National University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A S M Amanullah has announced fully funded scholarships for students from SAARC member countries, with Nepali students set to receive the opportunity to pursue higher education at the university free of charge.

The announcement was made during the international conference titled “Applied Psychology: Behavioural Science Advancement” held at National College in Dhumbarahi, Kathmandu, Nepal, where the Vice-Chancellor attended as the chief guest.

Addressing the conference, Professor Dr Amanullah said the scholarship initiative would open new opportunities for education, research and cultural exchange while strengthening higher education cooperation across South Asia.

He said National University, the world’s second-largest university, serves nearly four million students through more than 2,500 affiliated colleges and offers programmes in around 50 disciplines, including psychology.

Highlighting the growing importance of mental health, the Vice-Chancellor said many students in Bangladesh have experienced psychological trauma following the July-August mass uprising. He stressed the need for international cooperation, effective counselling services and the development of more professional psychologists to address the country’s mental health challenges.

Professor Dr Amanullah noted that Bangladesh currently requires around 30,000 counselling, applied and social psychologists, while only about 300 are practising. He said National University has prioritised introducing counselling services across colleges and universities while expanding training to develop skilled professionals in the field.

He also said the university is strengthening partnerships with universities and institutions worldwide through joint research, academic exchange, training and mental health development programmes. Several memoranda of understanding have already been signed with international universities, and an international conference on mental health will be organised in the near future.

The Vice-Chancellor invited Kathmandu University and other higher education institutions in Nepal to encourage students to take advantage of the newly announced scholarship opportunities, expressing hope that academic and research collaboration between Bangladesh and Nepal would continue to expand.

SAARC Secretary-General Ambassador Golam Sarwar, Bangladesh Ambassador to Nepal Md Shafiqur Rahman, Kathmandu University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Achyut Wagle, National University Director of the Department of Physical Education and Culture Mohammad Shafiul Karim, and researchers, psychologists, educationists and university representatives from different countries also attended the conference.