Department o f Ma n a g e m e nt I n f o r m at i c s a n d Communication, had organized the event.