Khagendra Raj Dhakal, PhD, is the Founder Chair of the Nepal Policy Institute (NPI), a global think tank leveraging diaspora knowledge for Nepal’s policymaking and development. Under his leadership, NPI has advanced evidence-informed policymaking, education policy, electoral reform, cross-border disinformation, labor migration policy, and governance transformation.
A thought leader and leading expert in critical thinking, Dr. Dhakal’s research intersects human development, cognitive science, applied linguistics, and education. He has pioneered critical thinking development frameworks with real-world applications in policy analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making across industries, organizations, and government institutions throughout the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America. Committed to human development with 21st-century competencies, he emphasizes the integration of critical thinking in education, talent development, and professional training programs, ensuring that the future workforce is equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern world.
Beyond NPI, he is a Specialist Lecturer at King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB) and previously served as Assistant Dean for International Affairs. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from KMUTT, Thailand, a Master’s degree in Education from Avondale University, Australia, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pedagogy from the University of Oregon, USA. His doctoral research focuses on skills assessment, with a particular emphasis on critical thinking.
As a 2023 Asia Pacific Leadership Fellow at the East-West Center, Hawaii, Dr. Dhakal is recognized for his contributions to global education and policy research. He is also the creator of the Multi-Purpose Assessment of Critical Thinking (MPACT), an innovative tool for evaluating and enhancing critical thinking skills across disciplines and sectors.
Sharu Joshi Shrestha holds Master’s in Political Science from the Tribhuvan University, and Master’s in Women and Development from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. She is a working member in various programs including the Task Force for Reforms on Foreign Labor Migration, Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, 2018. Ms. Shrestha is the recipient of the International AFFUND Prize for Pioneering Development Project 2003 for leading the program “The Asia Pacific and Arab State Regional Program on Empowerment of Women Migrant Workers” in Nepal (including Jordan and Indonesia). She served in the Social Welfare Council for many years, and also led several UN programs on women empowerment. Ms. Shrestha has published more than 50 articles in various newspapers, journals, and magazines including on the role of NRNA and remittance.
Ambika P. Adhikari, DDes, is a Principal Planner at City of Tempe, AZ, USA heading its long-range planning division. He is also a Sr. Senior Global Futures Scientist, JAW Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University (ASU). Earlier at ASU, Dr. Adhikari earlier held the positions of Research Professor, and Program Manager at ASU International Development. He was Director of International Programs at DPRA Inc. in Toronto and Washington DC providing consulting services to projects funded by organizations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and (Global Affairs, Canada.
In Nepal, he was Associate Professor at the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, and later, Country Representative of IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature) at IUCN Nepal office. He is a Fellow of American Society of Nepalese Engineers, Member of American Institute of Certified Planners, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional, and Project Management Professional (PMP).
He received Doctor of Design (DDes.) degree from Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, and Master of Architecture from the University of Hawaii. He was a Fellow at Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Adhikari has authored one, and co-edited six books related to planning, environment and development. He has published several journal articles, book chapters, reports and write ups in newspapers. He has professional experience in more than a dozen countries including in Nepal, India, USA, Canada, Mexico, Fiji, Kenya and Tanzania. He serves in many voluntary community organizations in North America and globally.
Service period: (Nov 2021 – Present)
Kedar Neupane is a retired United Nations Staff Member and has worked in international assignments for more than three decades in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Europe. He holds M.A. (Economics) degree from Tribhuvan University of Nepal (1976) and was a Rockefeller Fellow Scholar at the School of Economics of University of the Philippines (1977). In 1986, he received training as Emergency Preparedness and Operations Manager at the College of Engineering Science and Disaster Preparedness and Management of the University of Wisconsin, Madison (USA). His international professional work began with the United Nations Department for Technical Cooperation for Development (UN/DTCD) in 1977 and as Economist attached to the Regional Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in Juba, South Sudan. During 1980-82 Mr. Neupane worked for the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UN/CDF) in UNDP Khartoum (Sudan) and UN/CDF Headquarters (1981) in New York (USA).
In 1983, Mr. Neupane joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Eastern Sudan. Rotating between UNHCR field offices and Geneva Headquarters he worked in Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Mongolia, Indonesia and Switzerland in different challenging refugee emergencies and assignments. Mr. Neupane brings with him a unique perspective from working in field assignments and understanding of people-oriented planning approach and techniques, and operational challenges. This ranges from operational complexity, people-centric planning, donor relations, financing, and program implementation strategies, sustainability, change management, and organizational reforms. After retirement from active service, Mr. Neupane shuttles between Asia, Europe, and North America in quest of pragmatic narrative for probable synergies in development conundrum confronting faltering growth models, which are in vogue in developing countries, in post-World War II and multi-polar global environment, and post COVID-19 pandemic situation.
