Canada Foundation for Nepal
Through the Light of Knowledge!
Through the Light of Knowledge!
Frits Pannekoek, Ph.D., President of ICDE and President of Athabasca University
: Dr. Pannekoek is the President of Athabasca University, the best known Canadian university in distance education. He is also the President of the Norway based International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), the leading global organization for the open and distance education community. Dr. Pannekoek is also a major contributor to many organizations involved in lifelong learning in Alberta and Canada including Alberta North, the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE) and the Canadian Virtual University (CVU). He is internationally known as a scholar and champion of distance education.
Dr. Pannekoek is known for his works in communication, digital learning environments and the new information revolution. He has published widely on policy issues relating to digital environments, on information seeking behaviors in an internet world, and on open access publishing as well as in the history of Indigenous peoples. Dr. Pannekoek earned his Ph.D. from Queen's University. Read more about Dr. Pannekoek ...
Renu Khator, Ph.D.
: Renu Khator holds the dual titles of Chancellor of the University of Houston System and President of the University of Houston. The UH System’s first woman Chancellor and the first Indian immigrant to head a comprehensive research university in the United States , Dr Khator’s tenure has experienced record-breaking research funding and private support. A graduate of University of Kanpur, India, and then Purdue University, she is a noted scholar in the field of global environmental policy, she has published five books and several articles on the subject. Prior to her appointment, she was provost and senior vice president at the University of South Florida.
Recipient of 2006 Outstanding Americans by Choice awardees, she has been honoured with the prestigious Hind Rattan (Jewel of India) award and as the member of the Indian Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council. She serves on many boards, including the Greater Houston Partnership, the Houston Technology Center, the Texas Medical Center Policy Council, the Methodist Hospital Research Institute Board, and the Business Higher Education Forum.
Darcy W Hardy, Ph.D. : 
Dr. Hardy is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of The University of Texas System and Executive Director of the UT TeleCampus, the virtual university of that supports online delivery of system-wide collaborative academic programs from UT institutions. A PhD in Instructional Technology, Dr Hardy is a founding member and a past president of the Texas Distance Learning Association (TxDLA). Currently, she is the past president and Chair Emerita with the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA). She was a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Distance Education Advisory Council for over 10 years, serving as chair for two. From 2001-2003, Darcy served as the onsite host for the Institute for Managing and Developing e-Learning (MDE), presented annually by the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET). She is a member of the Global Advisory Council for The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education out of London (OBHE). She is the founder of International Forum for Women in E-Learning (IFWE).
Recently, Dr. Hardy was inducted into the USDLA Hall of Fame (2009)and Texas Distance Learning Association Hall of Fame (2006) and received the WCET Richard Jonsen award (2005) for “long-standing willingness to nurture and assist others in the distance learning community, significant contribution to the field, and innovative service to distance learning students.”
Mohamed Ally, Ph.D.
: Director and Professor at the Centre for Distance Education, Athabasca University, Dr. Mohamed Ally is also the Past-President of the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations (IFTDO), Founding Director of the International Association of Mobile Learning (IAML), a writer and a scholar.
Dr. Ally's areas of research and expertise include mobile learning, workplace learning, e-learning, distance education, and program planning and development. His books in the areas of mobile learning and mobile libraries have been well received by distance learning communities. He brings experiences in management and scholarship from his works in journal boards, conference committees, and boards of professional associations. Dr. Ally has presented keynote speeches, workshops, papers, and seminars in over twenty different countries. He was the guest editor for a peer-reviewed journal that published a special issue on mobile learning.
Upendra Mahato, Ph.D., D.Sc.
: Dr. Mahato is a scholar of Nepali origin who turned into entrepreneurship and achieved extraordinary success. An effective speaker and communicator, his demonstrated leadership skills have made a positive impact in all the organizations that he has involved in. He is the President of the Russia-Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Honorary Consul General of Nepal in the Republic of Belarus, and the Chair of the Patron Council and founding President of Non Resident Nepalese Association (NRNA), where he was elected president for three terms. He was awarded "Manager of the Year-2007" by Free Economic Society of Russia and International Academy of Management. Dr. Mahato is the first foreign national to receive the prestigious award in Russia. Besides his business successes, he is a big heart philanthropist and has made a name for himself in Nepal due to his philanthropic works, especially in education and health care.
Bhoj Raj Ghimire, Ph.D.
: His Excellency Dr. Ghimire is the Ambassador of Nepal to Canada. Prior to assuming this responsibility, Dr. Ghimire was the Chief Secretary at the Government of Nepal, where he played leadership role in policy making and monitoring as the country's top bureaucrat. He rose to those positions after serving as Secretary in Ministry of Finance where he played major role in drafting policy on economic liberalization. Earlier, he served as Consul General of Nepal to Kolkatta, India for a decade. Apoet and songwriter, he has published five books in Nepali literature. He is a receipient of major national awards in academic and administrative excellence.
During Dr. Ghimire's leadership in Nepal's bureaucracy, a major bill for Open University of Nepal was developed and tabled in the parliament. Although the bill has met with some delay due to Nepal's issues of political transition, his aspirations to build such institution are as strong as before and he hopes to make a major contribution in the capacity of Ambassador of Nepal to Canada.
