Biographical Information of Speakers

NRN-Canada Convention

Calgary, Canada

Keynote Speakers

1. Prof. Dave Irvine-Halliday

   A professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Calgary, Dr. Dave Irvine-Halliday started his endeavors of helping Nepal some 20 years ago and has mentored many researchers of Nepalese origin. During a trek to Annapurna Circuit after setting-up a laboratory at Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 1997, Dr. Irvine-Halliday was struck by an idea of illuminating homes in the remote mountains with low-energy White Light Emitting Diodes (WLEDs). After series of research and technological quest, he was able to develop a technology with human-powered battery charger, lead-acid battery, and WLEDs. He then founded Nepal Light Project in 1999 along with his wife Jenny using their own personal income and loan and distributed the first sets of lighting systems in May 1999 in Nepal. After seeing the transformative effect of this project, he came back with an idea of "Light Up the WOrld (LUTW)" and, thus LUTW.org was born in year 2000. By introducing a safe, efficient and affordable form of home lighting consuming less than a watt and lasting more than ten years to the poor rural people of Nepal and subsequently of the world, LUTW brought the ability to read and write in the night to the children of rural Nepal. He believes it is the birthright of every man, woman and child on Earth to read and write. He therefore hopes to provide reading and writing materials along with one WLED reading lamp for each home and local school in Nepal.
   In 1970, after earning Ph.D. degree from University of Aberdeen, Scotland, Dr. Irvine-Halliday moved to Canada, where he worked with Bell-Northern Research in Ottawa, Alberta Government Telephones, Victoria University of Technology in Melbourne, and finally at University of Calgary in Alberta where is Professor of Electrical Engineering. Dr. Irvine-Halliday participated in "Team Everest 2000", which reached the summit of Everest in May 2000. Recipient of many awards Dr. Irvine-Halliday and his wife Jenny’s lives are devoted to Light Up the World Foundation (www.lutv.org) and are one of the finest friends of the educational and humanitarian causes of the poor and marginalized people of rural Nepal. LUTW is the first humanitarian organization to utilize renewable energy and solid-state lighting technologies to bring affordable, safe, healthy, efficient, and environmentally responsible illumination to people who do not have access to power for adequate lighting. LUTW remains the world’s leader in this endeavor: globally active and setting standards in the field.

2. Dr. Upendra Mahato

   Dr. Upendra Mahato holds a PhD and DSc degrees in Information Technology from International Academy of Information Technology of Minsk, Belarus. He is the Honorary Consul General of Nepal in the Republic of Belarus and President of Russia-Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is the president of Non Resident Nepalese Association, International Coordination Council (NRNA, ICC).
   A person of academic achievement, he entered into the world of entrepreneurship in the late 1980s with modest beginning but quickly showed his business talents. Subsequently, Dr. Mahato emerged as one of the most successful entrepreneur and businessman in Russia and then in Belarus, Cyprus, Nepal and India. He was the first foreign national to receive the prestigious 'Manager of the Year-2007' award by Free Economic Society of Russia and International Academy of Management in Russia. As much as his business acumen are refined and strong, he is equally skillful in social entrepreneurship and charity. He is the key people behind the establishment of NRNA and its world-wide expansion.

Panelists, Presenters, and Chairs

1. Dr. Ambika P. Adhikari

   Dr. Ambika P. Adhikari, carries successful professional experience of more than 20 years (USA, Canada, Mexico and South Asia) in urban and regional planning, urban development and management, and community and economic development and environmental policy programs. He has worked with international institutions (IUCN, World Bank, ADB, UN agencies), private sector, local, state and national governments, universities, and non-profit (NGO) settings in senior research, technical, professional and management levels. He has made exemplary contributions in research, project design, management, budgeting, program and fund development, and government, and stakeholder relations and program implementation throughout his career. Along with post-graduate studies from Massachusetts MIT and University of Hawaii, he received Doctorate from in urban and regional planning from Harvard in the USA.
   Besides his academic achievements, he has also made many contributions in building up associations of the Nepalese in the USA including NAC and ANA. He was past president of both organizations.