Nalini Chhetri is a social scientist and a clinical associate professor at Arizona State University. She obtained her Ph.D. from Penn State University, USA. She works on science policy, climate impacts, science communication, sustainable development, energy access, knowledge systems, gender, and urban sustainability. Her career also included overseeing large sustainable development programs for international nongovernmental organizations. She works with think-tanks and universities in Brazil, China, Guyana, Ghana, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sierra Leone. She has consulted for United Nations and European bilateral agencies. She worked in Nepal in integrated sustainable development, non-formal literacy and disadvantaged group programs, and basic needs programs in the far western and western parts of Nepal with CARE International, and worked closely with the Ministry of Forestry and Watershed Management for over a decade.
Kalpana Jha holds a Master’s Degree in Socio-Legal Studies from York University, Toronto, Canada, and an MA in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. Jha is the author of “The Madhesi Upsurge and the Contested Idea of Nepal.” She has worked extensively in the area of the state of minorities, inclusion, migration, borderlands, and citizenship. She has been associated with research foundations and think tanks in Nepal and India. She has authored multiple journal articles, reports, commentaries, and op-ed pieces on these issues.
Rubeena Mahato is an international development professional with expertise in policy research and analysis. Her work has primarily focussed on designing and supporting the implementation of universal social protection programmes in South Asia, conducting fiscal space and political economy analysis, and measurement and analysis of multidimensional poverty. She has worked with UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, collaborating closely with various nonprofits, social movement organizations and government bodies in the region. Her current work focuses on constructing environmental approaches to the measurement of deprivation and wellbeing, and employing data-driven methods for examining the health impacts of environmental change. She has also worked as a writer and journalist in the past and her writings on aid and development policy, governance and environmental issues have been published internationally. Rubeena has a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford.
Mr. Mainali served with the Government of Nepal as a civil servant for 35 years. Before retiring in 2021, he served as Secretary for five years at various ministries. He also served for one year as the Financial Comptroller General of the Government of Nepal, and for more than eight years as Joint Secretary (and Head of the Infrastructure Development Division) at the National Planning Commission. His other experiences include Local Development Officer in various districts and executive secretary/officer of various municipalities.
Mr. Mainali has authored 12 books as well as several professional articles in journals and leading magazines. He now engages as a freelance policy analyst, delivering motivational talks to students and publics servants. He has Master’s degrees in three subjects (Economics, Development Administration, and Taxation & Budgeting).
Mr. Gopi Mainali is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Samjhana Shrestha is a seasoned international development professional with over 30 years of experience. During her tenure at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for more than 15 years, she held key roles in the areas of project design, management, and evaluation, including shaping and evaluating strategies and policies within ADB. Her professional journey includes stints at various national and international institutions, making her adept at multi-agency and donor coordination activities.
Her expertise extends to designing, leading, and guiding the implementation of analytical studies. Her publications cover a wide array of development issues, encompassing the evaluation and impact assessment of projects and policies in agriculture, environment, and biodiversity. She has also delved into topics such as access and quality in formal and non-formal education, labour allocation patterns in transitional economies, and gender and inclusion of caste, ethnic, economic, and religious minority groups. Throughout her career, Ms. Shrestha has demonstrated versatility by conducting applied economic research across diverse sectors, resulting in the publication of over 50 works.
She has engaged in professional work with diverse stakeholders in over 20 developed and developing countries, including in Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, as well as in the Pacific and Australia. Her collaborative efforts have included partnerships with academic institutions, multilateral development agencies, governments, business communities, and civil society organizations.
Ms. Samjhana Shrestha is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Khagendra Raj Dhakal is a dedicated educator and thought leader. He is a faculty member at King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, where he teaches general education and communication courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. From 2011 to 2015, he served as Assistant Dean for International Affairs at the same university.
Dhakal holds a Master’s degree in Education from Avondale University, Australia, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pedagogy from the University of Oregon, USA. He is pursuing a PhD focused on assessing soft skills, with a particular emphasis on critical thinking. His research interests include skill assessment, applied linguistics, policy discourse analysis, educational innovation, and communication.
Beyond academia, he has been actively involved in knowledge transfer and economic diplomacy initiatives within the global Nepali diaspora. He played a key leadership role in the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), serving as President of NRNA Thailand for two consecutive terms (2013-2017). In recognition of his contributions to education, he was honored with the E-Teacher Professional Development Award from the U.S. Department of State and the Best Reviewer Award from the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association, New York, in 2013.
