Nepal Music Center hosted the 2nd International Society for Music Education (ISME) South Asia Regional Conference in Kathmandu, from November 4-6th, 2019. The conference theme was ‘Music teacher learning and life in the 21st century’. The conference theme was  addressed through paper presentations focussed on mechanisms, challenges and capacity building in implementing music education in Nepal; collaborative professional learning and development in music education in Austria and Nepal; music education and teachers in relation to activism and change in Austria, Canada, Israel, Nepal, Portugal, the UAE and the USA; and navigating past, present and future musical practices in the changing societies of Finland, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Through these presentations participants heard about diverse music education systems, diverse musical practices, and various initiatives music teachers and researchers are taking to sustain intangible cultural heritage. Workshops ranged from approaching issues of innovation and diffusion through beginner music for shamisen (a three-stringed instrument from Japan); using music as a vehicle for difficult conversations about race, gender, and class; and active music listening for children. This three-day conference included presentations from more than 15 Nepali participants, with more than 30 additional Nepali participants in attendance.

For some of the local participants, this conference was their first opportunity to attend an international music education conference.