A team of researchers affiliated with the Center for Environmental and Sustainable Agricultural Research (CESAR) conducted a one-day capacity-building training on "Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Office Productivity" for Gandaki University, held on 2 August, 2026 at the GU-MIT Class, Mahendrapul Campus.
The training was organized by the Office of the Registrar, Gandaki University, and brought together 40 participants, including the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Deans, program coordinators, and administrative staff, reflecting the university's institution-wide commitment to strengthening digital literacy and AI readiness across all levels of leadership and administration.
The full-day program was delivered across three focused sessions:
- Introduction to AI and Prompt Engineering: led by Dinesh Mani Bhandari, Research Associate at CESAR, covering foundational AI concepts and practical prompt-writing techniques for everyday use.
- Advanced Office Tools: led by Santosh Koirala, Research Director at CESAR, focusing on enhancing productivity through Excel and PowerPoint.
- AI-Assisted Administrative Drafting: led by Atis, Assistant Professor at Pokhara University, on using AI tools to support official correspondence, reports, and documentation in a Nepali institutional context.
A pre-workshop survey conducted among participants offered useful insights into the starting point for the training: while participants expressed strong confidence that AI would meaningfully transform higher education in the coming years, they identified the critical evaluation of AI-generated content and an understanding of ethical and privacy considerations as key areas for growth. Participants also shared that they most wanted AI's help with drafting official documents, retrieving information, and generating ideas, themes that directly shaped the day's hands-on exercises.
The training reflects CESAR's ongoing commitment to building AI and digital capacity within academic and government institutions across Gandaki Province, complementing its broader work in geospatial research, agricultural innovation, and technology-driven community development.
CESAR extends its thanks to the Office of the Registrar, Gandaki University, for the opportunity to conduct this training and looks forward to continued collaboration on future capacity-building initiatives.