Gyan Chandra Acharya, M.Sc.
: His Excellency Gyan Chandra Acharya is Nepalese Ambassador to the United Nations. Prior to this assignment, Mr. Acharya was Foreign Secretary with the Government of Nepal, Permanent Representative to the UN and the WTO, the Ambassador to Switzerland. Credentials like Joint Secretary (Director General) at Europe and the Americas Division/South Asia & SAARC Division, Joint Secretary (Director General) of Economic Relations and Coordination Division, and Spokesperson, all at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were stepping stone to taking recent responsibilities.
In his early career, Mr. Acharya was First Secretary and Counsellor and Embassy of Nepal in Germany, and Second Secretary at Embassy of Nepal in Egypt. From his early career, he was selected to be a member of Nepalese delegations to the UN General Assembly, WTO, WHO, ILO, Non-Aligned Summits, and numbers of State Visits by the the Kings and Prime Ministers of Nepal.
For his contributions to the service of Nepal, he has been awarded acclaimed awards Subickyat Trishkti Patta, Suprabal Gorakha Dakshin Bahu and Prabal Gorakha Dakshin Bahu from Nepal, Order National Du Merite from France, and Royal Victoria Medal from United Kingdom.
Shankar Prasad Sharma, Ph.D.
: His Excellency Dr. Sharma is the current Ambassador of Nepal to the United States. Prior to assuming this responsibility, Dr. Sharma held key positions in Nepal's policy making bodies. He was Vice Chairman in National Planning Commission (1999-2006), Member, National Planning Commission, Chief Advisor in Ministry of Finance (1997-1999), Professor of Economics at Tribnuvan University, Senior Economist in Institute of South East Asian Studies, Singapore (1986-1993), and a Fellow at the East West Center, Hawaii.
Dr. Sharma has worked as a senior consultant with the World Bank, UNDP and other international organizations. Dr. Sharma was editor of the ASEAN Economic Bulletin and a consultant editor to Hydrocarbon Asia, both published in Singapore for about seven years. He has published eight books (edited or authored) and more than fifty articles on the economy, energy and the environment of the Asia-Pacific region, including Nepal. He has been decorated by many high level awards in Nepal. And, interviews taken with him have appeared in prestigious publications like Asia Week, International Herald Tribune, Straits Times, Business Times (Singapore and Malaysia), New Straits Times, Bangkok Post, Forbes, Japan Times, Los Angeles Times, and almost all newspapers and magazines published from Nepal.
Carl A. Stockton, Ph.D. : 
Dr. Stockton is Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at University of Houston - Clear Lake (UHCL). He joined UHCL after serving three years as Dean and Houston Endowed Chair for Education in the University of Texas at Brownsville’s School of Education. During his tenure, Dr. Stockton led the school to double its enrollment and added significant programs to its degree offerings while fostering collaborative initiatives among the university’s schools and other educational institutions. To ensure future success for the school and its students, he acquired more than $33 million in external funding.
Other administrative roles held by Dr. Stockton include serving as department chair of health and applied human sciences in the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s College of Art and Sciences and as department chair of exercise, sport and health education in Radford University’s College of Education and Human Development. An educator, researcher and author, he is also active in his community and in professional associations include the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Association for Health Education and American Council on Education.He holds Ph.D. in Health Education from the University of Tennessee.
Mrinal Mugdh, Ph.D. : 
Dr. Mugdh is the Associate Vice President Academic Affairs at University of Houston Clear Lake. Prior to this he served as the Director for Institutional Research and Planning at the University of Texas at Brownsville where he assisted the Provost in developing the academic vision, setting standards of excellence, and assuring compliance with academic standards set by SACS and other accreditation agencies. He was also the primary liaison with governmental agencies and the University of Texas System on issues related to accountability, planning, and effectiveness. In addition, he held a concurrent graduate faculty position in the UTB School of Business and taught courses in Business Research Methods and International Business.
Dr. Mugdh also served as the Director of Institutional Research for the State University of New York Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, a Institutional Planner at the University of Wisconsin System Administration, a Consultant for The Blue Cross Blue Shield United of Wisconsin. Dr. Mugdh has consulted with many companies and state agencies, including Electronic Data Systems Corporation, Innovative Resource Group, Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Brownsville Urban System, and Brownsville Economic Development Council. He has also served on committees for the Association for Institutional Research and the Texas Association for Institutional Research. Dr. Mugdh received Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Delhi and MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Ambika P Adhikari, Ph.D.
: Dr. Adhikari, obtained a Doctor of Design from Harvard University, Post-graduate Fellowship from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Master in Architecture from Iniversity of Hawaii. He brings substantial experiences earned in regional planning, urban development, management, and policy development from USA, Canada, Mexico and South Asia. He has made notable contributions in leading international organizations like IUCN, World Bank, ADB, and the UN system, as a head of country office, consultant and government counterpart. Included in his work credentials are his achievements in private sector, local, state and national governments, universities, and non-profit (NGO) settings in research, technical, professional and management at senior and leadership capacities. In these roles, he has achieved extraordinary results in research, project design, management, budgeting, program and fund development, and government, and stakeholder relations and program implementation.
