In 2017, Nepal and CERN signed a landmark International Cooperation Agreement (ICA) establishing a long-term framework for scientific and technical collaboration in high-energy physics and related technologies. The agreement, developed through years of coordination between CERN, Nepali universities, government agencies, and the scientific community, was strongly driven by Suyog Shrestha in his role as Nepal’s national contact at CERN. The ICA created new opportunities for Nepali students, researchers, engineers, and educators to participate directly in CERN programs and international scientific collaborations.

The agreement has already produced tangible outcomes for science and education in Nepal. In 2018, CERN donated approximately 200 computer servers to Nepal, helping establish one of the country’s most powerful high-performance computing centers at Kathmandu University. The ICA also opened pathways for Nepali undergraduate students to participate in the highly competitive CERN Summer Student Programme and enabled high school teachers from Nepal to attend CERN’s international teacher training programs in Geneva. These initiatives have expanded Nepal’s access to world-class scientific infrastructure, advanced computing, and global research networks while inspiring a new generation of students and educators to engage with frontier science.