Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Tribhuvan UniversityKirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FOHSS) is one of the four Faculties of Tribhuvan University. Formerly, it was existed as an Institute. It was restructured as a Faculty in 1985 (2042 BS). This Faculty is producing specialized human resources in humanities, social sciences, computer applications and interdisciplinary studies. There are 30 constituent Campuses along with more than 300 affiliated colleges under this Faculty.
This Faculty has 22 Central Departments, 5 (PGD) Post Graduate Diploma on Dietetic and Public Health Nutrition, Women Studies, Yoga Science, School Counseling amd Councseling Psychology and 14 new as well as Master Degree programs like Security, Peace and Development Studies (APF), Conflict Peace and Development Studies (CPDS), Gender Studies(GS), International Relation and Diplomacy (IRD), Social Work(MSW), Sports Science(MSS), Counselling Psychology, Tourism and Hospitality Studies and Development Studies, Strategic Studies and Dance. Master Degree Programs at the university campus as well as all new programs are running under semester system. Seven Central Departments are conducting M. Phil. Program. Three special Masters Degree programs are affiliated to this Faculty: 1) Strategic Study (SS), 2) Security, Peace and Development Studies and (SPDS) and 3) Crisis Management Studies (CMS). The number of students enrollment in this Faculty is 32 % out of the entire university enrollment.
The Office of the Dean provides academic supports as well as leadership and direction to the Campuses and Central Departments. It conducts Ph. D. program in the subjects of Humanities and Social Sciences in academic coordination and involvement of the concerned Central Departments and faculties. In order to enhance the efficiency, the office of the Dean regularly conducts seminar, cum workshop for its faculties. It also publishes periodic journals, teaching and research manuals.
Faculty Board headed by the Dean is highest body of the Faculty. Dean's Office has four sections: 1. Ph.D. Section, 2. Examination Section, 3. Equivalence, Research/Publication, and Training/Seminar Section, and 4. Administration Section.
Vision: FOHSS as leading Faculty of TU aims at being a widely recognized leading academic institution throughout the world in imparting quality education and offering relevant courses with integration of modern technology in teaching, learning and research.
Mission: FOHSS has the mission of educating students and developing them into informed citizenry as well as producing quality human resources required for the nation by offering relevant academic courses, developing new curricula, and creating friendly and conducive environment for learning and scholarship.
Goals: Upgrade humanities and social sciences education through quality teaching/learning and research activities, including regular update of courses offered by FOHSS.
Towards that goal, FOHSS has been offering course on number of disciplines in humanities and social sciences. The programs and courses are run through twenty-two Central Departments and twelve master level programs. Besides, constituent and affiliated campuses/colleges spread over the country running these courses. Through these constituent and affiliated colleges of TU, FOHSS also offers courses on Humanities and Social Sciences, leading to Bachelor degree. Although most courses offered at the B. A. level lead to Masters and PhD degrees, there are five subjects which are taught at Bachelor’s level only. These include Film Studies, International Languages, Philosophy, and Urdu. Additionally, Statistics and Mathematics, which belong to Humanities and Social Sciences, are also taught under the Institute of Science and Technology. In fact, the Faculty offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in most of the areas mentioned and the areas which are part of the liberal arts education.
FoHSS has implemented semester system in all its master level programmes. But admissions are open on annual basis. Candidates will be qualified for the admission at their desired levels and programmes after passing the entrance test conducted by the faculty. Candidates from any discipline in their higher secondary level can seek for admission in the same or new discipline at the undergraduate level. However, candidates seeking admission at M.A., MPhil or PhD level may require immediate lower degrees in the same discipline.
Within the broadly conceived organizational structure of the Tribhuvan University, there are four faculties: Among them, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is the largest one in terms of disciplines incorporated and courses offered. Moreover, with the highest number of teaching faculties and constituent and affiliated colleges offering courses, FoHSS has the largest and strongest organizational structure. It comes under the office of the Rector within the structural hierarchy of Tribhuvan University and plays a leading role in overall academic activities to be carried out by TU. It includes Faculty Board, Standing Committee, Research committee and Subject committees as constituents in its structure.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FOHSS), Tribhuvan University, the oldest and largest Faculty with more than three thousand Faculties of different subject discipline spreading over the country from Himalaya to its Plain, has set established Trans-Himalayan Research Centre (THRC) to conduct research on Geo-physical, socio-economic, cultural, security and other aspects of Himalayan ranges stretching from South-Central Asia to Latin America. To build a deeper and dynamic knowledge about Himalaya and Mountains, the center will work together with the Universities and Research institutions to strengthen capacity by developing research and knowledge together with academia basically on contemporary issues. The main objective of THRC is to produce knowledge through research on Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan range, academic exchange and to develop the center as data bank for Himalayan ranges across the globe. The center collaborating with partners intends to involve in developing and sharing new knowledge and extended curricula for students to have deeper understanding about Mountain and to equip them to meet the new mountain challenges of the future.
Most of the Departments and Programmes running Masters, M.Phil. and PhD courses have been publishing their Departmental Research Journal. The Office of the Dean has planned to publish annual research journal entitled Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. Recently the Faculty has updated research manual for Ph.D. researches and it is available now. Faculty is also preparing a profile of all the scholars who have been awarded Ph.D. till now.
FoHSS has a rich history of international relation of collaborative arrangements and Exchange Programmes with Universities and institutions from aboard. So many departments and programmes under FoHSS has signed memorandum of Understanding and working with concerned Departments, Universities, Professional organizations and Institutions. Similarly Students from different country are studying in different departments and programmes like Central department of Nepali, Bishow Bhasa Campus, CPDS, MIRD, MSW, Strategic Studies (Army command Staff College), and other under Exchange Programme or other kind of MOU.
International conference on Mountain Development in a context of Global Change.22April,2018-Central Department of Geography
International Conference on Contemporary issues in Nepali Society. - 5 Dec2018-Central Department of Sociology
International Conference on BRI: Opportunities and Implications for Nepal and the Region-2018-Master’s Program in International Relation and Diplomacy
Based on the outcomes of the discussion, reviewed documents on activities, strategic planning, FOSS has streamlined the task of revitalizing and upgrading the quality of humanities and social sciences education from Bachelor to PhD level. The strategic plan reflects the main purpose as well. For this, FOHSS has geared in developing and offering courses in each discipline under FOHSS that are current and relevant.
In order for imparting quality education to students, a need for incorporating participatory pedagogy in classroom teaching has been underlined.
After successful implementation of semester system at Master level,implementing four years Bachelor level programs in all disciplines of humanities and social sciences has remained at the core for academic excellence under FOHSS. And it is another focus of the plan.
Restructuring the examination system with improved technology isalso a vital task to be done through FOHSS. Therefore, incorporation of cutting edge courses and reorienting the teaching as well as evaluation method has been the key issues that inform the strategic plan of FOHSS.