Sharu Joshi Shrestha holds Master’s in Political Science from the Tribhuvan University, and Master’s in Women and Development from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. She is a working member in various programs including the Task Force for Reforms on Foreign Labor Migration, Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, 2018. Ms. Shrestha is the recipient of the International AFFUND Prize for Pioneering Development Project 2003 for leading the program “The Asia Pacific and Arab State Regional Program on Empowerment of Women Migrant Workers” in Nepal (including Jordan and Indonesia). She served in the Social Welfare Council for many years, and also led several UN programs on women empowerment. Ms. Shrestha has published more than 50 articles in various newspapers, journals, and magazines including on the role of NRNA and remittance.
Dr Chandra Kumar Laksamba holds a PhD in ‘Socio-political Study of Policy and Practice of Lifelong Learning in Nepal’ from the University of Surrey. Prior to pursuing an academic career, he served for 19 years in the British Gurkhas. He is a founding member and former Executive Director and Senior Researcher of Centre for Nepal Studies, UK (CNSUK). He was the coordinator of CNSUK’s ‘Large-scale Survey 2007-09 on Nepalis Living in the UK’, researcher and a member of the University of Oxford/CNSUK’s ‘Vernacular Religion Project 2009-12’, and Lead Researcher of ‘British Gurkha Pension Policies and Ex-Gurkha Campaigns (Gurkha Project 2012-14)’. Currently, he is leading CNSUK’s ‘Social Mobility Research Project on Nepali Diaspora in the UK 2015-17’.
Dr Sita Ram Ghimire is an agricultural research professional working in the Commonwealth Science agency of Australia (CSIRO) based in Canberra. He is currently NRNA Australia Advisor (2017~2019) and former vice president of NRNA Australia (2013~2015). Dr. Ghimire worked as a chair of technical working committee of Skill, Knowledge & Innovation taskforce of NRNA Australia (2015~2017). Dr. Ghimire worked in the Ministry of Agricultural Development in Nepal for about 7 years (1996~2003) and then had a postgraduate study/research work in a South Korean university, and agricultural research center of RDA during 2003~2009. Dr. Ghimire believes in stronger NRNA for the welfare of the Nepali diaspora worldwide.
Dr. Rudra Aryal was born and raised at Rampur in Palpa district of Nepal and now lives in Rindge New Hampshire, USA. Dr. Aryal is an Advisor of NRNA USA (2015/2017; 2017/2019) and has involved in many social activities of American- Nepali communities in the USA and beyond. Dr. Aryal received his Ph.D. in Physics from University of Miami, Florida, USA. Currently, his research focuses on air pollution over Nepal. Dr. Aryal’s research affiliation with Nepal, social activities in the USA and Nepal are a few of the key factors that motivated him to be a part of the Nepal policy institute.
Sharad Neupane brings more than 30 years of experience in governance reform, agriculture and rural development in Asia and Africa, and has worked with governments, INGOs, bilateral donors, and the UNDP. He holds a Master’s degree in Agri Economics from Kasetsart University, Thailand. He is also a member of Rotary International.
Rajendra Shrestha is currently Professor and Dean of the School of Environment, Resources and Development at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. He is from the Gorkha district and has previously worked for Tribhuwan University and the Ministry of Agriculture in Nepal, as well as the UNEP. He holds BSc.(Hons.)Ag., MSc, and Ph.D. in natural resources management. He works in the area of land use, climate change, food security, land degradation, and land management for understanding the factors affecting it including the policy implications and vice versa. His scientific works are mostly from Southeast Asia and South Asia. He also serves as the Chair of the SKI team, NRNA Thailand. Further information at http://rpshrestha.weebly.com/
Bijaya Rajbhandari is an engineer by profession with a post-graduate degree in environmental management and has worked with UNICEF for more than 35 years. He worked in Nepal and was based in the western and central regions of Nepal. He also worked in eight different countries in Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, and Far East Asia. He was in a leadership position in the UNICEF as Country Representative in his last two countries in Thailand and North Korea before retiring in January 2016.
Ramesh Singh is an international development practitioner, currently working as a freelance consultant and volunteer. Ramesh started his professional career as a high school teacher in Nepal and later worked as an agronomist/seed technologist. After that he has worked in various country, regional and international roles related to development, human rights and environment with Greenpeace, Open Society Foundations and ActionAid. Ramesh lived, worked and learnt in Asia, Africa, Europe and USA. He received his academic education at Tribhuvan University, and Edinburg University and did his trainings and fellowships at IDS Sussex, Harvard University Cambridge MA, Syracuse University and INSEAD Fontainebleau. He remains committed to, interested in and curious about all aspects of global civil society working in the fields of human rights, social justice and environment.
