The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), an organization of millions of Nepalese residing outside Nepal, is an active partner of the Government of Nepal (GoN) and of Nepali people in advancing the country’s aspirations for socio-economic development. Since its inception in 2003, NRNA has attempted to bring together diaspora resources to assist in Nepal’s development efforts. In pursuit of this, it has organized numerous conferences at international and national level to explore areas of collaboration with the GoN. These conferences deliberated on diverse topics- financial investment, tourism and trade, constitution and democracy, residency and citizenship- and submitted related reports to the GoN.
With the anticipated stability of the new government and its focus on economic development, NRNA believes there is an urgency to systematize the previous knowledge sharing efforts and mobilize the diaspora’s knowledge pool to complement the GoN’s development efforts. The mobilization will augment the country’s knowledge base and help close the knowledge gap that the GoN and Nepal’s private sectors consider impediments to their development objectives. It will also lead to knowledge transfer, investment, and long term capacity building of the country.
In this context, NRNA is organizing the First Global Knowledge Convention, in partnership with the Government of Nepal (GoN), to bring together NRNs with expertise in various fields of development and confer with similar experts in Nepal. The convention will be held on 12-14 October 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal, in conjunction with the 16th NRN Day Celebrations. Nepal’s Education and research institutes, private sectors and various stakeholders are the Convention supporters. The Rt. Honorable Prime Minister of Nepal Mr KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to inaugurate the Convention on 12 October.
The NRNA believes that there will be an on-going need to update new knowledge and the growing expertise in the diaspora. It is therefore going to hold such convention in every two years.
Objectives
Plenary Sessions
Symposium
Sponsors
Event Partner
Platinum Partner
Silver Partner
Supporter
Internet Partner
Tentative Programme
Inauguration and welcome dinner (5:00 pm)
The Rt. Honorable Prime Minister of Nepal Mr KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to inaugurate the convention on 12 October evening.
Plenary sessions and Poster sessions (9:00 am 6:00 pm)
Plenary Session: Science & Technology Policies
Plenary Session: Knowledge-Based Economy & Development Pathways
Plenary Session: Knowledge & Technology Transfer
Plenary Session: Role of Nepali Diaspora for Development Policies
Parallel symposium sessions and poster sessions (9:00 am 6:00 pm)
Symposium on Agriculture & Food Security
Symposium on Disaster Risk Reduction
Symposium on Environment Pollution
Symposium on Financial Reform
Symposium on Infrastructures: Hydropower, Transportation and Utilities
Symposium on New Frontiers in Physical Sciences & Prosperity
Symposium on Social Security
Review and conclusion (Close session, invitees only)
Organising Committees
Chair
Dr Hem Raj Sharma, the University of Liverpool, UK (Programme)
Mr. Kumar Panta, Non-Resident Nepali Association, Germany (Management)
Member Secretary: Dr Hari Dahal, American Physical society, USA
Nepal Government’s Liaison Officer:Dr Damaru B Paudel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kathmandu, Nepal
Scientific Advisory Board
Dr Ambika Adhikari, Arizona State University, USA
Prof Bhagawan Koirala, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Prof David Gellner, University of Oxford, UK
Dr Dinesh Bhuju, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Nepal
Dr Drona Rasali, Provincial Health Services Authority, Canada
Er Ganesh Shah, Nepal Science Olympiad, Nepal
Dr Kayo Devi Yami, Former Chief of NAST Science Faculty, Nepal
Prof Kedar Bhakta Mathema, Former VC, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Mr Mahabir Pun, National Innovation Centre, Nepal
Prof Michael Hutt, University of London, UK
Mr Naresh Koirala, Nepal Library Foundation, Canada
Dr Pramod Dhakal, NRNA Academy, Nepal
Dr Raju Adhikari, RMIT University, Australia
Dr Shobhakar Dhakal, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
Dr Yub Raj Pokharel, South Asian University, New Delhi, India
Programme Committee (Symposium Coordinators)
Agriculture and Food Security
Dr Drona Rasali, Provincial Health Services Authority, Canada
Dr Keshav Adhikari, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, TU, Nepal
Disaster Risk Reduction
Mr Ajaya Dixit, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition, Nepal
Dr Netra Prakash Bhandary, Ehime University, Japan
Education
Dr Pramod Dhakal, NRNA Academy, Nepal
Dr Tejendra Pherali, University College London, UK
Environment Pollution
Dr Maheswar Rupakheti, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Germany
Dr Durga Poudel, University of Lousiana at Lafayette, USA
Financial Policy and Investment
Mr Keshab KC, Nepal Rastra Bank, Nepal
Mr Ranjeet Mahato, Neapolis University Paphos, Cyprus
Health Education and Policy
Dr Archana Amatya, Global Health Department, Institute of Medicine, Nepal`
Dr Binod Shah, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
Hydropower, Transportation and Utilities
Dr Arun Timalsina, Institute of Engineering, TU, Nepal
Mr Naresh Koirala, Nepal Library Foundation, Canada
New Frontier in Physical Sciences and Prosperity
Dr Hari Dahal, American Physical Society, USA
Prof Narayan Adhikari, Central Department of Physics, TU, Nepal
Social Security
Mr Prakash Dahal, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Nepal
Mr Kiran (Ron) Sitoula, Department of the Treasury, USA
Sustainable Energy
Dr Ambika Adhikari, Arizona State University, USA
Dr Subodh Sharma, Kathmandu University, Nepal
Technology Transfer and Innovation
Dr Raju Adhikari, RMIT University, Australia
Dr Rameswor Adhikari, RECAST, TU, Nepal
Management Committee
Mr Kumar Panta, Vice President, NRNA
Dr Badri KC, General Secretary, NRNA
Mr Ram P Thapa, Patron, NRNA
Dr Hemanta Dabadi, CEO, NRNA Secretariat
Mr Shreeram Ghimire, Secretariat liaison
Regional Coordinators:
Americas: Dr Rudra Aryal, Franklin Pierce University, USA
Asia Pacific: Dr Devi Basnet, Medytox Inc., South Korea
Europe: Mr Ram Pratap Thapa, NRNA Patron, Germany and Dr Nabin Aryal, Aarhus University, Denmark
First Global Knowledge Convention ‘Expanding Nepal’s Knowledge Pool Through Diaspora’ 12-14 October 2018, Kathmandu, Nepal