Australia Awards South and West Asia

On 13 February 2026, more than 60 Australia Awards – Nepal alumni attended an engaging 90-minute workshop on ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Workplace’.

The session was facilitated by Rojesh Shikhrakar, AI & Machine Learning Training Consultant at the Nepal Speakers Bureau, who guided participants through an introduction to how AI works—from data training to inference models. He also described the distinctions between machine learning, deep learning, large language models and AI agents.

Workshop facilitator Rojesh Shikhrakar.

Alumni enjoyed a light-hearted but insightful example of using AI as the facilitator led them through the process of generating an image of themselves shaking hands with a former world leader outside a well-known government building. This fun exercise demonstrated how easily AI can produce realistic visuals— useful in creative contexts, but also a reminder of how such tools can be misused to create fake media and misinformation.

Through this and other practical demonstrations, participants learnt about simple, everyday applications of AI, while also discussing ethical considerations, AI biases and the technology’s inherent limitations. As one alum said, “I learnt about tools for checking facts and identifying whether photos are AI-generated or real.”

Alum Anita Poudel pictured during the workshop.

During the session, alumni tried out AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini and NotebookLM, as well as the use of AI within apps such as Canva. They also learnt about deep research assisted by AI. A key outcome of the session was learning how to develop prompts that best serve the intended purpose. Alumni gained hands-on experience with engineering prompts based on specific defined parameters.

Attendees took away a range of new information and skills from the workshop. “I can prompt AI to develop photos, cards, audio and videos besides Word documents,” says Hom Bahadur BK, Senior Plant Protection Officer at the Government of Nepal’s Department of Agriculture.

For alum Mahesh Neupane, Deputy Project Director, Integrated Water Supply & Sewerage Management Project at the Government of Nepal’s Department of Water and Sewerage Management, the session opened up new possibilities. He learnt how NotebookLM can help conduct research using source materials and even support course design.

Alum Mahesh Neupane (holding the mic) attending the workshop.

Alum Bijay Tamang, Principal at Shree Navajyoti Deaf Secondary School, says he will use AI for digital pedagogy and content creation in his institution.

Reflecting on responsible use of AI and its current limitations, another alum said, “Make a complete use of AI but always trust your own ideas verification to make it trustworthy.”

Left to right: Alumni Ganesh Bahadur Khatri, Bijay Tamang and Dr Rajeev Karn participating in the workshop.

Past sessions have included Using LinkedIn Effectively, Strategic Decision Making and Emotional Intelligence. The next workshop will be on Design Thinking, and is scheduled for 24 April 2026. To attend, alumni must register in advance.