Returning to Nepal with a US degree, good or a bad idea?

 Interesting postings here.

I am not one of you in that I don't have that uncertainty in life. I am actually on the other side of this debate; i.e. have employed people who have returned from the states or UK in Nepal. Here are my few observations:

1. About a year ago, I was sitting with a relative of mine who was planning to hire an editor for his website. His firm is US based, but they do bulk of works in Nepal. It is a small firm, employing 12-20 people in Nepal in various activities and less than six in the states. Among those employed in Nepal, almost six of them are either Indians or Americans who somehow seem to want to live in Kathmandu. Two major tasks of the firm involved regular updating of website (and writing some letters to clients) and take routed phone calls of customers during off hour here in the states. They needed one editor at the time and there comes an applicant [a US returnee] whose father I knew. He was totally unprepared for the interview; not even well kempt, and his English was too fast, too rambling. My relative ended up hiring an Indian freelance journalist for the position (paying almost Rs 30,000.00 per month).

This sums up the attitude of lots of Nepali, especially KTMduites[Also reflected in this thread given the writing of these people]. They lack discipline. Something about them tells us that they have very high opinion of themselves. They want high salary, and try to unnecessarily bargain for things they don't deserve. A software entrepreneur hiring about 100 people in KTM tells me of those horror stories of people trying to increase their salary in three months by threatening to leave in the middle of the project even though their contract explicitly calls for at least six month of work before they could leave.

LESSON for those you who are back in Nepal or contemplating to go back: Nepal is actually a competitive place. There are good writers, good engineers, and there are hardworking people willing to give their best for a chance to work. Furthermore, we also have nonnepali alternative there. So, please don't underestimate the skill required to succeed there. People won't throw money at you. You have to deserve it.

2. If you are a Nepali, you have to make sure you read something useful to Nepal here. If you are studying about something that is useless in Nepal, then you should stay here. If you are a researcher, then you must learn the tools of research methodologies soundly. A good researcher is a good researcher anyway and they will be useful everywhere, the only difference being the extent to which they could use their skill. Last time, I was talking to a Nepali college owner in London. I asked him what most of the Nepali students in his college study. He said Hotel Management. It was clear that Nepali people were coming to UK en masse, without any necessary mathematical foundation, and they studied the subject they thought they had some chance to pass. We are wasting our country's precious foreign exchange subjects like those. But I also saw a vicious cycle there, the college owner was offering these easy , you-don't-need-TOEFL-to-come-here courses precisely because he needed more people to come to his college, and people choose these lousy colleges and courses because they came here with the motive that had nothing to do with good education in the first place. They wanted in, he found a way to let them in. Such students has the  burden to proof their worth after the graduation themselves.

Several people in Nepal, in particular, those who matter, know what good colleges in the states are. I am more likely to trust a Janapriya Madhyamik Vidhyalaya and Pulchok campus graduate engineer than a mediocre boarding school and a mediocre Oklahoma college graduate if I need an engineer in Nepal. If you went to a mediocre school here, you should at the minimum get a good GPA to show some evidence of intelligence. If your GPA sucks, believe me employers won't need you there.

3. People should study the subject that enables them to succeed in Nepal. I see lots of social science researchers who work in Nepal on Nepali subjects. Such researchers are likely to succeed there. Those who have degree in forestry but have no knowledge of Nepali forest system should study hard to know about our system while they are studying here. Before you choose a subject, ask yourself how you could be useful in Nepal. Because, afterall, if things go badly and you don't get to stay here, you will have to go to Nepal.

4. Yes, banks in Nepal did pay more than 1 lakh to some entry level positions. But at least some of those I knew were product of very good foreign management schools. Some CEOs made personal contacts with these people and offered them these positions. I know an experienced engineer with MS/MBA degree from a western school who is paid about 2 lakh per month in a hydropower firm.

5. In Nepal, you need different types of skills to succeed. In a firm that I have made some investment, we have a group of core board members. One of them is very good at political connections, in that he knows tons of people. The other is very aggressive, makes our CEO very disciplined, and is a very honest man. The third person is kitabko kiro, used to be ISc board, and he knows all regulations in the field. (This is a publicly traded firm). The idea of having such mix in leadership is clear: some times you may need political connection, but this alone doesn't take you far away. Whenever there is a fair game, we need man who can beat others in intelligence. The lesson to you guys is that yes, political connection is necessary, but it is not a sufficient condition to succeed. Intelligence is still very valuable.