2. Mr. Andrew Brash

   Mr. Andrew Brash is a Canadian teacher and climber based in Calgary, Alberta. Attracted to mountaineering since the age of 16, Andrew moved from Ontarion to Canada's west to pursue climbing in the Canadian Rockies. After a number of years of climbing in Canada, he spent a year in France climbing with his friend Richard Ouairy. In 1993 he took part in his first Himalayan expedition to Cho-Lotse, a difficult and seldom climbed mountain in the Everest region, successfully reaching summit and opening a whole new world of climbing possibilities.
   A succession of expeditions followed - to Pakistan, Nepal, western China, Tibet, South America, Alaska, Norway and Kazakhstan, resulting in several successful summits and new routes. In 2006, Andrew took part in an expedition to the North Ridge of Mt. Everest and was involved in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who had been pronounced dead high on the mountain. The story led the national news in Australia and Canada, and was featured on virtually every network worldwide. Andrew has one of the most interesting climbing resumes in Canada. Through his years of expeditioning, Andrew has had numerous articles and photographs published in The Canadian Alpine Journal, The American Alpine Journal, Climbing Magazine, On the Edge Magazine, High Mountain Sports, National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Explore Magazine and was profiled in Gripped Magazine. Andrew lives in Calgary with his wife Jennifer and daughter Anna.

3. Miss Ani Choying Dolma

   An internationally reputed singer of Buddhist hymns and chants, who has toured extensively in North America and Europe, Any Choying Dolma was born in Nepal in a Tibetan family. She joined Nagi Gompa, a Buddhist nunnery on Shivapuri Mountain on the northern slope of the Kathmandu valley at age 13 under her renowned spiritual leader Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. She was educated in Buddhist meditation, chants, rituals and ceremonies and quickly advanced to the position of the chanting master in the nunnery. Through her spiritual leader she learnt to view nuns in the same regard as monks and took up the cause of the advancement of nuns so they could be better prepared to serve others. A philanthropist, she founded Nuns Welfare Foundation (NWF) of Nepal dedicated to the welfare of Buddhist nuns in 1998 and establised Arya Tara School for nuns in 2000, all run from the procedes from her concerts and tours. The school provides both secular and religious training in Tibetan, Dharma, Nepali, English, Math and Science to more than 50 young nuns.The Thangka Painting School, another project under the banner of NWF was opened in 2007 at the Arya Tara School premises in Pharphing. She is executive board member and trustee of Lumbini Development Trust. She has published a number famous music CDs: “Cho” -1997, "Time" -2007, "Selwa" - 1998, “Dancing Dakini” -1999, “Choying” - 2000, “Moments Of Bliss” - 2004, “Smile” - 2005 and “Inner Peace” - 2006. Her song “Phoolko Aankhama” from her album, “Moments of Bliss” received many awards including the best song of the year in Nepal in 2005 and “Chinnalata Githi Puruskar” for best female vocal performance in August 2005.

4. Mr. William (Bill) Porochnuk

   Mr. Bill Porochnuk grew up in rural Canada where his father worked as a coal miner and his Czech mother was a cook. He completed a Technical Diploma before obtaining a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree. After working in electrical engineering companies for some number of years, Mr. Porochnuk entered into Access TV where he became Technical Director of Educational Television Programming. Subsequently, he joined Northern Albert Institute of Technology (NAIT) as the Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Then he moved to Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and was Director of Operations for 11 years. It was at this time he became involved with Nepal Engineering Education Project and the other partnering agency – the United Nations. The latter part of his career became heavily involved with Nepal and UN, through which he did much of technical assessment for four engineering colleges in Nepal – Pulchowk Campus, Thapathali Campus, Purvanchal Campus, and Paschimanchal Campus. Through Nepal became almost like his second home and he became known as Bill Kaka in the Nepalese community. However, since the death of his wife Alice Kaki some three and a half years ago he has taken full retirement from his technical work. He lives in Cocharne near Calgary Alberta.

