Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said education, technology, innovation and people-to-people relations have further strengthened the friendship between Nepal and Japan, addressing the inaugural session of the SAFJUAA Symposium 2026 in Kathmandu. He said relationships developed through educational exchange can become among the strongest and most enduring ties between countries. The symposium was organized by the South Asian Federation of Japanese Universities Alumni Associations.
Education at the heart of bilateral ties
Khanal’s remarks placed education and exchange between people at the centre of Nepal-Japan relations. He highlighted how connections built through education can extend beyond formal contact between governments, describing them as a foundation for strong and long-lasting relations between countries.
His message also linked that educational relationship with technology and innovation. By naming these areas alongside people-to-people connections, Khanal framed the friendship as one strengthened not only by diplomatic engagement, but also by learning, new ideas and relationships between people. The remarks did not set out a specific programme or agreement; they emphasized the importance of these broader connections to the bilateral relationship.
The minister’s focus on educational exchange also underlined the value of relationships that continue beyond a single event. His observation was that ties formed through education can endure, making them an important part of how countries build mutual connection over time. In that sense, the symposium provided a platform to foreground the role of educational links in the friendship between Nepal and Japan.
Symposium brings alumni associations into focus
The inaugural session was held in Kathmandu under the banner of the SAFJUAA Symposium 2026. The event’s organizer, the South Asian Federation of Japanese Universities Alumni Associations, brought an alumni association perspective to the discussion of educational links and bilateral friendship.
The themes Khanal identified at the gathering were:
- Education and educational exchange, which he said can help create durable ties between countries.
- Technology and innovation, which he cited as further strengthening Nepal-Japan friendship.
- People-to-people relations, a key element of the connection highlighted in his remarks.
The symposium’s name and organizer reflect its focus on alumni associations connected with Japanese universities across South Asia. In his address, Khanal connected that educational setting with the broader relationship between Nepal and Japan, emphasizing that links formed through education can contribute to long-term friendship.
A lasting relationship through exchange
Khanal’s central point was that the strength of international relations is not measured only through formal diplomatic contact. Educational exchange can create connections that last, and those connections can reinforce friendship between countries. He described such relations as potentially the strongest and most long-lasting, while also recognizing the place of technology, innovation and people-to-people engagement in strengthening the Nepal-Japan relationship.
The address at the symposium therefore presented education as both a channel of exchange and a basis for sustained ties. It also situated the role of alumni associations within a wider conversation about how people, learning and innovation contribute to relations between countries. The emphasis was on the enduring value of these connections rather than on a specific new initiative announced at the event.
Khanal’s comments at the Kathmandu gathering offer a clear message about the direction of that relationship: educational connections and wider engagement between people matter alongside technology and innovation. His remarks on the SAFJUAA Symposium 2026 emphasized that relationships fostered through education can provide a durable foundation for Nepal-Japan friendship.