6. My suggestion is this: if you are mediocre, stay here. Nepal can produce tons of mediocre men, and you won't really be sorely missed. It is your country, so you can always go back. If you are a very bright man, if you can eventually run a big corporation, if you can deal with people, if you are an excellent trader, if you know how to make highways, interstates and bridges, if you can manage a hydropower company, you have a great future in Nepal and please go. Nepal certainly needs you a lot now. If you are a good orator, then you should go because you will have a chance to lead the country of 30 million people, and such chances don't come frequently. We, needless to say, need good leaders too.

7.Also, no matter how bad the country is, there are always a group of people , often very bright, who will go to Nepal. Because these people think differently. They have one eye at the history. BP Koirala , for example, had a career of lawyer at Darjeeling and Nepal was under Rana rule--needless to say how bad it was. But he and several others didn't calculate nafa/noksan. I am sure there are tons of those people. These people are destined to be some historic persons. You know it when you talk to them. They think differently. 


PS: Thanks for the list of those who returned to Nepal. Anyone who goes back and generates jobs are worth praising.

What is this thesis above me? political connection? i own this i own that? i had 1 lakh salary i will hire this guy not that guy?

Ha ha chautey

good insight pire

@ Anyone,

- me has a "small" / "tiny" question to ask U folks ...

- regarding current "load-shedding" / "black-out" @ nepal ...
(12+ hours of no electricity per day == Merciless)


- "simply" electricity is generated as follows ::
1) water flows from the Himalayas southwards / downwards
2) this downward flow of water is collected @ a dam
3) hydro-plants use this collected water to produce electricity
 

 

BUT,

- during cold / winter weather ...
- glaciers do not melt ... so, there is less / little flow of water ...
- implies water cannot be collected @ dams ...
- in-turn implies no electricity ...

So, what can be done to increase flow of water @ winter ? 
 

pointers / thoughts will be appreciated

 

 

Make some more power plants i guess

 I think the next two years will define the future course of Nepal and hence be the deal maker/breaker as far as enterpreneurship in Nepal is concerned. If the political bottlenecks are eased then I am hopeful that we can get at least 1.5 million to 2 million tourists  by 2015. The internal demand for goods and services  is huge, as shown by import surges in the past few years. In Nepal we import even the most basic of commodities, like medicines, clothes, cosmetics. There's a market for at least 100 large industries just to satiate Nepal's own demand. Amelioration of the political impasse will induce businessmen to make significant investments, and we could very well experience growth rates of 8 percent, since there has been pent of demand for so long. Such growth rates could open up avenues for an entire legion of young businessmen and professionals. 

Of late, I'm beginning to see signs of political recovery. Now lets just hope that the heaven's will open and it will start raining money :)

Pire,

I was trying to understand what you are saying in your post.

There is a saying, "If you cannot be a part of the solution, then you are probably part of the problem."

Pire, are you saying that Nepal doesn't need another negative complainer simply there in the country whining that 'oh my life could have been better if it wasn't for these politicians?' Nepal needs professionals who can be a part of the solution. Nepal needs people who can think, lead, and actively participate and motivate.
So if someone can't do that, it is better they stay in America and take care of their life and not contribute to Nepal's burden of problems. But, on the other hand, if you have your act togethor, then the nation could use one more capable professional who can work towards the solution without being himself/herself a problem.

Pire, is that what you're saying?

 I kinda agree with Babal khate,

Pire is discriminating the medicore Nepali, " IF you don't come back, you wont be missed" 

I don't know what he is trying to say but it is definetly not positive.

Other than high GPA, what matters most in life to succeed is confidence and positive attitude , which Nepali JUNTA lacks seriously . 

Will you hire a guy with High GPA with no communication,social skills or other guy with these qualities but with low GPA.

In America, companies look for round skills rather than only GPA.

and please don't compare American universities with Nepali . American univerisites prepares you a lot better than Nepali universities, even a medicore one.

Here importance is given in learning, building up personality, character and skills needed to succeed. 

At last I am just trying to say that Please don't understimate.
I am a medicore student and I believe I will suceedd in what i indulge in. 
You may find this my ignorance but actually it is my belief in myself. 

 
I totally agree with you Old English. Pire seems to know everything and he is got all the solutions...LOL. And, whats up with his attitude towards mediocre people. They are not even welcome...give me a break. Dude, thats not what i learned with my US education...as a matter of fact....we get to learn from each other and get better what we do....your judgement towards mediocre people is ridiculous. My two cents. 