Dr. Adhikari has published five books (one as an author and four as co-editor), dozens of professional articles in journals and magazine and has taught and given guest lectures at universities in US, Canada, Chile, Mexico, India and Nepal. His book “Urban and Environmental Planning in Nepal” published by IUCN is used as a reference text in Nepali Universities. His articles regularly appear in planning publications in the US, community papers in the US and Canada and newspapers in Nepal. He is an editor for the Liberal Democracy in Nepal Bulletin (LDNB) published by the Nepal Study Center, University of New Mexico.
Besides, Dr Adhikari is an active promoter of the causes of Nepal and one of the core proponents of Open University of Nepal initiative in NRNA. He is the Regional Coordinator for Americas at International Coordination Council of Non-Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA), past President of Nepalese Americas Council, adviror to many community organizations, and a respected personality in Nepalese community in the USA and in Nepal.
He works as a senior planner for a government in Arizona and is a Faculty Associate at Arizona State University. He sits in various professional and governmental boards in Arizona and volunteers his time in planning and other professional bodies. A former Associate Professor of Tribhuvan University and Country Representative of IUCN in Nepal, he also brings extensive experience of working in Nepal from academia, environmental, and development projects.
Drona P Rasali, Ph.D.
: Dr. Rasali is one of the brightest scholars to emerge from the traditionally neglected communities of Nepal. The Board First of Nepal's School Leaving Certificate Examinations of 1972, he served as a Veterinary Doctor with Government of Nepal for 14 years starting in 1980. During this tenure, he completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Pathology from Australia and a M.S. degree in animal genetics and reproductive physiology from the Philippines.
In 1994, he moved to Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) where he led a successful research career as a Senior Scientist, including a short term Research Fellow at Aberdeen University, and a working group member of a FAO program. He moved to Canada in 1999 and completed a Ph.D. degree in Quantitative Genetic Analysis in 2004. Subsequently, he served as a provincial coordinator of the National Swine Traceability Pilot Study for a year and then moved as Provincial Chronic Disease Epidemiologist with Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, Canada. He also serves in national and provincial committees in population health.
To his credit, Dr. Rasali has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications in the wide ranging area, while he is on the Editorial Advisory Board member of Small Ruminant Research, an international scientific journal (Elsevier Publications) and is a reviewer at Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health.
Currently, he is Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina and also teaches epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Institute of Science and Technology on invitational basis. He is an active promoter of Nepal and one of the core proponents of Open University of Nepal initiative in NRNA, the Research Chair at Canada Foundation for Nepal, Deputy-Regional Coordinator for Americas at International Coordination Council of Non-Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA), and Advisor of NRN-Canada. Dr. Rasali has earned a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching (CHET) and is Certified WebCT Developer.
Jeetendra Joshee, Ph.D.
: Dr. Joshee is Dean of the College of Continuing and Professional Education at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). He is also a Professor in the University’s College of Education. Dr. Joshee brings over 20 years of experience in US higher education as a faculty member and administrator. He has developed and taught fully online courses. As Dean at Cal State, one of the departments he oversees is the Technology-Enhanced Learning Center, an entity that develops, administers and provides full instructional support for online and hybrid degree and professional certificate programs.
Prior to Joining CSULB, Dr. Joshee was Dean of the College of Extended Learning at Cal State San Bernardino, and prior to that the Assistant Dean in the College of Continuing Studies at University of Connecticut. He received his Doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in International Education. Professionally, Dr. Joshee serves as a Commissioner in national associations such as the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA). He is a past Chair of the Global Associates Knowledge Network. He also served as a President of Nepalese Americas Council (NAC) in 2004-2006.
Pramod Dhakal, Ph.D.
: Dr. Dhakal is the Executive Director of Canada Foundation for Nepal (CFFN), Senior Scientist at EION Inc., Research Associate at Carleton University, International Affairs Coordinator of NRN-Canada, Member of International Coordination Council of Non-Resident Nepalese Association (NRNA), and Team Lead of NRN SKI's Open University of Nepal Initiative. A research scientist in the field of telecommunications, he has successfully carried out exclusive research and development endeavors for organizations known to lead the world in the field of research and innovation. There are two patented and several proprietary inventions to his credit. While always remaining close to endeavors of research and development, over the years, he has worked in many roles such as a faculty member and head of a university department, senior consultant of an international consulting company, manager of information technology company, research scientist, entrepreneur, and as the president of a national level student organization.
After being entrenched in electrical and telecommunications engineering for more than two decades, he has emerged into broader social scene in the recent years. Subsequently, his research interests have shifted to application of telecommunication technology for the economic transformation of developing countries. Also expanded are his social horizons - expressed in his well received writings on socio-economic issues that appear in the news media on a regular basis, and his increasing interests in cognition, thoughts, and philosophical domains. Currently he has assumed the leadership role in establishing Open University of Nepal (openu.cffn.ca) through mobilization of Diaspora Nepalese and friends of Nepal along with governments, international organizations, and world-class educational institutions. (more ...)
Aditya Jha, LL.D.
