Background

NSC, HPRC, and HPRConsortium

Starting in 2005, a group of scholars from across the North American universities collectively created a knowledge transfer platform to develop, restore, and promote policy-oriented research on issues that are not only pertinent to countries around the Himalayan region but are translatable to other countries with similar geographical, socio-demographic, and economic backgrounds. This platform later emerged as Nepal Study Center (NSC) at the University of New Mexico (UNM) under the initiative and convenorship of Dr. Alok K. Bohara (Professor, Department of Economics, UNM).  Housed in the economics department, the Center, earnestly began its collaborative activities in 2006 starting with the annual Himalayan Policy Research Conference (HPRC) at the University of Wisconsin-- Madison's South Asia Conference venue. In 2008, Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University, Professor Suresh Raj Sharma visited UNM, and in 2009, the two universities concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a broader objective to facilitate knowledge sharing representing the two continents. In the years since its inception, NSC has continued to develop innovative strategies and tools to facilitate knowledge sharing between North America, South Asia and beyond. Examples of knowledge sharing activities and accomplishments led by the NSC include but not limited to the following: 

• 2006 -Annual Himalayan Policy Research Conference (HPRC);

• 2006: Development of digital portals (Himalayan Policy Research Achieve, HPRC Conference Proceedings);

• 2009: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between UNM and the Kathmandu University (KU) and International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD);

• 2009: Associate Membership of UNM to the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC); 

• 2010: Mutual visits by senior university officials: the UNM Provost to Nepal and the Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University and the Deputy Director General of ICIMOD to the US;

• 2015: Development Journal of the South (DJS) initiated;

• 2015: National Science Foundation- supported travel grant to seed a regional research hub in Nepal – Lumbini Center for Sustainability (LCS) – to promote research on regional climate change along the Himalayan range and its water bodies and the sustainability development impacts.

• Case studies, field work, and leadership trainings have been carried out at the provincial, district and local politico-administrative units including some communities: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), water-borne bacteria and diseases, air pollution, river restoration, adolescent mental health, financial literacy, health leadership training for the mother’s group, climate change workshops, and urban forest and ecological restoration just to name a few.  

• 2007- :  In collaboration with the local partners and LCS, provided support for doctoral field research on topics such as health (water, air, gender hygiene, HPV, cancer, mental health), environment, river restoration, natural disaster etc.  These work of the diaspora- led organizations was shared at the Brain Gain Initiative (BGI) conference organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal. 

The activities described above have involved active participation and contribution of numerous scholars from different parts of the world, which has increased the reach, the impact and the value of the NSC supported platforms. 

Supported by the growing number of applied economics and social science faculty members and multidisciplinary research scholars of the South Asian origin in the North American universities, the NSC and HPRC have also evolved along a sustained growth path. Two important decisions have been made in 2021. First, going beyond the annual conference event, the Himalayan Policy Research Conference (HPRC) group has decided to hold additional academic events such as the Graduate Student Research Seminar and the special events and workshops under the title Feed the Mind: Faculty Development Lecture and Workshop Series. 

Prompted by the assets developed over time by the NSC in terms of e-portals, a regional research hub in the Himalayan region, and growing association with regional universities in South Asia, it was only apt to take HPRC to the next level under a wider initiative now renamed the Himalayan Policy Research Consortium (HPRConsortium). The group acknowledges the effort and support of the University of New Mexico, Department of Economics, the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and numerous scholars from all across the academic spectrum.

Acknowledgment: In this journey that began in 2005, there are numerous dedicated people who made immense contribution to help shape the mission of these entities –NSC, HPRC, and HPRConsortium.  Many are still continuing in their support of the initiative.  Some examples of those individuals include, but not limited to:  Dr. Alok K. Bohara (Convener, Professor, University of New Mexico, Advisor), Dr. Mukti Upadhyay (Professor Emeritus, Eastern Illinois University, Advisor),  Dr. Keshav Bhattarai (Professor, U. of Central Missouri), Dr. Vijaya Sharma (Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado, Boulder), Dr. Jennifer Thatcher (Professor, formally at UNM), Dr. Jeffrey Drope, Research Professor, Health Policy and Administration, University of Illinois Chicago), Dr. Sakib Mahmud (Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-Superior) and several other faculty scholars and institutions. We also acknowledge the contribution of a strong cohort of UNM graduate students over the years who played an important role to create and maintain website, databases, and e-portals, as well as manage conference venues and help disseminate information: Prakash Adhikari, Steve Archambault, Michael Milligan, Naresh Nepal, Soumi Chowdhury, Md Mahmudur Rahman, Thaneshwar Paneru, and Soumyajit Chakraborty. Many of them have moved on to assume successful professional career paths.