MAGENDA Consortium Accelerates Gender Equality Reforms across Higher Education Institutions in Bangladesh and Nepal

April 9, 2026

Pokhara, Nepal – Pokhara University (PU) convened the monthly consortium meeting of MAGENDA project virtually on March 31, 2026.

MAGENDA (MAinstreaming GENDer Equality in Academia) is an Erasmus+ funded international project coordinated by Pokhara University along with 10 partners from Bangladesh, Nepal, Belgium and Greece (Project No: 101179725, ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE). This project is dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusion and mainstreaming gender equality within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through policy reform, capacity building, and student-led advocacy. It has framed ambitious objectives to rapidly move from policy development to action plan implementation for the three-year initiative (Nov 2024 – Oct 2027). The consortium meeting marked a pivotal moment in its mission to institutionalize gender equality across the universities of Nepal and Bangladesh. Learn more about the MAGENDA project at the website https://magenda-project.eu/.

Commitment to Institutionalizing Change: Policy Endorsements and Local Language Access

A major milestone was announced by Prof. Dr. Bed Raj KC, Vice Chancellor of Pokhara University (PU), the coordinating partner, confirming the PU Executive Council’s formal endorsement of the Gender Equality Plan (GEP). While PU, Bangladesh Open University (BOU), Far Western University (FWU), and Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) have finalized their institutional GEPs, the endorsement process is in progress in Kathmandu University (KU), Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). To ensure these frameworks are culturally relevant, partners are fast-tracking the translation of GEPs and monitoring handbooks into Nepali and Bengali. KU and BAU are leading the coordination of these translations to ensure that gender equality guidelines are accessible to all local stakeholders.

Empowering the Next Generation: Student Ambassadors

The project is moving beyond administrative reform to active student engagement. The consortium is currently finalizing the profiles of Student Ambassadors from each partner university. These student leaders will spearhead community awareness programs as the major outreach activities. This initiative aims to foster a cross-border network of inclusion, connecting students from Nepal and Bangladesh with their European counterparts.

Study Visit, Training, and Global Collaboration

As a key task under one of the work packages “Fostering a Culture of Inclusion at Asian HEIs of the MAGENDA project, the University of the Peloponnese (UoP), in cooperation with KMOP EIH – Education & Innovation Hub (project partner), Athens, Greece is going to host MAGENDA Study Visit Workshop and the Transnational Project Meeting from 26 – 30 April 2026. The Study Visit aims to introduce operational approaches and best practices for mainstreaming gender equality in academia. The high-level delegation including academic and admin staff from all six Asian partner universities will attend the Study Visit. The European partners including Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), ReadLab Brussels, and KMOP Athens will contribute to the development of training content and facilitating with the qualified trainers. The training will focus on establishing an adequate Monitoring & Evaluation strategy including setting achievable goals, involving dedicated resources and using specific tools for measuring progress.

Project Management and Sustainability

As the project approaches its interim reporting phase, Pokhara University, as the lead coordinator, is streamlining the preparation of the Interim Progress Report due in this month. Partners are also intensifying dissemination efforts, with a periodic newsletter, a bolstered social media, and up-to-date website along with the MAGENDA resource hub. The MAGENDA project remains a cornerstone of the Erasmus+ commitment to building inclusive academic environments. By bridging the gap between good practices in European universities, such as UoP and VUB and the partner universities from Nepal and Bangladesh, MAGENDA is ensuring that gender equality becomes a foundational pillar of academic excellence in the region.

Highlights

● Unwavering commitment for gender equality: Pokhara University just chaired the latest MAGENDA consortium meeting as a continuation of its commitment in addressing gender equality Academia.

● Policy to Action: Pokhara University, Far Western University, Bangladesh Open University and Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University have officially endorsed the Gender Equality Plan (GEP).

● Local Impact: GEPs and GEP Monitoring & Evaluation handbooks are being translated into Nepali & Bengali for better accessibility.

● Students in Action: Student Ambassadors are being trained to lead the way in community outreach for Gender Equality awareness campaigns .

● Athens Calling: Asia meets Europe in the last week of April 2026 during the Study Visit at University of Peloponnese.

● MAGENDA consortium is bridging the gap between European best practices and Asian excellence to make gender equality a pillar of our universities.

#MAGENDA #GenderEquality #ErasmusPlus #HigherEd #GlobalGoals