The Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) was founded in 2007 with the goal of building a dynamic mountain knowledge partnership among the universities of the HKH region and other organizations and institutions – both within and outside the region – concerned with sustainable mountain development (SMD) in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH)1 and adjoining mountainous regions. From the outset, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has hosted the Secretariat of the HUC and facilitated its activities. The members of the HUC share many common values and concerns regarding opportunities and challenges for research, education and training relating to regional SMD. However, the universities in the HKH vary considerably in many aspects. Some have existed for a century or more, with a wealth of resources such as multidiscipline research centers, experienced scholars and professionals, experience in capacity building, and research and extension capabilities. Others have been established over the past decade. Some universities have long-established collaborative bilateral relationships with universities in Europe or North America; others have no such relationships.
There have been limited interactions and collaboration between HKH universities, even within individual countries. This challenge is exacerbated by the fact that the universities are distributed across a mountainous region that is not easily accessible and has inadequate communications facilities, a problem that is partially being addressed through the application of information and communication technology (ICT).
A major factor behind the slow pace of SMD in the HKH is a lack of professionals who can undertake high-quality research and support sustainable mountain development, and poor international cooperation. There is considerable scope for increasing collaborative activities between academic and research institutions in the HKH and their counterparts in other parts of the world. Such collaboration would promote growth and dissemination of knowledge and help improve livelihoods and economy in the context of SMD. The first date of the Charter signing was 29 October 2015, HUC Summit, Kathmandu.
