International Cooperation and Nepal : Supporting students with disabilities and marginalised groups in higher education = Cooperazione internazionale e Nepal : supportare studenti con disabilità e provenienti da gruppi emarginati negli studi universitari

The paper shows the relevance of international cooperation for the Department of Education Studies of the University of Bologna, exploring the EATHEN project, carried out in Nepal in the three-year period 2019-2022. The EU-funded project in the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the field of higher education programme aimed to develop policies for equal access to higher education for Nepalese students with disabilities or from marginalised groups and remote areas in Nepal. In the paper, some thematic issues concerning the current situation in Nepal with respect to education and inclusion are reported on, and the main development points of the EATHEN project are reviewed, analysing its steps, elements of change and obstacles encountered during the pandemic period. The project is an opportunity to present some more general reflections on the meaning of international cooperation for universities, within the framework of a “Third Mission” aimed at contributing to the public good.