Kathmandu: Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is gearing up to introduce the cutting-edge eduroam service. This initiative comes as a result of a memorandum of understanding inked between the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and the Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN). The agreement solidifies the groundwork for enabling individuals at the airport to access the highly esteemed eduroam network seamlessly.
Eduroam stands as a globally connected network, encompassing prestigious educational institutions and research bodies worldwide. With each country having its own entity overseeing connectivity, NREN emerges as the flag bearer for Nepal, managing access to this distinguished network.
At its core, eduroam furnishes a dedicated internet-like network tailored for educational and research institutions globally. It provides users, primarily engaged in teaching, research, and professional endeavors, with a secure environment, minimizing the risks associated with computer viruses.
This groundbreaking service not only facilitates access to some of the world’s most potent supercomputers but also obviates the necessity for cumbersome individual servers for educational and research purposes. Armed with the eduroam service on their mobile devices or computers, users can effortlessly connect to any airport, university, or research institution worldwide without the hassle of repetitive logins.
NREN has long been a stalwart in offering free eduroam service to all educational institutions and research bodies across Nepal. Despite its prolonged existence, many institutions remain oblivious to this service, owing to the limited emphasis placed on research and the entrenched practice of traditional teaching methods in the country.
However, the tide began to turn when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, rendering physical classroom sessions infeasible. It was during this tumultuous period that curiosity surrounding the eduroam network burgeoned, especially as NREN started conducting online classes for educational institutions via platforms like Zoom.
Subsequently, the network witnessed a substantial surge in its membership, a trend that persists even as the effects of the pandemic wane. Notwithstanding this progress, a significant portion of educational institutions and research bodies in Nepal remain unaware of the myriad benefits offered by this network, primarily due to ignorance.
Operating as a registered non-profit NGO, NREN distinguishes itself from counterparts in other countries, which are often government-run or affiliated with national-level universities. NREN’s facilities extend to both individual and corporate members, with numerous governmental, research, and teaching institutions in Nepal already aligning themselves with the network.
For its members, NREN offers an array of benefits, including the facilitation of online programs via Zoom, free internet access through professional networks like eduroam, access to research articles from esteemed professional journals, affiliation with international teaching and research bodies, as well as avenues for financial and technical collaborations, alongside the platform to showcase academic and research achievements on a global scale.
The introduction of the eduroam service at Tribhuvan International Airport marks a significant milestone in Nepal’s educational and research landscape, promising enhanced connectivity and collaboration opportunities for stakeholders across the spectrum.