British Youth Drawn by Balen’s Fame: Nepali Youth More Optimistic Than the World

Kathmandu — British youth Jack Markey, thrilled by news that a famous rapper won an election and became Prime Minister in Nepal, was even more amazed when he arrived in Kathmandu two weeks ago. He only discovered after arriving that Balen is not only a rapper but also a former mayor of Kathmandu and a PhD candidate.

“I realized that my knowledge about Balen and Nepal was only half-baked. Now I am understanding the reality,” Jack said. “Western media have only introduced Balen as a rapper. The way he won the election has captured the attention of people around the world.”

Last week, a team of a dozen students from Oxford University and the London School of Economics, including Jack, arrived in Nepal on a 10-day diplomatic visit to observe Nepal up close. The team included 15 youth from Britain, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Germany, India, and Nepal. Although the formal programs have ended, Jack and his friends are still exploring Kathmandu.

An Oxford mathematics graduate, Jack works as a statistician and machine learning engineer for the British government. After first visiting Nepal in 2024, he was impressed by the technological skills of local youth and founded a company called “8K Tech” in Britain. Though registered in London, the company employs software engineers from Nepal.

“I currently have 8-10 Nepali youth working on projects for European and American clients,” he said. “Asmod Khakurel and Avan Shrestha from Nepal are my co-founders. We all work remotely.” He said the company name “8K” refers to the 8,000-meter altitude of Nepal’s Himalayas.

Compared to British youth, Jack finds Nepali youth much more optimistic and energetic about their country’s future. “Nepali youth are more positive than our youth,” he assessed. “Perhaps because they themselves are the carriers of change and have already brought change, they appear more optimistic and energetic.”

However, Jack was surprised to hear about the arson and physical destruction during last year’s Gen-Z protests and to see the burnt buildings. Being a government employee himself, he said it is hard to imagine protests in Britain where government offices or houses are set on fire.

Carter Donget, who worked as a foreign and defense policy advisor at Canada’s Privy Council Office from 2023 to 2025 and is now studying in Britain after resigning, had the most emotional Nepal experience. He brought a 40-year-old photograph that his grandmother had taken with a Buddhist monk when she visited Nepal in 1983.

“By showing that photo and searching around the Buddhist area, I found that monk,” he said happily. “He had grown old, but he was younger than my grandmother. When I showed the photo, he recognized my grandmother.”