5. Mr. Dev Man Hirachan

   Mr. Dev Man Hirachan was born in Pokhara, did his graduate studies in radiology from Japan University and has been working with Nozaki Hospital, Osaka in Japan for last 10 years. Most interestingly he was able to pursue business entrepreneurship and attain success in that field as well. He runs several travel agencies in Kathmandu and Japan that help exchange visitors between the two countries. Current vice president of the NRNA, he also leads the Nepal Future Thinking Association, Japan, the Educational and Social Development Center (ESODEC), Japan and the Educational and Social Development Center (ESODEC), Nepal.

6. Dr. Drona P Rasali

   Dr. Drona Prakash Rasali is one of the brightest scholars to emerge from the traditionally neglected communities of Nepal. He was declared Board First in Nepal's School Leaving Certificate Examinations held in 1972. After completing Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1980 he worked as a Veterinary Doctor with Government of Nepal for 14 years and completed his M.Sc. degree from University of Philippines during that tenure. Then he moved to Nepal Agriculture Research Council where he worked a Senior Scientist until 1999. After leading a successful research career in Nepal, he came to Canada and completed his Ph.D. in Animal Genetics in 2004. He worked in Manitoba as a provincial coordinator of a national pilot study of Canadian Pork Council for one year in 2003/04. Currently, he is working in the area of population health as a Chronic Disease Epidemiologist with the Government of Saskatchewan, Canada. To his credits, he has more than 70 peer-reviewed publications in the wide ranging areas of animal health and productivity as well as public health and well-being.
   Along with his successful professional career, Dr. Rasali also involves himself extensively in social causes of the Nepalese, especially in espousing consciousness in the common causes of the society and of the people in the margin. He is also Advisor of NRN-Canada and Research Chair of Canada Foundation for Nepal.

7. Mr. Hal Hamilton

   An environmental scientist by education and training, Mr Hal Hamilton is the Board of Directors of Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology through which he has been involved in Nepal since 2002 in finding economical technical solutions to solving water, sanitation and arsenic issues. Prior to this, he was the President of Redlog Technology Ventures Ltd. He has over 30 years experience in the environmental business sector, including being CEO of Golder Associates, a multi-national engineering and sciences consulting firm. Most recently Hal was the founder and President of Verdant Energy Ltd, a renewable power company. He is an environmental scientist by training.

8. Mr. Kali Prasad Pokhrel

   Mr. Kali Prasad Pokhrel is Charge’ d’Affairs at the Embassy of Nepal in Washington DC. An aspiring civil servant of Nepal, Mr. Kali Prasad Pokhrel holds Bachelor's and Master’s degree s from Tribhuvan University, Nepal and a Diplomatic Training from Foreign Service Programme of Oxford University, UK. Mr. Pokhrel joined the Nepalese Foreign Service in 1990 in the Protocol Division and rose to prominence quickly. Subsequently, he was assinged to SAARC Division and Consular Section. He briefly served as Private Secretary to the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs in the first quarter of 1995. In 1995, he worked as Second Secretary at the Nepal’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, New York. By 1997 he was working as a First Secretary/Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy of Nepal in Cairo, Egypt and then to B.P.Koirala India-Nepal Foundation at the Embassy of Nepal in New Dehli, India. In 2003, he was assigned to United Nations and International Organizations Division and was a member of Nepalese delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in 2004 and member of the Nepalese delegation to the 1st and 2nd Session of the newly formed Human Rights Council held in Geneva in 2006. Mr. Pokhrel was posted as Charge’ d’Affairs a.i at the Embassy of Nepal in Washington D.C. in 2007 where he is serving at present.

9. Mr. Naresh Koirala

   A Senior Geotechnical Engineer with Golder Associates Ltd, a leading international company in its area, Mr. Naresh Koirala is a graduate of Civil Engineering from IIT-Roorkee 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, desgn, 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. He is the founder of a reading club in the lower mainland of BC and also the founder of Nepal Library Foundation, which has created a number of libraries in Nepal and the 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 is the Regional Coordinator for the Americas in the current NRNA-ICC.