Min Bahadur Gurung is not a USA graduate, he is not even a good school graduate from Nepal i think (not sure about this). He makes a lot of money and emploeys more than 1000 people which means he is feeding more than 3000 stomach.
 

Baje ko sekuwaa pasal owner baaje is not a graduate at all, he has got more than five chain in kathmandu and employes more than 300 people which means he is feeding more than 900 stomach.

So i think, you have to have a vision and weelingness to work, it does not matter wheather you are in USA or Nepal.  

 

Pire, "I am not one of you in that I don't have that uncertainty in life. I am actually on the other side of this debate; i.e. have employed people who have returned from the states or UK in Nepal."

I actually selected like for this post because it is a piece that we normally don't get to read. it is a piece that shows arrogance and stupidity of an educated person. As buddha said, the only thing that is certain is the uncertainty, however pire seems to believe it does not apply to him. This thread is not about who should go back to Nepal to develop and who should stay in the USA to not be a burden of a progressive society lead by the smartarses like pire dai.. don't mediocre students have families? and just being a mediocre student does not mean that you're mediocre in intelligence as well.  just because they have low gpa or they went to OK  for schooling that makes them a mediocre for life? well , maybe they did not know how to lie in the application saying they were poor from some village in Nepal to land in an ivy league and that is the reason they probably had to work hard like hell to survive let alone get good grades but that does not mean they are not smart. I would actually give first priority to someone who is hardworking and honest and who have real time experience. One irony about business world is most businesses are started/owned by people who have not earned college degrees and people like some we know here work for them and brag of being smart. 
btw, who is this new bill gates in Nepal i would really like to know... 

 kalopani,

Obviously, you seem to think that I wrote I don't have uncertainty in life. You should read carefully what I wrote:" I don't have that uncertainty in life"-- that uncertainty , in the sense that I am not spending my time thinking whether to go or stay here.

Rest of you have similarly displayed sajha-type emotion. If you reread what I wrote, you shouldn't feel so insulted. A mediocre student is still valuable to his family. You are still a precious gem to your loved ones no matter whether you earned degree or not during your stay here in the states. You probably still have the talent that country may need. You may still succeed where you are with what you have. However, what I wrote had nothing to do with it. I looked at this issue from our country and our entrepreneurs. It is just that I believe our country can find substitutes for relatively mediocre Nepalese who have left Nepal relatively easily, which is not the case with the truly exceptional Nepali people since they are hard to substitute.

if someone has more insightful thing to say, I will welcome it. Otherwise, I hope you guys have a great career in your life wherever you stay.

There is room in Nepal for stupids, smarts, uglies, beautiful, white collar worker, blue collar worker etc, etc. We may be a small nation, but our hearts are big.

I'm not sure why everyone is ganging up on Pire. I don't think he said anything negative. I don't feel his intention was to put anyone down.

Pire answered the question of whether Nepalese who are in the States should go back to Nepal from an economic perspective. There is nothing wrong with what he said. 

I feel that he is saying: Nepal needs more people who are job makers. Nepal needs less job takers and more job makers.

I agree with him.  "If you cannot be a part of the economic solution , then you are probably part of the economic problem." It doesn't mean that we don't love all Nepalese. But the harsh realities of living in Nepal are such that if you are not contributing towards the solution of an economically viable Nepal then you are going to be part of the problem in Nepal. There is no point in a Nepali leaving his comfortable and happy life in America to go back to Nepal and be another voice complaining that there is not enough opportunity in Nepal. 
I think Pire is telling those people who have comfortable lifestyle in America to stay in America...if you don't feel that you have anything positive to contribute to Nepal by going there. It's true. 

Like I said above:
Nepal doesn't need another negative complainer simply there in the country whining that 'oh my life could have been better if it wasn't for these politicians.' Nepal needs professionals who can be a part of the solution. Nepal needs people who can think, lead, and actively participate and motivate.
So if someone can't do that, it is better they stay in America and take care of their life and not contribute to Nepal's burden of problems. But, on the other hand, if you have your act togethor, then the nation could use one more capable professional who can work towards the solution without being himself/herself a problem.


I feel that most of the people taking offence at his words are reading his words from a 'human factor' perspective. They feel that Pire is judging their intelligence, education or capability. I don't think he is. 

Most of us in this thread are trying to decide whether or not we should go to Nepal by the question: "How much do we need Nepal?"
Pire is saying: "Ask not how much you need Nepal....ask instead how much Nepal needs you."

Or, as John F Kennedy famously said: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country"

This "job maker and job taker" is really a nothing point to be quite honest. 

