UBC Himalaya Program

UBC Himalaya Program participates in the first-ever BC Nepal Heritage Day

On May 30th, 2026, more than 700 community members gathered at the Taj Park Convention Centre in Surrey to celebrate BC Nepal Heritage Day for the first time. Proclaimed by Premier David Eby, this day recognizes the social, economic, political, and cultural contributions of the Nepali diaspora to British Columbia and to Canada as a whole. The event celebrated the multicultural heritage of Nepal, honoring the traditions of the many ethnic communities – from the high Himalayas to the Terai plains. The celebration began with a Naumati Baja ensemble welcoming the guests, followed by opening remarks from the President of the Nepal Cultural Society of BC. Premier David Eby then delivered a keynote address highlighting the importance of preserving BC's diverse cultures and supporting the preservation of Nepali heritage in Canada. The program continued with cultural dance performances representing Nepal’s diverse ethnic communities, featured in “Purva to Paschim: A Musical Journey from the East to West”. Faculty and students affiliated with the UBC Himalaya Program met with Premier Eby, highlighting the work the program does to foster community through Nepali language teaching, the newly launched Nepali Open Educational Resource, and research collaboration.

At the event, members of the Himalaya program launched The Introduction to the Nepali Language, a free, open educational resource (OER) for learning Nepali. Please stay tuned for the next post for more updates on the OER.

We are pleased to announce the development of Introduction to the Nepali Language, a free Open Educational Resource (OER), co-authored by Binod Shrestha, Dr. Mark Turin and Salina Dolmo Lama.

https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/nepali/

The text introduces learners to the Devanāgarī writing system and is particularly valuable for university-level learners studying Nepali as a foreign language; it will be equally meaningful for members of the Nepali diaspora seeking to reconnect with their linguistic and cultural heritage.

We warmly invite scholars, students and community members to explore, adopt, and adapt this open resource. As we continue to improve this emerging resource, we welcome your feedback so we can better understand how you are using the resource and help us identify areas for improvement. Please sign up for the Mailing List and Feedback Form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRjgxP4a-dgrQZM5tvAMhiO988P6siDOHzkUeNCU8FX58UGQ/viewform

Introduction to the Nepali Language is intended to complement rather than replace classroom instruction. We warmly invite you to come learn Nepali with us this summer and experience language learning in a collaborative classroom setting with our brilliant instructor, Binod Shrestha.
https://himalaya.arts.ubc.ca/language-learning/

Learn Nepali this summer!

NEPL 390: Nepali Language in a Community Context will be offered in Summer Term 2 (July 06–17). This intensive, in-person course provides foundational instruction in the Nepali language situated within its broader cultural and community contexts.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students. No prior experience required.

Students residing in Canada who are not currently enrolled at UBC may register through Access Studies (application deadline: March 15).

For further information and registration details, please visit:
https://himalaya.arts.ubc.ca/language-learning/.

Learn Tibetan this summer!

TIBT 390: Tibetan Language in a Community Context will be offered in Summer Term 1 (May 11–22). This intensive, in-person course provides foundational instruction in the Tibetan language situated within its broader cultural and community contexts.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students. No prior experience required.

Students residing in Canada who are not currently enrolled at UBC may register through Access Studies (application deadline: March 15).

For further information and registration details, please visit:
https://himalaya.arts.ubc.ca/language-learning/.