: Dr. Jha is a Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist with active involvement in Canadian public affairs. He has taken special interest in nurturing prosperity and financial independence amongst Canadian First Nations(aboriginals) communities and individuals through his private charitable foundation, POA Educational Foundation, by means of 13 post-secondary scholarships in Ryerson University, Trent University, and York University through endowment funds. He is inductee to the '30 most influential Indo-Canadians Power List' of India Abroad magazine (2009), and most recently received the Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from Ryerson University. Born in Nepal and educated in India, he started his career in India and then subsequently worked in France and Singapore, and eventually joining Bell Canada in 1994. There he became a General Manager, which he left to start a successful software company, which was later acquired by Sun Microsystems. Along with stakes in diversified business, he is President and CEO of Karma Candy.
His affinity to Nepal is amply demonstrated in the serious attempt he made to establish Institute of Information Technology Nepal (IIT-N) modelled after India's IIT, in 2001. Although he withdrew his efforts due to severe delays he encountered due to instability in governments, he maintained significant interest in promoting educational advancements in Nepal and has since supported a number of educational initiatives taken by others. He is a major funder to e-Library and e-Education Project led by Dr. Gautam and Nepal Library Foundation led by Mr. Koirala.
Alok K Bohara, Ph.D.
: Dr. Bohara is Professor of Economics at University of New Mexico, founding Director of The Nepal Study Center at University of New Mexico, active researcher on socio-economic issues of Nepal, key initiator of annual Himalayan Policy Research Conference, and a regular contributor of newspaper articles. He has published over 70 papers in leading international journals and hundreds of publications in other forms. His research interests include applied econometrics, environmental economics, and issues in development economics.
The orientation of his research towards conservation and community participation, micro energy enterprises and their socio-economic impact, performance of micro enterprise, policy impact on poverty are primarily inspired by his long and enduring interest in Nepal.
Bidya Nath Koirala, Ph.D.
: Dr. Koirala is a Professor and Head of the Department of Central Department of Education at Tribhuvan University, and Advisor to SAARC Teachers' Federation. He brings long and exemplary experience in strategic planning and programming for institutions of national importance like National Planning Commission, Ministry of Education, Prime Minister's Office, and Equal Access, and of international importance like The Asia Foundation Nepal, Asian Development Bank, JICA, UNESCO and European Commission on Education. In these roles, his main thrust has been the development of curriculum, decentralization of education, educational components of the national plan, nonformal education, addressing gender, caste, ethnicity, and disability issues in education. He also carries a long experience of evaluating and auditing educational projects and institutions. Receipient of a number of awards in academic excellence, he has authored seven books, edited three books, and published more than 250 articles.
Dr. Koirala has been one of the first wave of educationists in Nepal who saw the value of open and distance education from the outset and is persevering to establish Open University of Nepal to this date. Also, he is especially dedicated to finding ways to take education to rural, remote and marginalized population of Nepal.
Bishnu Maya Pariyar, M.A.
Bishnu Maya Pariyar, Founder and President of "Empower Dalit Women of Nepal" (EDWON), is a prolific social entrepreneur and a most admired personality in Nepal's Dalits, the so called low-caste or untouchable people who are traditionally marginalized in the society. A bright student from her early school years, she beat many social and economic obstacles and exclusion she faced due to her caste, gender, and poor economic standings and emerged to become a award winning scholar and a social entrepreneur. Today, she has won more than a dozen scholarships and awards and became a rising youth leader in broader Nepalese community, not just Dalits. Having earned a Bachelor's degree in Social and Political Systems from Nepal and the USA and a Master's degree in International Development and Social Change from Clark University, she now works in the USA as an advocate and councellor on domestic violence, while dedicating the rest of her time in uplifting of Nepal's marginalized people.
Having realized that low caste women have no advocates and are not served well by established aid organizations, Ms. Pariyar founded EDWON with an exclusive objective of serving Dalit women and children of Nepal. She was only 20 at the time she founded EDWON. Today, she has made significant impact in the fields of human rights of women and Dalits as well as in bringing social change through development. And her contributions have not gone unnoticed. In recent times, she has lectured at Harvard University and other prestigious universities and colleges and has been panellist and speaker at national and international conferences. Added with these credence are awards including The Bridge Builder Award from the Harvard University, Perdita Hudson Human Rights Award by United Nations Association of USA, Dr. Ambedkar Award by Association of International Dalit Organizations, Margaret McNamara Memorial Award by World Bank Family Network, Pauline Tompkins Award, Women's Leadership Award and President Cup Award from Pine Manor College, and Social change Fellow from Clark University.
Dina Bangdel, Ph.D.
: Dr. Bangdel is a Professor of Asian Art at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She is ranked among the finest art historians in the world focusing on the Himalayan region. Having done research on Newar Buddhist and Hindu art in the Kathmandu Valley since 1988, she has curated major exhibitions of these traditions. The most notable, “Circle of Bliss,” she co-curated at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2003-4. Her presentations to the 2006 Institute were among the most highly rated based upon her clear articulation of topics and an extraordinary selection of images. Dr. Bangdel has published three books: Sculpture of King Jayavarma and the Varma Dynasty of Nepal (Nepali), Against the Current: Life of Lain Bangdel, Painter, Writer, and Art Historian of Nepal, and Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art.
