Nepal Open University has introduced the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar Selection and Recommendation Procedure, 2083, establishing a competitive and merit-based framework for appointing the university’s top leadership. Approved on Ashoj 7, 2083 BS, the procedure was developed by a recommendation committee formed under Section 22 of the Nepal Open University Act, 2073. Under the new provisions, candidates for the Vice-Chancellor position must possess at least a master’s degree, 20 years of experience in teaching or research, and be at least 40 years old. Registrar candidates must hold a master’s degree and have at least 15 years of experience in teaching, research or administration. Applicants for both positions must be Nepali citizens, must not have been members of a political party immediately before applying, and must have no conflict of interest with the university. The procedure will remain effective until recommendations for both leadership positions are completed.

The recommendation committee must publish vacancy notices in a national daily newspaper and on the Ministry of Education and Sports website, providing seven days for applications. If fewer than three applications are received within the prescribed period, the committee may extend the deadline by up to three additional days. Candidates must submit certified academic and professional documents, relevant experience certificates and a vision paper with a four-year strategic action plan, limited to 5,000 words. The strategic proposal must address institutional development, academic quality, university management and future priorities, including digital and distance learning. Applicants must also submit declarations confirming their political neutrality, absence of conflicts of interest and compliance with the required eligibility criteria. The procedure further requires the vision paper and strategic plan to be submitted separately without identifying marks on the main pages to support impartial evaluation.

Both leadership positions will be assessed through a 100-mark evaluation system, incorporating academic or professional credentials, relevant experience, research publications, institutional vision, strategic planning, presentations and interviews. For the Vice-Chancellor position, the assessment allocates 10 marks for professorial experience, four for university leadership experience, five for published books, six for completed research projects, 10 for research publications, 25 for the vision paper and strategic plan, 20 for the presentation and 20 for the interview. For the Registrar position, the evaluation includes 10 marks for academic qualifications, 10 for administrative and managerial experience, 10 for research publications, 30 for the vision paper and strategic plan, 20 for the presentation and 20 for the interview. Shortlisted candidates will receive three days’ notice before their presentations and interviews, while submitted strategic proposals may undergo confidential evaluation by qualified experts.

Following the assessment, the recommendation committee will recommend three highest-ranked candidates for each position, submitting Vice-Chancellor recommendations to the Government of Nepal and Registrar recommendations to the university’s Chancellor. The procedure introduces safeguards against conflicts of interest by prohibiting committee members and evaluators from participating in assessments involving their close relatives. It also requires confidential handling of evaluation materials, documentation of decisions and publication of relevant procedural information. The committee’s secretariat will operate within the Ministry of Education and Sports’ Higher Education Division, while the university will bear the expenses associated with the selection process. The document establishes the eligibility requirements and selection procedures but does not announce an actual application opening date, a final submission deadline or the names of appointed officials. The framework aims to strengthen transparent, competitive and academically grounded leadership selection at Nepal Open University.