Softwarica College, Kathmandu, Nepal.
March 2018
March 2018 saw the first summer school at Softwarica College, Kathmandu which was a resounding success. Over 34 attendees from Nepal affiliated to 13 institutes attended a three day series of lectures, practical based exercises and peer lead presentations.
Bougainvilla Events, Tirpureshwor, Nepal.
September 2018
On 22nd September 2018 Vijay Bhopal and Jelte Harnmeijer, from our project partners Scene, working in partnership with a local innovation hub, Bikas Udhyami held a Summer School in Tirpureshwor, Nepal. The event was attended by more than 80 people, a mixture of academics, entrepreneurs and practitioners.
The Summer School provided an opportunity for the HEED project to engage the next generation of IoT entrepreneurs and academics in addressing energy poverty.
The event began with a presentation by Vijay on how the use of new technologies and IoT to deliver energy services can develop robust, sustainable models that are able to meet the demands of both host and displaced communities. Vijay’s presentation was followed by lively panel discussions, which created space for community led conversations on how to use IoT to develop the Nepalese private and public sector in the fields of energy, health and agriculture. One key theme that emerged from these panels was the way that IoT can support new projects by substantiating market demand by data collection. By using the example of the HEED solar lighting project, Vijay explained how monitoring usage can identify whether the lanterns which are designed to be mobile and actually used in this way or are used to provide static light, a purpose for which they are not designed. This allows data to show how to improve energy design and in doing so increase the demand for a product.
By providing exhibition space, the Summer School, created a platform for IoT businesses to network with one another. In addition, Mr. Madhav Dungel, Vice-Chair of National Youth Council in giving his key note speech, advocated for improved data collection, open data and greater investment in digitisation to develop a digital infrastructure for the future.
The HEED project would like to thank Vijay, Jelte and Bikas Udhyami, especially Mahima Poudal, for delivering such a successful and informative event that encourages conversations on how IoT can be utilised by social impact businesses.