Fulbright Nepal/USEF Nepal

What Fulbright Nepal/USEF Nepal does

The Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States and Nepal — operating as USEF-Nepal, Fulbright Nepal, and the Fulbright Commission — is a binational commission headquartered at Aakriti Marg, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu. Established in 1962, it is one of 49 such commissions worldwide and operates with a lean staff of approximately five employees. Its mandate is to administer the Fulbright Program in Nepal and to serve as the official U.S. Department of State EducationUSA Advising Center, with the explicit mission of increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and Nepal through educational and cultural exchange.

USEF-Nepal delivers a portfolio of core products across two primary streams. For Nepali citizens and institutions, it administers the Fulbright Master's, Humphrey Fellowship, Fulbright Visiting Scholar, Fulbright Specialist, Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA), the Opportunity Funds Program (serving 150+ financially needy students since 2011), and the Fulbright-National Archives Heritage Science Fellowship. For U.S. citizens, it runs the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA), Fulbright Study/Research Award, Fulbright Scholar Award, Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowship in Public Health, Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, and Global UGRAD. In parallel, the Commission operates the EducationUSA Advising Center (part of a network of 430+ centers in 175+ countries) and a Prometric Testing Center delivering TOEFL, ACT, GRE, GMAT, and professional certification exams. Marketing and outreach span a website, social media, quarterly newsletters, virtual and in-person U.S. University Fairs, outreach trips across Nepal, and the Fulbright Alumni Association of Nepal (FAAN).

The Commission's business model is effectively grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is the primary funder, and nearly all services — advising, scholarship administration, alumni engagement — are provided free of charge to participants. The only disclosed fee is Rs. 100 per page for transcript attestation at the EducationUSA Center. Governance is binational: a Board of Directors composed of five Nepalis appointed by the Government of Nepal and five Americans appointed by the U.S. Ambassador. Customer reach is significant in cumulative terms (Nepal ranks 12th globally as a source of U.S.-bound international students with 11,172 students in 2020/21, and the broader Fulbright Program has engaged 370,000 participants across 160+ countries since inception), but annual programmatic throughput in Nepal is intentionally small — typically 6 to 8 fellowships to Americans and 5 to 7 grants to U.S. professors each year.

Name

Fulbright Nepal/USEF Nepal

Legal name

The Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States and Nepal

Website

https://usefnepal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States and Nepal (USEF-Nepal) is a binational commission in Kathmandu administering Fulbright exchange programs, EducationUSA advising services, and standardized testing through its Prometric Center for Nepali and American students, scholars, and professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Educational Exchange Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Need-Based Grants & Bursaries (EDAIAOAB), Application Support, Matching Platforms & Scholarship Administration Services (EDAIAOAN), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Educational exchange programs
• Scholarship advising services
• International education advising
• Standardized test proctoring
• Cultural exchange programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kathmandu

HQ country

Nepal

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. U.S. Government Funding: As a binational commission administering Fulbright programs and EducationUSA services, USEF-Nepal operates primarily through funding from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. All services provided are free to participants and students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

USEF-Nepal administers the Fulbright Program in Nepal by recruiting and selecting Nepali candidates for U.S.-based Fulbright grants and selecting/supporting American candidates for Fulbright grants in Nepal. The Commission operates an EducationUSA Advising Center providing free information on U.S. higher education, an Opportunity Funds Program that subsidizes application costs for financially needy high-achieving Nepali students, and a Prometric Testing Center that proctors standardized exams including TOEFL, GRE, and ACT.

Product overview

USEF-Nepal (The Commission for Educational Exchange between the United States and Nepal) administers a portfolio of educational exchange programs between Nepal and the United States. The core offerings include the Fulbright Program (comprising multiple sub-programs: Master's, Visiting Scholar, Specialist, Scholar-in-Residence, ETA, and TEA), the EducationUSA Advising Center providing guidance on U.S. higher education, the Opportunity Funds Program supporting financially disadvantaged Nepali students, the Prometric Testing Center administering standardized tests, and the Global UGRAD undergraduate exchange program. These programs collectively facilitate academic, cultural, and professional exchange to strengthen U.S.-Nepal relations through educational opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fulbright Program U.S. Government's flagship international educational exchange program administered in Nepal; increases mutual understanding and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and Nepal through academic and cultural exchange. Applicable to Nepali citizens and U.S. citizens through named sub-grants.
• EducationUSA Advising Center Official U.S. Department of State advising center providing Nepali students with free, accurate, and comprehensive information on U.S. higher education opportunities, application guidance, and standardized test preparation information.
• Opportunity Funds Program Initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs funding application costs for high-achieving international students with limited financial resources applying to U.S. colleges. Targeted at financially needy Nepali students.
• Prometric Testing Center On-site standardized testing facility operated by USEF-Nepal through partnership with Prometric, proctoring examinations including TOEFL, GRE, ACT, and professional certification exams for Nepali students and professionals.
• Humphrey Fellowship Mid-career professional fellowship providing Nepali mid-career professionals opportunities for specialized study and research at U.S. universities.
• Fulbright Master's Program Fellowship program for Nepali citizens to pursue master's degree studies at U.S. universities.
• Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program Program for Nepali academics and senior artists to conduct postdoctoral research or pursue artistic projects in the United States.
• Fulbright Specialist Program Program connecting U.S. academics and professionals with Nepali institutions for short-term collaborative projects.
• Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program placing American English speakers in Nepali government schools to assist in teaching English while immersing in local culture through village and home stays. Targeted at U.S. citizens.
• Fulbright Study/Research Award and Global UGRAD Undergraduate exchange award (Global UGRAD) and Study/Research Award for U.S. citizens to study, teach, or conduct research at Nepali institutions, including semester-long and full academic-year placements.
• Fulbright Scholar Award Grant program for U.S. university professors to teach and/or conduct research in Nepal for approximately 5 to 7 months.
• Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowship in Public Health Partnership between the Fulbright Program and the NIH Fogarty International Center offering fellowships in public health research.
• Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program for Nepali secondary teachers of English, math, science, and social studies to visit the U.S. for a six-week professional development program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nepal ranked as 12th largest country of origin for international students in the United States with 11,172 students (2020/21)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and secondary.