Nalini Chhetri is a social scientist and a clinical associate professor at Arizona State University. She obtained her Ph.D. from Penn State University, USA. She works on science policy, climate impacts, science communication, sustainable development, energy access, knowledge systems, gender, and urban sustainability. Her career also included overseeing large sustainable development programs for international nongovernmental organizations. She works with think-tanks and universities in Brazil, China, Guyana, Ghana, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sierra Leone. She has consulted for United Nations and European bilateral agencies. She worked in Nepal in integrated sustainable development, non-formal literacy and disadvantaged group programs, and basic needs programs in the far western and western parts of Nepal with CARE International, and worked closely with the Ministry of Forestry and Watershed Management for over a decade.
Kedar Neupane is a retired United Nations Staff Member and has worked in international assignments for more than three decades in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Europe. He holds M.A. (Economics) degree from Tribhuvan University of Nepal (1976) and was a Rockefeller Fellow Scholar at the School of Economics of University of the Philippines (1977). In 1986, he received training as Emergency Preparedness and Operations Manager at the College of Engineering Science and Disaster Preparedness and Management of the University of Wisconsin, Madison (USA). His international professional work began with the United Nations Department for Technical Cooperation for Development (UN/DTCD) in 1977 and as Economist attached to the Regional Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in Juba, South Sudan. During 1980-82 Mr. Neupane worked for the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UN/CDF) in UNDP Khartoum (Sudan) and UN/CDF Headquarters (1981) in New York (USA).
In 1983, Mr. Neupane joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Eastern Sudan. Rotating between UNHCR field offices and Geneva Headquarters he worked in Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Mongolia, Indonesia and Switzerland in different challenging refugee emergencies and assignments. Mr. Neupane brings with him a unique perspective from working in field assignments and understanding of people-oriented planning approach and techniques, and operational challenges. This ranges from operational complexity, people-centric planning, donor relations, financing, and program implementation strategies, sustainability, change management, and organizational reforms. After retirement from active service, Mr. Neupane shuttles between Asia, Europe, and North America in quest of pragmatic narrative for probable synergies in development conundrum confronting faltering growth models, which are in vogue in developing countries, in post-World War II and multi-polar global environment, and post COVID-19 pandemic situation.
Dr. Anil Sigdel is the Director at Nepal Matters for America, a leading think tank on US-Nepal relations and Nepalese affairs in Washington DC, endorsed by the Congressional Nepal Caucus in the Capitol Hill. Dr. Sigdel is leading the Nepal initiative with the mission to increase Nepal’s visibility in the policy circle in Washington DC. He is a contributor to South Asian affairs at Hudson Institute, an influential policy think tank in Washington, and also provides his expertise for governmental and private organizations. Dr. Sigdel holds a Master’s degree in International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Madrid in Spain, and a Dr. Phil. from the University of Vienna, Austria, in Political Science/International Relations. His commentaries have been published in major international outlets including People’s Daily China in Beijing, East Asia Forum in Australia, and Asia Pacific Bulletin in Washington and Hawaii. His academic research works have appeared in the most prominent global forum in the field of international relations – the International Studies Association.
Bishwa Tiwari holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Rajasthan, and an MSc in Environmental and Resource Economics from the University of London. Dr. Tiwari started his career as a Lecturer at Tribhuvan University as early as in 1981, and currently, he is a retired Professor. He has worked for more than two dozen government and non-government organizations including ADB, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, among others, on more than 40 projects. He has authored/co-authored 6 books and more than a dozen articles published in national and international journals. In addition, he is the Lead Author of the Nepal Human Development Report 2009, co-author of the Asia-Pacific Regional Human Development 2013 and 2016, and Asia-Pacific regional SDG Report 2017 and 2018.
Jagan Karki holds three Master’s degrees: MA in Sociology from TU, MBA from University of Trinity St David, UK, and MSc in Financial Management from Heriot-Watt University UK. He is currently pursuing a doctorate degree at the University of West Scotland on remittance and financial inclusion in Nepal. Mr. Karki has been involved in teaching since 2005 in Nepal and continuously engaged in academic activities to date. He is also actively involved in Journalism. He is Editor in chief of Himalaya Mail, UK, and a current secretary of Federation of Nepalese Journalists, UK Chapter. He also writes in various issues regarding finance, management, and current issues in national and international newspapers. He is serving as a Governor at Coston Primary School, London, and is an advisor at NRNA UK.