A country's economy depends on how much people spend. The more the people make, the more they spend - thats what ultimately leads to job growth.

So say, Mr. X is super talented but has no decent financial backing except for a piece of land in Gorkha. What and how is he gonna generate more jobs, I really wonder. 

Also, this "if you're mediocre, you're better off living in the States" is bogus too. Well, Bogus would be a harsh term, perhaps but its nothing but a mere personal opinion that's demoralizing to say the least. A person's ability isn't to be judged upon his GPA or track record. 

People change overnight as situations arise. 

Prior to my departure for the States, all I could cook were an Omelette and noodles but by the time I made my return, I was a decent cook. Had I stayed here, I doubt I'd have made any progresses in my culinary skills but again, situations changed me. 

At the end of the day, again, I repeat, if you're really determined to succeed in Nepal, you'll do it, eventually but unless you've got at least a decent financial backing, you'll be cussing yourself if you left the States ( provided that you had a decent job already ). 

Hey Agnibikram
Some Quick questions for you...
Since you are in Nepal, can u please enlighten me with some of your wise words on how u cope with all the situations? When and why did you leave the states and what are u doing right now?
Share for better Nepal..
Peace

 To be quite honest, I'm having quite a tough time getting used to the conditions that I was brought up in. I've been here for almost a month ( maybe a bit longer ) now and I'm yet to apply for jobs and what not. 

I'm still busy meeting up friends and families. 

Now by "situations", I hope you're talking about the problems. Load-shedding has been quite a bitch. Since I'm not in a holiday/vacation mold anymore, I don't at all enjoy night-outs like I did when I was here during winter breaks. 

Further, since I'm now expected to bring some dough ( well Rupees rather ) home, the pressure over here is really huge. But like I aforementioned, I'm lucky to have been brought up in a decent family with a reasonably "ok" financial standing. So, I must admit that I don't really have to worry about doing a lot of chores and what not. 

Water is another depressing situation. From once or twice -a-day bath/showering rituals to limiting the occurrences to once every 3-4 days has been an awkward transformation. But I suppose its something you can get used to ultimately. Further, Nepal's current weather doesn't really encourage one to cleanse himself every day anyways. 

My biggest concern has been the traffic situation. I'm perplexed by the audacity of Kathmanduites of blasting the traffic personnel off. They are doing a phenomenal job to say the least, especially considering how underpaid they are. Driving can really be a painful experience, especially during rush hours. 

Moving on, I left the States because I never had serious intentions of living in the States. But that doesn't mean that one could mistake my intentions as a noble one, as in, it was due to patriotism. That's not the case. I didn't return back because I was patriotic, neither did I return back because I couldn't find a job or found a way to extend my stay. I never sought an American lifestyle. I just felt like I didn't belong there. 

Some might say I will probably rue my decision to return back but I'll just leave it to others' opinions. I keep close tabs on my buddies seeking to pursue their careers in various parts of the States. Habitually, I've set my CNN homepage to a U.S edition as opposed to an International one. Ultimately, I wish to seek a career working for an American agency or some sort of institution that deals with Americans but as of now, I'm just enjoying my life at a slow-paced 15kmph. 

 Pire, which bank offered 1lakh/ month to a newly hired employee from an American institution? 

 well said agnibikram....

Agni,

Looks like you went home without any planning. It also seems you have been home for a month (graduated last December?). You are also equivocating on whether your family is pressuring you to find a job[You say they expect you to bring home dough, and yet you say they are financially okey and probably don't care]. I am sure they want you to start doing something.

There is a saying, 'if you fail to plan, you plan to fail'. So, if I am to go home, I at least plan it beforehand. Make some rational expectation regarding what the job market in Nepal is like. I had a friend who , in his first year as a master's student here, actually brought Lok Sewa Ayog's stuff to prepare for his exam. A first class officer in Nepal now used to be seen preparing for his exam when he was a second class officer and was here in some training. There are a lot of people who plan, and who are motivated to succeed.

You asked "Pire, which bank offered 1lakh/ month to a newly hired employee from an American institution? "

This really reflects how you are thinking now. First, I didn't say 1 lakh/month (it is way more than that), I didn't say American institution (his last degree is a very prestigious MBA school outside US). You should really read the information given by others carefully. Furthermore, you framed the question as if there exists an institution that offers 1 lakh/month to a US graduate. You have to understand that people have their own channel to hire people. In any case, you should ask around, try to find out more about banks (they are in distress righnow, however), and you will be able to uncover a lot of things about them.

In any case, it seems you are aiming for INGOs. Best wishes.