Dr. Bangdel received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1999 and her primary areas of specialization are South Asian/Indian art and Himalayan art, with secondary areas of interests relating to the issues of gender and identity in South Asian contemporary art and film. Her current research focuses on the art and ritual traditions of Newar Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal and the development of Tantric Buddhist iconography of the Himalayan regions, principally Nepal and Tibet.
Gokul Bhandari, Ph.D.
: Dr. Bhandari is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems at Odette School of Business of University of Windsor. He is a young and aspiring researcher who moved to management and business research from electrical engineering and, therefore, bringing inter-disciplinary approach to research in making significant inroads in the role of decision support systems and human judgment in business decision making and electronic trading systems. His research has been published in Computer Science, Finance, Economics, and Information Systems journals and he was the recipient of Odette New Researcher Award in 2008 and Dean's Special Recognition Award in 2009 for his outstanding research contributions and scholarly activities.
Dr. Bhandari's research contributions are of significance to open and distance education in Nepal. In the area of pedagogy, he has conducted research in curriculum design and reengineering of content delivery processes through web technologies such as WebCT. He has been awarded International Development Research Grant from the University of Windsor for his project to explore the potential of establishing open-source software based digital libraries in Nepal. In his spare time, he pursues his literary interests.
Hari Dhakal, MD
: Dr. Dhakal, a Doctor of Medicine, is a Ph. D. fellow at Department of Pathology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital. He has made exemplary services to Nepal for more than a decade. A bright scholar, he is a receipient of a series of fellowship awards and training within Nepal and from international institutions. He is a consultant at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, where he was the Head of the Department of Pathology during 1999-2004. Prior to that he was a faculty member as well as the in-charge of the same hospital as well as the member of Tumor Board and Chief of Pathology Services.
Dr. Dhakal was an Editor-in-Chief of a hospital newsletter and Editor of a journal of medicine in Nepal. A socially inspired professional, he is one of the founding members of social clubs, and was Secretary of Nepal Medical Association Chitawan Branch. Currently, he is advisor to NRN-Norway and member of NRN Task Force on Skills Knowledge and Innovation (SKI). He is also an author of a dozen scientific articles. He is also a co-founder of Institute of Medical Technology, Nepal.
Jiwan Giri, MS, PMP
: Mr. Giri is a Clinical Project Manager for SAIC-Frederick, Inc, where he works within the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) that runs programs in collaboration with National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI). A certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), he also worked at different organizations covering non-profits, academics, private sectors and also as an educator, trainer, consultant, researcher, strategic planner, project and program manager. He is an Executive of Board of the Himanchal Educaiton Foundation (HEF) and has played a key role in the growth and success of the organization since 2000. He is one of the active lead members of Nepal Wireless Networking Group in the USA that supports Mahabir Pun’s initiative for connecting rural villages through Nepal Wireless.
While working as a manager at the International Center for Applied Studies in Information Technology (ICASIT at George Mason University, he developed course and content development for distance learning, online teaching and instructional technology design, development, and implementation. His research activities focused on the role of public policy and information technologies in distance learning, e-commerce in the developing world. He is the founder of KnowledgeNet, a foundation that supports economic, educational, social, and health development work in Nepal.
Kalyani Rai, Ph.D.
: Dr. Rai is a nationally recognized scholar specializing in grassroots education, community building, multicultural communication strategies and participatory action research. An Associate Professor in UWM Center for Urban Community Development, she brings first hand experience in development and delivery of distance education programs. Besides, she brings ten years of community development experience working with Milwaukee's diverse populations. Her research, teaching and outreach activities center on creating opportunities for grassroots residents' involvement in decision making and community problem solving in ways that promote individual and community learning, empowerment and transformation.
Dr. Rai is principal investigator for the Hmong National Development grant for the State of Wisconsin, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; principal investigator of the Women of Color Capacity Building Project, funded by the Ford Foundation; and principal investigator of the community-focused Teacher Training Partnership grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Statewide, she actively backs initiatives to better the quality of life for southeast Asian refugee families. Her doctoral degree is from UW-Madison.
Krishna C Prasad, Ph.D.
: Dr. Prasad is a Senior Lecturer in Land and Water Development at UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education based in Netherlands. He brings over 20 years of professional experience largely in Nepal, USA, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Netherlands. He has extensive field level experience, both practical and research, related to improving performance of irrigation, strengthening water users’ organizations through participatory approaches, performance monitoring and evaluation, and associated institutional measures. In recent years, his work has focused on decision support systems for planning and managing water resources at river basin level to match hydrological objectives with social and economic policy objectives. His interest areas include: improving agricultural water productivity, participatory irrigation development and management, integrated river basin management, performance monitoring and evaluation, training, policy and institutional development.
Madhavi Basnet Karki, LL.M.
: Prof. Karki is the Associate Campus Dean of Strayer University and Advisor to Nepali Women's Global Network. She brings substantial experience in developing and delivering distance cources in law, and in managing and administering distance education campus of a university. Her role also includes addressing of student concerns, assist students in conflict resolution, providing quality online support services, and participating in university committees.
