Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) is a non-profit organization registered under the Nepal Government and affiliated with the Social Welfare Council. NREN is dedicated to developing a nationwide research and education network that connects Nepal’s academic and research communities with global networks. Through this, we aim to overcome the challenges of research lag and technological gaps by enabling seamless collaboration, data exchange, and access to global educational resources.
Founded in 2007, NREN emerged from the collective efforts of academicians, ICT professionals, and development experts who recognized the pressing need for a high-speed network to support research and education in Nepal. Before its establishment, the lack of high-speed, dedicated connectivity was hindering Nepal’s academic and research progress. NREN’s vision is to bridge this gap, providing researchers, educators, and students with the tools they need to excel in the digital age.
NREN is connected to the global network of National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) through the Asia-Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) and Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN), linking Nepal’s research and education communities to other regions of the world. These connections help improve access to knowledge, facilitate educational exchanges, and support academic growth and research development in Nepal. Through these collaborations, NREN enables its members to stay connected to the global research community, offering opportunities for knowledge sharing and international cooperation.
At the national level, National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) serve as the backbone infrastructure that connects local research and educational institutions to a country’s central high-speed network. Each NREN is responsible for maintaining and managing this national infrastructure, ensuring that institutions within the country have access to a secure, high-performance internet connection tailored to meet their academic and research needs. NRENs are specifically designed to support the complex demands of the education and research sectors. These networks provide the necessary bandwidth and advanced technical support required to transmit large datasets, conduct high-performance computing tasks, and support global collaborative research initiatives. Through NRENs, institutions are able to connect to one another efficiently, fostering an environment where research projects, academic exchanges, and digital educational resources can flow seamlessly.
Each of these NRENs plays a critical role in ensuring that national institutions remain competitive in the global academic and research landscapes by providing them with secure, high-speed, and reliable internet access.
Some well-known NRENs include:
Internet2 (USA)
One of the most prominent NRENs in the United States, Internet2 connects thousands of universities, research institutions, and government entities, providing them with the high-speed infrastructure necessary to support academic and research activities.
GÉANT (Europe)
GÉANT is the pan-European NREN, interconnecting more than 40 countries and offering services such as secure data exchange, high-performance computing, and advanced collaboration tools for researchers and educators across Europe.
JANET (UK)
Serving the United Kingdom, JANET connects academic and research institutions, offering high-speed network services and providing access to international research networks.
ACOnet (Austria)
ACOnet provides high-performance networking services to Austrian universities, research institutions, and other educational organizations, enabling them to participate in the global research and education ecosystem.