Hi! I am Dipesh Dulal, an educator and a blogger.
I started a teaching job in 2007. It was a small primary school in Kathmandu where I discovered that many pedagogical issues needed to be addressed in Nepal's school education. Besides teaching, I initiated a library project and international collaboration projects in the same school.
In 2010, my journey as a teacher took a significant turn when I joined a larger school in Kathmandu. Here, I came across ample motivation and a growth mindset among my colleagues and school managers. What truly stood out was the ecosystem of cooperation and collaboration that thrived on positivity. There too, I coordinated international collaborative projects. It was during this time that I began educational blogging using Google's Blogger platform (and WordPress CMS from 2021 to 2023). I used to share opportunities, opinions, and educational resources.
While I was mostly fond of professional networking, in 2012, the enthusiasm surrounding me and my personal/professional network led to several educational initiatives under the banner of Sustainable Education Group - Nepal (2012-2015).
In 2014, I joined Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences for a Master's Programme. As I pursued further studies in Norway, my collaboration with Nepalese teachers became less feasible, particularly after 2014. When the devastating earthquakes of 2015 struck Nepal, I found myself in Oslo, witnessing the country's struggles from afar. Not only me and my family, the whole country underwent traumatic experiences of various forms and extents because of the earthquakes, and the political developments during the decade. Little later in the same decade my family joined me to live in Norway. I experienced the education system in Norway through my own university experience, and my child's experience in the pre-school and the school. Our stay and experiences in Norway helped me to affirm that transformative education projects should have the potential to transform society- on all fronts of the social life, economy, and the environment.
During the master's project in Norway, I tried to contextualize the agenda of "Education for Sustainable Development" in Nepal's formal schools. I personally want to use the term "Education for Sustainability" which is also synonymous with "Transformative Education".
After completing my studies in Norway in 2017, I spent two more years living and working there. In 2019, We returned to Kathmandu. I worked briefly with an educational consultancy before joining another outstanding school. However, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated mostly remote teaching. The school also switched to face-to-face sessions when the government permitted such classes. I am indebted to Adhyayan School where I got first-hand exposure to the massive implementation of ICT in Education, and the design-thinking approach in pedagogical projects.
I had been content with the new kind of teaching environment, however, I followed my instincts which prompted me to relocate to Finland for further studies (Pedagogy and Teaching for Sustainability) from 2021 to 2023. I really appreciate the quality of education in Finland. The overall culture of 'bildung' in Finland should stand out as one of the best in the world. My research project was about the WWOOFers' learning experiences and implications in "Education for Sustainability". I will never forget my Finnish farm life experience in Kuopio. In fact, I became more open and confident in intercultural settings in Finland.
After coming back to Nepal from Finland, I stopped writing blogs that would apparently not provide anything valuable to the readers. Because I wanted to write more freely, I stopped the educational blog that I founded in 2010 and had a few posts (apparently valuable in my personal judgment) that could easily be migrated to my personal blog. Finally, I am determined to write only in my personal blog unless writing in other spaces is deemed necessary as part of any academic and/or professional pursuit.
From 2014 to 2024, I underwent a spectrum of experiences – doing semi-skilled and professional jobs, studying and teaching, living in the Nordics and Nepal, meeting and working with people from various parts of the globe, learning new languages (at least trying to learn, must say), maintaining blogs and deleting them, and so on. These all have profoundly shaped me, offering invaluable life lessons. I must admit that I recently realized that professionals (in fact, every person) have to learn to become fluid in networks, affiliations, places, spaces, and projects. The ultimate requirement should be meaningful pursuits both to the self and to society in general.
Reflecting on Nepal's education sector, one must acknowledge that we have a multitude of critical issues, ranging from child protection and social media challenges to issues of equitable opportunities and environmental education. I do not want to be a messiah; however, I have committed myself to work on these issues through blogging, study, and perhaps transformative educational projects.
Being a father of 2 wonderful kids, I may at least be able to prioritize efficient parenting. Whatever I do and realize through the informed learning process, I will write in this personal blog. I may also write about the books that I read. You get explore my books list here. Additionally, my interests in placemaking, globalization, and human geography make my pursuits more 'interdisciplinary'. I hope that I will take good time to pour my thoughts as writing in this personal blog.
Even though I have decided to take part in constructive engagement with others via digital media, I acknowledge that face-to-face and spatial engagements premised on local and global issues are important for global sustainability.
You can reach out via LinkedIn.