Prior to entering into academia Prof. Karki was a Human Rights Attorney at Supreme Court of Nepal and Director at South Asian Forum for Human Rights. An active public personality, she frequently appears on community-based radio stations to discuss the human rights situation in Nepal. She is also the founding coordinator and life member of America Nepal Women's Association in Washington DC. Her legal journey starts from Tribhuvan University, Institute of Social Studies, Netherlands to American University - Washington College of Law, where she completed LLM in 1997. She also brings experiences from her fellowships and internships in NATO, EU, French International Relation, and International Court of Justice, Hague. She is well traveled and carries strong organizational capabilities.
Mahendra Lohani, Ph.D.
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Dr. Lohani, a native of Nepal from a remote mountain village, rose to become a Vice-President of a USA based international humanitarian organization, Heifer International. Prior to taking this role, he was Heifer's Program Director for Asia and the South Pacific and was Program Director of its Nepal operation prior to that. After receiving a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from India, he continued his education in the Philippines, where he received a master's degree and a doctorate in veterinary medicine and agricultural economics. Returning to Nepal he worked for some years in a district veterinary hospital, providing veterinary and animal husbandry services to local farmers. In 1990 Mahendra Lohani was awarded a prestigious Hubert Humphrey scholarship for post-graduate study in the United States.
Dr. Lohani brings substantial experience in the field of management, leadership, and institutional development and sustainability. Dr. Lohani's dedication to upliftment of the marginalized and the level of leadership success he achieved from humble beginnings are really inspiring. He remains a true humanitarian and keeps great affinity to Nepal.
Murari Suvedi, Ph.D.
: Dr. Suvedi, Professor and Senior Associate to the Dean at Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resources of Michigan State University (MSU). He brings unique perspectives for developing countries from his ten years of experience at Tribhuvan University and at MSU in teaching, research, extension and international development. He brings special perspectives and leadership experiences in building evaluation capacity in agriculture, environment, and natural resources management. He offers program evaluation courses and seminars for development professionals of developing professionals, including in Nepal.
Dr. Suvedi is also an ardent promoter of Nepal's development causes and has made some notable contributions in education and sustainable development in a area in Western Nepal where he was born and grown up. His work has brought him excellent accolades from his colleagues and the recipient communities.
Nanda Raj Shrestha, Ph.D.
: Dr. Shrestha is a Professor of World Resources and Cultural Management in the School of Business & Industry at Florida A&M University (FAMU), President of the Asian Geography Group at Association of American Geographers, and Project Director at International Business Education Project. In addition to his personal knowledge and experience, Professor Shrestha has conducted extensive field research in Nepal on several occasions as part of his two research grants from the National Science Foundation, as well as from the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations. In addition to publishing more than 35 articles in professional journals in the fields of geography and economic development, he has published a number of book chapters and five well received books, including The Political Economy of Land, Landlessness, and Migration in Nepal (2001), In the Name of Development: A Reflection on Nepal (1997 and 1999), Nepal and Bangladesh: A Global Studies Handbook (2002), and Historical Dictionary of Nepal (2004), that concern with Nepal and the environ.
Nalini Chhetri, Ph.D.
: Dr. Nalini Chhetri obtained her dual degree Ph.D in International and Comparative Education, and Education Policy, from Pennsylvania State University, USA, along with a number of awards for academic excellence. Originally a genetist, with a Masters Degree in cytogenetics, she had also made scholarly marks during her B.Sc. and M.Sc. programs. Currently teaching climate change, global social entrepreneurship, and interdisciplinary research methods at Arizona State University, her classes involve global collaboration between ASU and TERI University of India, resulting in distance and on-campus form of course delivery. The multidisciplinary studies involving faculties from engineering, business, social sciences, sustainability and design are the hallmarks of her course offerings. Prior to these works at ASU, she spent more than a decade in Nepal developing and delivering literacy programs. Her long experinces in study of demographic issues involving the issues of women and children in developing nations, and in alternate knowledge systems, bear direct relevance with Open University of Nepal initiative. She brings over a decade of field experience from working with international organizations in integrated sustainable development and poverty alleviation in Nepal, Southeast Asia, and West Africa.
Naresh Koirala, P.Eng.
: Mr. Koirala is a Senior Geotechnical Engineer with Golder Associates Ltd, a leading international company in civil engineering. He is a graduate of Civil Engineering from IIT-Roorkee (the then Roorkee University) in India and holds Master's degree in Soil Engineering from AIT Bangkok. He has been working in the field of geotechnical engineering for the past 40 years in Canada, Hong Kong, and Nepal. His special areas of interests have been municipal infrastructure upgrades and developments involving trenchless technology such as tunneling, pipe jacking and horizontal directional drilling. He carries end to end knowledge in the investigation, design, tendering, construction, inspection, and post development engineering works.
Besides his works in the field of engineering, he is also strongly interested in philanthropy, political studies, philosophy, and independent thinking. Originally inspired by startind a reading club in the lower mainland of Brotosh Columbia, he is the founder of a Canadian charity, Nepal Library Foundation, which has created a number of libraries in Nepal. His pursuit is only intensifying as he gears up to retire from his usual work. An ardent supporter of NRN movement, he has been strongly involved in the movement from the time of its inception and was earlier the Regional Coordinator for the Americas in the NRNA-ICC.
Naveen Vaidya, Ph.D.
