A. Noam Chomsky Global Connections Awards
Winner: North Star Medal of Lifetime Achievement
Tirth Raj Khaniya was born into a farming family in Duradanda, Lamjung, Nepal. In the late 1960s, his family moved to Chitwan, a southern district of Nepal, in search of farming land.He completed his high school education there. For higher education, he attended Tribhuvan University (TU), where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education (1976), a Bachelor of Law Degree (1986), and a Master’s Degree in Education (1987). In 1990, he completed his Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, as a recipient of the British Government’s Development Scholarship. Later, he was awarded a prestigious Post-Doctoral Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research in education at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., during 2002–2003.
Dr. Khaniya served in several key administrative positions and made significant contributions in reforming Nepal’s education system and practices, both in school level education and higher education.His administrative journey began as Campus Chief of Birendra Multiple Campus in Chitwan (Nov, 1990-Oct, 1991), and he later served as Head of the Department of English Education at TU.
He also served as Vice Chancellor of TU (Oct, 2015-Oct, 2019), one of the world’s largest universities. As Vice Chancellor, Dr. Khaniya implemented numerous reforms that transformed Nepalese higher education. His key achievements included the implementation of a semester system across TU’s campuses, the reconstruction of university infrastructure following the devastating 2015 earthquake, and the enhancement of the university’s international standing.He also introduced several institutional initiatives: the TU Vision 2020-2030, an Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the TU Alumni Association. Under his leadership, the university improved its operational efficiency through timely examinations and results, established a fast-track system for professorial appointments, set an age limit of 28 years for Students’ Union membership, and honored individuals who had donated land to Tribhuvan University. His tenure saw Tribhuvan University achieve global recognition, ranking within the top 801-1000 universities worldwide according to Times Higher Education for 2019.
Dr. Khaniya also served as the first Vice Chairman of the Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) from Nov,1996 to Nov, 2000. In this role, he initiated the expansion of grades 11 and 12 in secondary schools across Nepal. His effort facilitated greater accessibility to higher education for rural students, especially girls, leading to a rise in female college enrollment.
Additionally, Dr. Khaniya led several educational reform initiatives commissioned by the Government of Nepal. He worked as a member of the National Planning Commission (Aug, 2006-Sept, 2009) for education in Nepal and contributed to drafting the Higher Education Act to establish new universities during his tenure. He also served as Director of the Basic and Primary Education Project (BPEP) from Jan 1992-Feb, 1995, a multi-donor initiative, and led to significant advancements in primary education, including updated curricula, improved teaching materials, teacher training, and enhanced classroom infrastructure. In Nepal, he also worked as a Team Leader for: a) Pro-poor Secondary Education; b) National Assessment of Student Achievement; c) Developing Framework for Medical Education; and d) led various Projects in Education supported by The World Bank, ADB, UNIESCO, DANIDA, DFID, UNICEF and JICA.
In his research endeavors, Dr. Khaniya primarily investigates ways to make quality education sustainably accessible to low- and middle-income families. To his credit, he has five books as a single author and has co-authorship in four books, in addition to publishing numerous peer-reviewed articles in top-notch international journals. His work is recognized for addressing critical issues in educational access, equity, and reform.
Dr. Khaniya has recently published two notable books: Shifting Paradigms in Higher Education: Humanism, Scientism, and Academic Capitalism and Navigating Higher Education in Nepal: Historical Perspectives and Future Directions.The first book explores the evolution of higher education globally, from its historical roots to the current era dominated by techno-science. It critiques the increasing dependence on technology and advocates for the integration of science and humanities as a pathway toward more humanistic higher education. The second book emphasizes the need for quality higher education in Nepal to curb the exodus of young students seeking opportunities abroad. It argues for depoliticizing higher education and establishing institutions that combine quality learning with earning opportunities.
In recognition of his lifelong contributions to education, Dr. Khaniya has received numerous awards, including Nepal’s highest-ranking civilian honor, SukritimayaRastradip (Meritorious Act Light of Nepal), conferred by the President of Nepal in 2017.