´
Originally, the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) had begun as a school of agriculture under Ministry of Agriculture in 1957 to train Junior Technical Assistants in agriculture. In 1968, the school was upgraded to college of agriculture with two-year I.Sc.Ag. program. The college was given the status of IAAS as a constituent institute of Tribhuvan University in 1972. Before it moved from Kathmandu to its new location in Rampur of Chitwan in 1972, bachelor program in Agricultural Education (a total of 4 semesters) was already launched in Kathmandu. This was also called Diploma in agriculture where out of 100 credits, students were taught 65 credits of agriculture and 35 credits of education. Over time, IAAS grew and expanded its academic programs to different fields of agriculture including veterinary science. Currently it runs 4-yr B.Sc. Agriculture and 5-yr B.V.Sc. and A.H. programs in different parts of the country. Since 2013/14, post-graduate programs including MSc and PhD in Agriculture and Masters in Veterinary sciences are also run in different academic departments in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. The organogram of IAAS is as follows:
To develop IASS as a world class agriculture academic institution through excellency in Teaching, Research and Extension.
The mission of IAAS is to train competent humanpower in agriculture and allied disciplines, and to promote research, development and technology dissemination in agriculture.
The Institute has designed and implemented its academic programs in the undergraduate and postgraduate levels for the overall agricultural development of the country. The institute has produced more than 15,000 agricultural graduates so far. The human resources developed from IAAS deserve distinct academic excellence and competence among the human resources developed within and outside the country.
The institute has four constituent campuses: Lamjung, Paklihawa, Rampur and Gauradaha campuses. Since last four years, it also introduced post-graduate teaching program in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. Meanwhile, TU/IAAS has provided affiliation to three agricultural campuses in private sectors: one, situating in Gokuleshor of Baitadi district (affiliated in 2010); second, in Lamahi of Dang district and the third, in Tulsipur, of Dang district (both affiliated in 2014). Each affiliated campus admits 50 students in B.Sc.Ag. each year. All the constituent and affiliated campuses receive students on merit basis who pass the entrance examination conducted by IAAS Dean's Office in Kathmandu. From 2016, 4-year B.Sc. Horticulture program of Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus, Ilam also received affiliation from IAAS.
Though IAAS is principally mandated for teaching of agricultural science, it has been outsourcing and implementing numbers of internally or externally funded research projects in agriculture and veterinary sciences. A separate research unit namely Directorate of Research and Publication (DORP) is in operation to conduct and monitor such projects. An independent account and operating procedure has been maintained for this unit. The Institute offers scholarship to students for M.Sc. as well as Ph.D. researches out of funds under DORP.
Similarly, a unit namely Directorate of Extension (DOE) under the Dean's Office is operating for extension of research findings to farmers. This unit is mandated to formulate program and policies and delivery of new research findings to target groups. It also establishes coordination with government line agencies and private sectors involving agricultural research, teaching and extension. IAAS have been publishing research findings regularly in IAAS journal since 1977. It published 35 volumesby last year (in academic year 2075/76) and is in the process of publishing the 36th volume by the middle of this academic year. Similarly, the institute publishes research abstracts, proceedings, course catalogue (IAAS bulletin) for undergraduate as well post graduate level, IAAS research reports and research advances regularly. Now, it is also in the process of improving and keeping the website (website www.iaas.edu.np) more active, informative and useful than earlier.