: Dr. Naveen K. Vaidya is currently a postdoctoral research associate at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA. He received his PhD degree in Applied Mathematics from York University, Canada in addition to MS (York University, Canada), MSc, BSc, BEd (Tribhuvan University, Nepal) degrees. His academic research interest is developing mathematical models of disease transmission in Immunology and Epidemiology, particularly in HIV and Influenza viruses. He has published numerous refereed articles of his research in various international scientific journals. He was a recipient of the Susan Mann Dissertation award of York University. Dr. Vaidya is actively involved in Model Village Development Project, a charity project of NRN-Canada, and is working as the Editor for NAVA-SANDESH, NRN-Canada newsletter. Before he came to Canada in 2002, Dr. Vaidya served as a faculty member of Amrit Science Campus, Tribhuvan University, a member of Board of Trustee in College of Applied Business and Managing Director of Nimble Institute Kathmandu, Nepal.
Padam P Sharma, Ph.D.
: Dr. Sharma,
completed his B. Sc (Agriculture) from Udaipur University, and B.S., M.S., & Ph. D. from the University of Minnesota,USA. He has about 25 years of experience in teaching, research and consulting services in the United States and Nepal. Former faculty member of Tribhuvan University, he carries a long and distinguished career in teaching agriculture. He commands respect among large contingent of Agri-Vet scholars of Nepali origin as well from a large number of Diaspora Nepalese.
A long time resident of St. Paul, Minnesota, he is an active member of expatriate Nepali community of the USA. The founder President of Empower Nepal Foundation. Padam and his family currently own and operate Everest on Grand – the first Nepali restaurant in Minnesota.
Prahlad D Pant, Ph.D.
: Dr. Pant,
Professor Emeritus of Transportation Engineering at University of Cincinnati, specializes in the areas of transportation and traffic engineering, highway safety, intelligent transportation system, and emerging technologies in transportation. A prolific inventor, he turned entrepreneur and is the President and CEO of PDP Associates, a company specializing in transportation engineering consulting services. Dr. Pant is a past President of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (Ohio Section) and of the American Society of Civil Engineers (Cincinnati Section). He is founder and advisor of NRN-USA (formerly NAC). He has great interest in Nepal and has subsequently started a successful orphanage through his personal funding.
Rajendra K Shrestha, Ph.D.
: Dr. Shrestha is the Founder and President of Nepalese Association of Houston (NAH) and Vice President of American Society of Nepalese Engineers (ASNEngr), and Vice President of NRN-USA, and Regional Representative of Nepa Pasa Pucha Amerikaye (NPPA) and the Chair of 4th NRN Regional conference. A scholar with well received papers in technical and non-technical areas, he also carries tremendous social and community zeal and has been editor of a number of newsletters and regular publications of the organizations he is involved with.
Professionally, he is Staff Geophysicist at ConocoPhillips Company, a Fortune 500 company. Prior to this position he worked with Exxon, Union Oil Company, and Halliburton. He is a world class geoscientist of Nepalese origin working in the Oil and Gas industry. His academic credentials are exemplified by Mahendra Bidya Bhusan Gold Medal, Colombo Plan Scholarship, Fulbright Scholarship, Dutch Government Fellowship, Chevron Fellowship for Outstanding Academic Achievement and Society of Exploration Geophysicists Scholarship, and Halliburton MVP Award.
Raju Adhikari, Ph.D.
: Dr. Adhikari, a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies is one of the inventors of NovoSorb™ platform technology and was recipient of CSIRO Molecular Science SAP award for Go for Growth 2004, CSIRO Molecular Science SAP award for Innovation 2004 and CSIRO medal for research innovation in 2006. He is also one of the inventors of the most biostable polyurethanes Elast-Eon™ technology that was developed at CSIRO. He has 15 patents (including provisional), over 35 publications in international refereed journal, a book chapter and over 45 abstracts in international conferences. Currently he is working in the design and synthesis of polymer for OLED application. He has over 25 years of research experience in organic and polymer chemistry and done his PhD from University of Delhi in 1986. He has done post doctoral work from Australia and Germany and worked in Nepal Academy of Science and Technology between 1986-1991.
Shiva Gautam, Ph.D.
: Dr. Gautam is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at Harvard Medical School, Biostatistician for Harvard Catalyst (a pan-Harvard
University enterprise), and Biostatistics Director of General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Previously, he was Associate Professor in the Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Medicine and Director of the Biostatistics Program of the Digestive Disease Research Center at Vanderbilt University. Trained in problem based learning, he has taught at almost all level including elementary school in Nepal to teaching biostatistics to world class scholars in Harvard in the three decades he has spent in teaching. Most of his years in the USA have been devoted to methodological and applied research in biomedical fields at various capacities. He also carries significant administrative experience in Nepal and is a consultant to the Kathmandu University Medical School (KUMS) where he is involved in designing, developing, and teaching biostatistics courses.
Dr. Gautam's interest in the medical and educational development in Nepal are string. He has been involved in medical training facilitation, coordination of volunteer faculties to provide assistance, and shipping of medical and educational supplies to KUMS. Currently he is also spearheading a program to build educational content to elementary and secondary school children in Nepal as the Director of e-Education and e-Library Project funded by POA Foundation. Besides, Dr. Gautam also keeps strong interest in literature and has published two books of poems in Nepali. He also contributes short stories and essays, emerging out of critical thinking on contemporary world issues, in a regular basis.
