About
Our History
Our History
How VHS Bhaktapur Began
VHS Bhaktapur opened its doors in 2011 as a modest, one-room language initiative, started with an initial investment of under 200 euros. The idea was simple: many motivated Nepali students were being turned away from Goethe-Zentrum placements, and there was a real need for a dependable, learner-focused German language school in the Kathmandu Valley. Within its first year, VHS had already built a name for itself on the strength of its teaching quality and student results.
Growing Into an Institution (2012–2019)
By 2013, rising enrollment pushed VHS into a larger, purpose-built facility in Bhaktapur, and the organization broadened its mission beyond language classes alone — adding teacher training, cultural programming, and youth-focused community initiatives. A partnership with GIZ brought the first weltwärts volunteers to the school that same year, starting a long tradition of international exchange.
The following years brought steady momentum:
- 2014 – New exam-preparation pathways and some of Nepal's earliest career counseling services for language students.
- 2015 – A second center opened in Kathmandu to meet growing demand, the German Embassy formally strengthened ties with VHS (including an ambassadorial visit), and VHS earned official authorization as an ÖSD examination center. That same year, after the devastating Nepal earthquake, VHS organized a relief effort with more than 400 volunteers and launched a rebuilding initiative, "NepalHilfe der VHS Bhaktapur."
- 2016 – VHS became the first institution in Nepal to offer German instruction at the B2 level, alongside teacher-training programs run jointly with VHS and Goethe specialists.
- 2017 – Staff took part in exposure programs in Austria and Germany, while Nepali youth were sent abroad for job shadowing in Italy and Spain and training in North Macedonia.
- 2018 – Official translation services were added at the request of the German Embassy, alongside a strong internal push to build staff skills through European volunteer support.
- 2019 – Youth mobility programs sent staff to North Macedonia, Italy, Greece, and Belgium for training that they then brought back and taught locally. By year's end, the team had grown to 32 full-time staff.
Weathering the Pandemic (2020–2022)
VHS opened 2020 on a high note, hosting an international Erasmus+ training with participants from a dozen countries — before COVID-19 forced a prolonged shutdown. The school adapted by moving classes online through Moodle, scaling down operations, and consolidating activity at the Kathmandu branch. By the end of 2021, the team had shrunk from 32 to just 10 people, though teaching quality held steady throughout.
Recovery began in 2022: ÖSD exams resumed in Kathmandu, paused Erasmus+ projects were completed, and staff traveled for training in Belgium, Italy, Uganda, Vietnam, and North Macedonia.
Rebuilding and Expanding (2023–Present)
VHS Bhaktapur reopened in Jagati in June 2023 before eventually returning to its original Adarsha, Bhaktapur location. Exams and volunteer programs resumed in full, and within a year the school had examined over 1,200 candidates — becoming, by most measures, the largest German language school in the country.
By 2024, VHS had cleared its pandemic-era debts and reorganized into a larger, more structured operation: a 45-person team running classes up to 15 hours a day, with new evening and youth programs in the works.
In January 2025, that growth extended beyond the Kathmandu Valley for the first time with the opening of VHS Pokhara. Today, VHS serves several hundred students daily across its centers in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, and Pokhara.
Looking Ahead
From a single rented room to three centers across Nepal, VHS Bhaktapur and VHS Kathmandu have grown into one of the country's most recognized names in German language education. The focus going forward stays the same as it was in 2011: accessible, high-quality language teaching paired with the kind of youth and community programming that opens doors beyond the classroom.
