11th Annual SONE UK Conference Held in London: Focus on Knowledge Transfer and Nepal’s Prosperity

LONDON — The Society of Nepalese Engineers UK (SONEUK) successfully hosted its 11th Annual Conference on Science, Engineering, and Technology on Saturday, July 4th 2026 at the Sheraton Heathrow Hotel in London. The landmark event, chaired by senior engineer and SONEUK President Subodh Timilsina, brought together dozens of UK-based Nepali engineers alongside academics, professionals, and business leaders from various sectors.

The conference was officially inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Acting Nepali Ambassador to the UK Bipin Duwadi, who unveiled the official conference proceedings and cover page aligned with this year's theme.

Emphasizing "Brain Circulation" and Dual-Country Benefits

In his keynote address, Acting Ambassador Duwadi praised the active role and multi-dimensional contributions of the Nepalese engineering community in the UK. He emphasized that the growing network of professional engineers is a vital asset capable of elevating the next generation of professionals while simultaneously driving development and prosperity in their motherland, Nepal.

"The manpower, skill, efficiency, and international experience within SONE UK represent an incredible strength," Duwadi stated. "It would be a magnificent achievement if this collective expertise could be strategically channeled to benefit both the UK and Nepal."

Duwadi noted that with a stable government moving forward in Nepal, the state is actively working on mechanisms to attract the skills, experience, and investment of diaspora professionals. He urged attendees to maintain a close, proactive dialogue with the Government of Nepal to align their expertise with national development goals.

A Unified Global Voice for Nepalese Engineering

SONEUK President Subodh Timilsina echoed these sentiments, highlighting the organization's ongoing efforts to link the skills and experience earned abroad back to infrastructure and technology gaps in Nepal.

Addressing the interdisciplinary nature of the event, Timilsina noted, "Our mission has always been to bridge gaps, but the current priority is to bring professionals from all industries into a singular ecosystem to present a macroeconomic voice. We are actively driving that campaign."

With an estimated one million Nepali engineers and technical professionals now spread across the globe, Timilsina emphasized that national prosperity must remain a shared, primary agenda. He further called on senior industry leaders to mentor and support emerging young talents as they climb the professional ladder in the UK.

Technical Insights and Cross-Industry Collaboration

The conference featured a series of robust technical presentations, working papers, and a poster exhibition overseen by Program Coordinator Dr. Deepak GC:

• Sustainable Materials: Dr. Homnath Dhakal, a professor at the University of Portsmouth, presented cutting-edge research on developing sustainable, climate-resilient composite materials for widespread industrial application.

• National Collaboration: Subas Baral, Chairman of the Nepal Engineers' Association (NEA) who traveled from Nepal to attend, expressed immense confidence that strategic collaborations between the NEA and SONE UK will yield more effective results for Nepal's macroeconomic development goals.

• Interdisciplinary Ties: Dr. Arti Thapa Hamal, President of the Nepalese Doctors Association UK, attended as a guest speaker, noting that the data modeling and engineering solutions presented were highly relevant to modern medical technologies and cross-sector healthcare operations.

At the conclusion of the event, SONEUK President Subodh Timilsina presented tokens of appreciation to the distinguished guests and speakers. The entire program was smoothly facilitated and executed by the SONEUK Executive Working Committee, led by General Secretary Manoj Pun.