Tara Niraula, Ph.D.
: Dr. Niraula, is the Director / Faculty of the Institute for Urban Education, Eugene Lang College of the New School University, New York. An outstanding leader in policy and advocacy work around immigrants and other populations in New York State and beyond, he was one of the five distinguished South Asian leaders who were honored by the Comptroller of City of New York for his outstanding leadership and contributions to strengthen the immigrant communities in New York. In 2007, he was presented with a New York City Council Citation form Council member John Liu.
Senior Vice President of the NRN-USA and past president of the America-Nepal Friendship Society, he is advisor to number of local Nepali American organizations. He frequently appears on media concerning local immigrant communities and Nepal. In addition to his involvement in local Nepali American communities, Dr. Niraula has also been involved in the education of children in Nepal through the building of shool libraries and other facilities.
Tulsi Dharel, Ph.D.
: Dr. Dharel, is a faculty member at George Brown College, Toronto, Vice-President of Nepalese Americas Council (NAC), and Member of the National Coordination Council of NRN-Canada. A prolific social worker and a teacher, he also was a faculty member of Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and has been in teaching field since 1987. Dr. Dharel holds MBA & PhD in Marketing. His academic pursuits have been in international marketing, marketing research, and general promotion of enterprises and made publications in these areas. Besides teaching, he has extensive experience as a consultant, a business entrepreneur and a trainer. He is ardent supporter of the causes of Nepal and Diaspora Nepalese. He is member of the organizing committee of the Open and Distance Education in Nepal workshop, a natural fit for his interest. Similar interests made him as a catalyst in transforming the high school of his childhood into a successful college.
Uttam Babu Shrestha, M.Sc.
: Mr. Shrestha is a Ph.D. scholar in Department of Biology at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, USA. After receiving two M.Sc. degrees, one in Geographic Information Technology from Northeastern University, Boston, USA and the other in Botany from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, he was working as a Research Associate at Harvard University Herbarium, Cambridge, MA and Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, USA, where he worked on nomenclature and validation of information of plants of India. Prior to that he was a Research Scholar on Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, University of Maine, Assistant to the Chair of Forest Yield Science at Technical University of Munich, Germany.
Mr. Shrestha was a Team Leader at Building NTFPs Herbarium & Museum in District Development Committee, Gorkha, Nepal, a project spearheaded by United Nations Development Program, a Resource Person at Himalayan Integrated Development and Research Center, Nepal, and Research Assistant at Inventory of Wetlands Project Nepal. The programs were supported by DANIDA, SNV-The Netherlands and Canadian Cooperation for International Development. He is a receipient of 2008 Graduate Academic Excellency Award at Northeastern University for securing highest GPA in the Department and research fellowship from Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and Ministry of Environment and Population, Nepal. He has written an acclaimed book, Major Non timber Forest Product of Nepal, and has authored several publication on the plants of Nepal in international scientific journals.
All The Rest
: There are always many people working behind the scene to make program like this successful. However, to keep the list to a modest size, we included only those people that take the stage in the above list. However, the contributions of all volunteers and members are equally honorable and appreciated. We salute all of you who contributed towards the success for this program!! Your continued support will make a difference in NRNA and CFFN, and in turn in Nepal.
On each topic, there will be an introductory presentation. Some three or four discussants will summarize their written and verbal critiques and provide suggestions. A round table discussion to collect the participant inputs in writings, flip-charts, and recordings of conversations will be done. Any contributions can be made in writing in advance by May 15, 2010, so that the suggestions could be incorporated in the final proposal by the core proponent team for OUN.
This is an academic forum of open format and not a lecture and question–answer type. The speakers will set the theme for the debate, the chair will moderate and keep time, the discussants will critique the presentations and all present will participate in questions and answers.
NRN SKI Task Force has taken a number of key initiatives to help Nepal. Promoting mass access to higher education through open and distance learning opportunities is one of those initiatives. A major part of this is the establishment of Open University of Nepal (OUN). Dr. Pramod Dhakal (Lead), Dr. Ambika Adhikari and Dr. Drona Rasali constitute the core proponent team for the proposed OUN.
Dr. Pramod Dhakal
Coordinator of the Workshop
Ottawa, Canada
+1-613-596-6692; pdhakal [at] cffn [dot] ca
cffn.ca, openu.cffn.ca, nrn.org.np
| This is an NRNA Conference and CFFN is partnering with NRNA in Open University of Nepal initiative. For further information related to the conference, please visit the following websites: | |
|---|---|
| Information on NRNA: NRN.org.np | |
| Conference Information: nrnusa.org | |
| Co-host of the Conference: nrn-canada.org | |
| Other Inquiries: | |
| Mr. Ratan K. Jha, Secretary General Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Coordinator 4th Regional NRN Conference Email: ratanjha [at] gmail [dot] com URL: http://nrnusa.org Dr. Hemant Dabadi, Executive Director Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Secretariat FNCCI Building Pachali Shahid Shukra FNCCI Milan Marg, Teku PO Box 269, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: (+977-1) 4215247/4262061 Fax: (+977-1) 4215247 Email: nrn [at] nrn [dot] org [dot] np URL: http://www.nrn.org.np |
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