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The objective of the Nepal Study Center at the University of New Mexico is to provide a platform to bring together scholars from North Americ and the countries in the Himalayan region and elsewhere to share knowledge on policy research issues affecting the Himalayan region and the countries in South Asia. The Center takes a broader focus with an interest on development, health, natural resources, sustainability, empowerment, conflict and the environment.
NSC strives to do so through various initiatives:
1. Research
2.
Journal publications
3. Conferences, workshops, e-seminars, and lecture series
4. Research papers repository
5. Educational and research collaborations
6. Community development through innovation and knowledge transfer (CODIKT): Creating smart villages:
7. Occasional policy editorials through its newsletter
8. Community outreach and political economy debates
How Can I Participate in NSC's Activities?
1. Research
High quality research, training and exchange programs are being planned and conducted at the center by various graduate students and faculty. We encourage potential visiting scholars and post-docs to seek funds from doner agencies and to consider NSC as a research venue for their sabbatical.
2. Journal publications
There are two electronic Journal publications (HJDD and LDNB) to promote high quality academic research and scholarship. These journals are peer-reviewed, and each has a slightly different focus. We encourage scholars to submit papers for publication consideration. See above links for guidelines.
3. Conferences, workshops, e-seminars, and lecture series
The NSC strives to conduct annual conferences, workshops, and e-seminars to promote policy research and public policy debates in areas of development, democracy, conflict and the environment.
Himalayan Policy Research Conference such as the ones organized at the University of Wisconsin's South Asian pre-conference venue provides a valuable platform for academic debates and exchange of ideas. Eventually, our goal is to form an Association for Himalayan Policy Research. Please contact the Center for details about the conference and your participation. In addition, NSC organizes e-seminars and workshops and invites visitors to NSC (UNM) for talk programs.
Development theme is broadly defined to include poverty, sustainability, environment, trade, ethnic and gender biases, health, education, ag-econ/GIS, IT and knowledge economy, water resources, community forestry, urbanization, forestry, just to name a few. We encourage cross-country analyses involving countries in South Asia.
4. Research papers repository
NSC is working to create a research papers repository: Himalayan Research Papers Archive. The research repository archive of the NSC's site allows scholars with research interest on Nepal and the Himalayan region to upload and/or link their research manuscripts for archiving and dissemination through the Dspace open access technology. This is an ongoing project.
5. Educational and research collaborations
NSC is working to promote educational outreach and collaborative academic programs through university-to-university linkages. Efforts are underway to create links between the Nepal Study center, University of New Mexico and Kathmandu University. NSC has also established collaboartive interest with the regional organizations such as, SANDEE, ICIMOD, and IUCN-Nepal.
NSC is developing a Himalayan Study Abroad Program: Environment and Society at UNM to study the four aspects of the Bagmati River basin (e.g.): environment and conservation; arts and culture; sustainable development and technoloies; and health.
Efforts are also underway to help establish a Graduate Program in Economics and Public Policy at Kathmandu University.
6. Community development through innovation and knowledge transfer (CODIKT): Creating smart villages
NSC is dedicated in transferring knowledge and ideas that are helpful in changing the lives of of the poor. NSC worked very hard to help bring such a program pioneered by kiva.org --people-to-people micro finance-- to Nepal.
NSC is developing programs and network to promote telehealth; e-portal for enhancing science teaching in remote villages; environmental monitoring; and develop and dissiminate sustainable technologies.
7. NSC Newsletter
NSC plans to publish an occasional newsletter to disseminate information about the call for papers for the conference and the journals, and will include other announcements.
Insight column of the Newsletter will showcase short policy pieces. We encourage scholars to submit policy pieces (1000 -1500 words) for dissemination.
8. Community outreach and political economy debates
Finally, NSC promotes free flow of ideas to enhance debates on development, democracy, and political economy through a discussion forum such as, LDN Online Forum. Community outreach is encouraged through workshops, e-seminars, and informal gatherings and discussions on topics of general interest in liberal democracy and political economy.
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| About Nepal Study Center at UNM |
Global Scholarly Connectivity
The creation of the Nepal Study Center (NSC) at the University of New Mexico in 2004 (formally launched in July 2005) was an important milestone in knowledge sharing among a global network of scholars who are interested in policy work on the Himalayan region, Nepal and the countries in South Asia. Various initiatives of the center are described above.
Policy Research and South Asian Focus
NSC’s academic and policy related activities relate to the advancement of knowledge regarding economic development, environment, trade, health, socio-economic issues, gender and ethnic biases, governance, poverty, knowledge economy, globalization, water resources, democratization, human rights, and conflict resolution in the region. Its conferences and journals promote policy research on South Asian countries with a focus on the Himalayan region. Research with a larger implication for other developing countries is also encouraged.
Institutional Support at the University of New Mexico
Nepal Study Center's physical infrastructure (research room in the social science building at UNM, Department of Economics), computing facility, statistical software, GIS mapping capability, GAMS simulation tools, and large databases are becoming increasingly valuable research tools for several students who have shown interest on Nepal and the surrounding Himalayan states. Its research capacity can also be used for comparative analysis involving other developing countries. The Center's presence at a research university (UNM) gives it an academic credibility and provides an access to valuable resources to undertake innovative educational initiatives.
The Center is registered within the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of New Mexico as a not-for-profit foundation.
There is a very strong institutional support on behalf of the Department of Economics and the UNM. Other departments and programs such as Political Science, Sociology, Peace Studies, Water Resources, and the Latin American and Iberian Institute have shown their support and endorsed the overall theme of the Center. It also fits quite well with the international initiatives of the University.
Intellectual linkages
A group of national and international scholars has endorsed this idea (see Friends of NSC). NSC is also in the process of forming an Advisory Council on International Initiative in Research and Teaching. This Council will advise NSC's international collaborators on ideas related to academic issues and programs.
Diaspora and Community Outreach
Finally, the Center is also collaborating with the Nepali diaspora to form a Liberal Democracy Nepal (LDN) online discussion forum. The online discussion forum brings together the diaspora from around the world and the Nepali citizens and policy makers living in Nepal to a common platform for exchange of healthy ideas. The forum serves as a mechanism for a feedback, and the e-discussions and its proceedings are disseminated through various journal outlets. In October of 2005, the Nepal Study Center became a vital partner with the LDN organizatuion and National Democratic Institute (NDI) to organize a workshop in DC. Many professionals from around the country flew in and interacted with a delegate of high level political figures and the UN professionals. Proceedings from the workshop has been published in the NSC's journal -- Liberal Democracy Nepal Bulletin as a special issue.
Giving to NSC
Your tax-deductible financial contribution will be of high value to an initiative like this, and we encourage you to explore such possibilities by contacting the Center.
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