Graduate Arun sets up Nepal news website

A Nepalese graduate from the University of Northampton has founded a digital news website in his home country.

Arun Budhathoki, who graduated with a Master’s in International Relations in 2011, has launched the Kathmandu Tribune – an English-speaking site specialising in international and domestic news from the south east Asian country.

“My Master’s actually helped to convince me an English-speaking news website should be a success in Nepal,” said Arun. “Currently English news websites haven’t made their mark over here, but within five-to-10 years I think things will change, thanks to the march of globalisation, the communication boom, education and migration.

“My International Relations course taught me how these factors are changing the world, and it was with this insight that I decided to set up the Kathmandu Tribune.”

Working with two colleagues who look after the business’s IT and finances, Arun writes the local news, while agencies supply the international news content.

“We plan to hire interns and writers within a few months, but as it’s a start-up media company, things are slow to begin with, but we hope to steadily expand.”