10. Dr. Pramod Dhakal

    Dr Pramod Dhakal is the International Affairs Coordinator of NRN-Canada, Executive Director of Canada Foundation for Nepal, Senior Scientist and Architect at EION Inc, and Research Associate at Carleton University. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from IIT-Roorkee, India, M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He carries varied experience from the industry and academia through his successfully executed roles as a teacher, developer, analyst, architect, consultant, department head, and a manager mostly in teaching, software, telecommunication systems, and engineering research. In these roles, he has 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 scientific inventions in fields of computing and communication to his credit. After being entrenched in electrical and telecommunications engineering for more than two decades, he has emerged into broader social scene in the least four 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 embarked Project Usha dedicated to producing educational content in view of bringing the light of education among rural children in Nepal.

11. Dr. Raju Tuladhar

    Holding B.E. from IIT Bombay, M.Sc. from AIT Bangkok, and PhD from University of Calgary in Structural Engineering, Dr. Raju Tuladhar is serving Alberta Canada the field of structural engineering for the last two decades. He is also a Professional Engineer working in Thyssen Kropp, a German Subsidery, as a Senior Structural Engineer. He has successfully completed a number of projects of significance in mining and oil sand industries and is a Lead Engineer of a major project.
    Prior to coming to Canada, Mr Tuladhar was a Lecturer and Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at Western Region Campus of Tribhuvan University in Nepal. He also worked in a number of major engineering projects in Nepal and was regarded as one of the prized academics.

12. Mr. Ram Pratap Thapa

    Mr. Ram Pratap Thapa co-founder and current vice president of NRN, is a career professional carrying long experiences in banking and financing. Educated in Kathmandu and Nuremberg, Germany, he holds an MBA degree in financing and marketing. He has lived in Germany since 1976 and works as a bank analyst. Honorary Consul of Nepal for three German states, Thapa is the President of German-Nepal Friendship Association. Beyond his professional interests, Mr. Thapa is concerned about the issues of global Nepalis and has been active in NRN movement ever since its inception. A literature enthusiast, he has strong involvement in social work and charity.

13. Mr. Ratan Jha

    Founding President of Association of Nepali Teraian in America (ANTA) since 2005, Mr. Ratan Jha, was born in Sarlahi, Nepal and has been living in the USA since 1991. A graduate of NIT, Nagpur in Civil Engineering under Colombo Plan, Mr. Jha obtained a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, USA. After working for the Govt. of Texas in Austin for 8 years, he moved onto private engineering consulting eventually establishing his own company that development consulting, land development and construction in the USA, Nepal and the Middle East.
    Beyond being a successful professional, Mr. Jha also has been an active promoter of NRNA from its inception in 2003. Subsequently he served as Co-Chair of NRN-NACC in 2007 and Treasurer of NAC in 2005. His organization ANTA has been supporting 10 deaf and hard to hear students per year and also in helping dalit and socially marginalized children in Sarlahi and Rautahat districts.

14. Dr. Shyam D Karki

    Doctor of Pharmacology and former Vice-President of NRNA-ICC, Director of Pharmacy at Northwest Hospital Center, Randallstown, MD and an Associated Clinical Professor, School of Pharmacy, SUNY at Buffalo, NY, Dr. Shyam D. Karki, is one of the most successful Nepalese professionals in the USA while being well involved in the community as a leader and as a tireless promoter of peace and democracy in Nepal. Former Vice President of the NRN ICC and an active contributor in Nepali Diaspora organizations, he has been contemplating on the Nepali Diaspora resources in North America and its contribution to Nepal for many years. He has published more than 100 research papers and is a reviewer for six pharmacy and medical journals. He is affiliated with many organizations in various capacities working on issues impacting Nepal and Nepalis. He was a president of Association of Nepalis in America (ANA) and Presidential Candidate in NRNA convention of 2007. He has served in more than 20 Nepali organizations including ANA, NRNA, NAC, INLS, BANA, and ANS as executive, advisor, trustee, or life member.