• U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Educational and Cultural AffairsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funding and oversight agency for Fulbright programs and EducationUSA network. Provides grants and strategic direction for binational educational exchange commissions worldwide.
• Fulbright Foreign Scholarship BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOversees the Fulbright Program globally, setting policies and standards for all 49 binational commissions worldwide.
• U.S. Embassy in NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates binational relations and provides governmental liaison for the Fulbright Commission. American Ambassador appoints five American board members.
• Government of NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBinational partner government that appoints five Nepali board members to the Fulbright Commission board.
• Tribhuvan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor academic partner and host institution for Fulbright scholars conducting research in Nepal. Important vehicle for research and academic exchange.
• EducationUSA (U.S. Department of State Network)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSEF-Nepal houses an EducationUSA Advising Center - official U.S. Department of State network of over 430 international student advising centers in more than 175 countries and territories.
• PrometriccoreTechnology or IntegrationOperates standardized testing center at USEF-Nepal for TOEFL, ACT, GRE, and other professional examinations.
• Institute of International Education (IIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReleases the annual Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. Partner in international education data and programming.
• Kathmandu UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Fulbright Scholar research collaborations, particularly in management and business studies.
• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing academic partner through Fulbright Scholars David Holmberg and Kathryn March. Collaboration with Tribhuvan University has become one of the most important vehicles for research and academic exchange in Nepal.
• Governance LabsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation for Fulbright researcher examining the role of citizens and local governments in Nepal's tourism sector.
• American SpacessecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration for alumni engagement activities including Mentor Talks with Fulbright Alumni.
• Fulbright Alumni Association of Nepal (FAAN)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlumni association that supports networking among program alumni, organizes events, and assists with outreach activities.
• National Forage and Grassland Research CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Fulbright researcher studying the semi-nomadic dairy industry in Nepal's high hills.
• University of IdahosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Fulbright Visiting Scholar Dr. Shyam Narayan Labh at the Aquaculture Research Institute.
• University of MiamisecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Fulbright Visiting Scholar Dr. Sujit Kumar Shah for research on carbon dots nanoparticles.
• Fogarty International Center (U.S. National Institutes of Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Fulbright Program and Fogarty International Center offering Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Campus France: French government agency promoting higher education in France and managing French government scholarships for international students, including outreach in Nepal and South Asia. Comparable as a national, government-funded study-abroad and exchange body.
• Institute of International Education (IIE): U.S.-headquartered nonprofit that administers the Fulbright Program globally on behalf of the U.S. Department of State and publishes the Open Doors Report. It is the broader umbrella organization with overlapping mission in international educational exchange and the immediate parent coordination layer for binational commissions like USEF-Nepal.
• British Council: UK government-backed organization operating in Nepal that delivers education advisory and exchange services (including Chevening scholarships and IELTS via partner centers). Comparable as a national-government-funded foreign educational exchange body targeting Nepali outbound students.
• Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD): German government's international academic exchange organization operating in Nepal via DAAD-Nepal, offering scholarships and advising for Nepali students pursuing study in Germany. Direct analogue to USEF-Nepal for Germany-bound flows.
• EducationUSA (global network): The U.S. Department of State's official global network of 430+ advising centers in 175+ countries, of which USEF-Nepal's EducationUSA Advising Center is the Nepal node. The network's other country centers serve as comparable peers operating under identical branding, mandate, and free service model.

Others

• Prometric: Global operator of standardized test centers (TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, professional certifications) and USEF-Nepal's technology partner running its Prometric Testing Center in Kathmandu. A comparable peer in the testing-services layer that hosts standardized exams for outbound Nepal students.
• Association of International Educators (NAFSA): U.S.-based professional association for international educators that connects U.S. institutions with international student recruitment channels, including those through EducationUSA centers like USEF-Nepal. Comparable as an ecosystem participant in the same international-education value chain.

Regional players

• Australian Awards / DFAT South Asia: Australian government's flagship scholarship and short-course program for developing countries, with Nepal among target countries. Comparable peer from a competing destination country with similar government-funded scholarship administration and pre-departure support.

Direct peers

• United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF / Fulbright India): Direct sister binational commission administering the same Fulbright and EducationUSA portfolio in the largest outbound student market from South Asia. Highly comparable mandate, governance, funding sources, and product mix (Humphrey, Visiting Scholar, Specialist, EducationUSA, Prometric testing).
• United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP / Fulbright Pakistan): Direct sister binational Fulbright commission serving Pakistan with the same Fulbright and EducationUSA portfolio. Highly comparable structure, mandate, and product offering, with a similar South Asia regional context and U.S. State Department funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FulbrightProgramNepal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fulbright-nepal-usef-nepal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fulbright Nepal/USEF Nepal