"Nepal Geotechnical Society Celebrates ISSMGE Outstanding Member Society Award 2026"

Lalitpur, July 16:  Nepal Geotechnical Society (NGS) on Sunday organized a special ceremony at Universal Engineering & Science College, Lalitpur, to celebrate receiving the ISSMGE Outstanding Member Society Award 2026, one of the highest recognitions presented by the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).

ISSMGE, the world's leading professional organization in geotechnical engineering, comprises member societies from 96 countries. The prestigious Outstanding Member Society Award is presented once every four years, recognizing the achievements and contributions of member societies during the preceding four-year period. This year, the Nepal Geotechnical Society received the award in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the advancement of geotechnical engineering, professional development, international collaboration, and knowledge sharing over the past four years.

The celebration was attended by Member of the National Planning Commission Er. Arjun Jung Thapa as the Chief Guest and President of the Nepal Engineering Council (NEC), Prof. Dr. Padma Bahadur Shahi, as the Special Guest. The event also brought together presidents and representatives of various engineering professional organizations, senior geotechnical experts, academicians, industry professionals, government officials, and members of NGS.

Joining virtually from overseas were ISSMGE President, Immediate Past President, and ISSMGE Vice President for Asia, who congratulated Nepal on the achievement and acknowledged the growing international contribution of the country's geotechnical engineering community.

Addressing the programme, NGS President Prof. Dr. Indra Prasad Acharya expressed gratitude to former executive committees, past presidents, government agencies, academic institutions, industry partners, and collaborating professional societies for their continued support. He noted that the award reflects decades of collective efforts to strengthen professional geotechnical practice in Nepal.

Former NGS Presidents Prof. Dr. Netra Prakash Bhandary and Dr. Mandip Subedi described the recognition as an achievement not only for the Nepal Geotechnical Society but for the nation as a whole. They emphasized that the award demonstrates Nepal's growing international recognition in engineering despite limited financial and institutional resources, highlighting the commitment of volunteers, professionals, and young engineers who have continuously contributed to the society.

NGS General Secretary Er. Kalpana Adhikari shared her experience of receiving the award during the 21st International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE) held in Vienna, Austria, and reflected on the significance of representing Nepal on the global stage.

Speaking at the event, Prof. Dr. Padma Bahadur Shahi, President of the Nepal Engineering Council, stressed the need for stronger collaboration between professional engineering societies and regulatory institutions. He stated that promoting professional societies is essential for strengthening engineering practice, improving continuing professional development, and bridging academia, industry, and government.

Chief Guest Er. Arjun Jung Thapa, Member of the National Planning Commission, appreciated the contribution of professional societies in national development and expressed his commitment to encourage greater participation of such organizations in policy formulation and implementation wherever possible.

Established as Nepal's national professional organization for geotechnical engineers in 1994, Nepal Geotechnical Society regularly conducts technical training programmes, workshops, webinars, conferences, and knowledge-sharing activities to promote collaboration among academia, industry, and policymakers.

During the programme, the society also highlighted preparations for GeoMandu 2027, its flagship international conference scheduled for 17–19 March 2027 in Kathmandu, which is expected to bring together around 500 participants from more than 50 countries, further strengthening Nepal's presence in the global geotechnical engineering community.