IIDS Webinar Series on Politics, Economy, and Public Policy

Starting December 2020, IIDS started monthly webinar series on Politics, Economy and Public Policy. The series intends to create a virtual platform for in-depth discussion across a broad set of topics including politics, economics, and public policy. Each webinar is one hour and fiften minutes long. The distinguished speaker presents the paper for 30 minutes and the remaining 45 minutes include question and answer session based on the topic covered. The webinar is held on the first Monday of every month from 5:45 PM-7:00 PM (NPT), 7:00 AM-8:15 AM (ET).

If you are willing to present your paper in the series or be a part of the distribution list, kindly contact the organizing committee at info@iids.org.np.

Organizing Committee

Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex), Ms. Devika Thapa, and Mr. Samar SJB Rana

Upcoming Episodes

Stay tuned for our next episode!

Previous Episodes

Episode 26: The Nepali diaspora’s role in national development

Date: April 3, 2023
Speaker: Dr. Ambika Adhikari, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow, IIDS
Discussant: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 25: Reimagining the Vernacular Construction for Disaster Risk Reduction

Date: February 6, 2023
Speaker: Mr. Jitendra Bothara, Director of Resipro International Engineering Limited, New Zealand
Discussant: Mr. Rajendra Desai, Structural Engineer, Hon. Jt. Director of Centre for Eco-centric Development And Peoples'-Action (CEDAP), Ahmedabad, India
Moderator: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 24: Rebel Governance of Marriage and Sexuality: An Intersectional Approach

Date: January 2, 2023
Speaker: Dr. Keshab Giri, Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sydney
Discussant: Dr. Sucheta Pyakuryal, Director, Center for Governance, IIDS
Moderator: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 23: Deliberative Forms of Democracy and Intergenerational Sustainability Dilemma

Date: December 2, 2022
Speaker: Dr. Pankaj Koirala, Executive Director and Senior Research Fellow at Institute for Frontier Studies
Discussant: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 22: Unintended Consequences of Peacekeeping: Does Peacekeeping participation enhance Civil-Military Relationship at home?

Date: September 5, 2022
Speaker: Maj. Santosh Sapkota, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, University of Central Florida
Discussant: Prof. Anup Phayal, Associate Professor in International Relations in Public and International Affairs, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Moderator: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 21: Climate Volatility and Macroeconomic Impacts

Date: August 1, 2022
Speaker: Dr. Niraj Koirala, Assistant Professor in International Economics at California State University in Los Angeles
Discussant: Ms. Apekshya Prasai, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Moderator: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 20: Linking Land Borders: India’s Integrated Check Posts

Date: July 4, 2022
Speaker: Ms. Riya Sinha, Research Associate with the Foreign Policy and Security Studies domain at CSEP
Discussant: Ms. Avasna Pandey, Program Manager at the Center for Investigative Journalism-Nepal
Moderator: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 19: Effect of Remittances on financial development, investment, and growth in Nepal

Date: June 6, 2022
Speaker: Mr. Manbar Singh Khadka, Economist at ADB (Asian Development Bank), Nepal Resident Mission
Discussant: Dr. Niraj Koirala, Assistant Professor in International Economics at California State University in Los Angeles
Moderator: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 18: The Politics of Social Protection in Nepal

Date: May 2, 2022
Speaker: Dr. Uma Pradhan, Lecturer, University College London; University of Oxford, Fellow
Discussant: Ms. Jasmine Rajbhandary, Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank
Moderator: Mr. Sudyumna Dahal (ANU)

Episode 17: Dissenting in disasters: Perspectives on the disaster-democracy interface in contemporary Nepal

Date: April 4, 2022
Speaker: Dr. Nimesh Dhungana, Lecturer in Disasters and Global Health, Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), University of Manchester
Discussant: Dr. Stefanie Lotter, Research Fellow and Senior Teaching Fellow, SOAS University of London
Moderator: Mr. Sudyumna Dahal (ANU)

Episode 16: Natural disasters and labor migration: Evidence from Nepal's earthquake

Date: March 7, 2022
Speaker: Dr. Shishir Shakya, Assistant Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Discussant: Dr. Rabia Malik, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) Department of Government, University of Essex
Moderator: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 15: Cost Benefit Analysis of Climate Smart Agriculture in the Agro-Ecological Zones of the Gandaki River Basin of Nepal

Date: February 7, 2022
Speaker: Dr. Shoba Poudel, Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), TWAS, UNESCO
Discussant: Dr. Gyami Shrestha, Director, U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office National Coordination Office (NCO)
Moderator: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 14: Social Protection in Nepal: Review of Public Expenditure & Assessment of Social Assistance

Date: January 10, 2022
Speaker: Ms. Jyoti Maya Pandey- Social Protection Specialist, World Bank Group
Discussant: Mr. Hari Sharma, Associated with Social Science Baha and Alliance for Social Dialogue
Moderator: Mr. Sudyumna Dahal (ANU)

Episode 13: Towards Smart and Sustainable Cities in Nepal

Date: December 06, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Ambika P. Adhikary- Principal Planner at City of Tempe, Arizona, USA
Discussant: Dr. Pratistha Joshi Rajkarnikar- Associate Director, Economics in Context Initiative, Boston University
Moderator: Dr. Prabin Khadka (University of Essex)

Episode 12: Endogenous institutions: a network experiment in Nepal

Date: November 01, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Juni Singh, Postdoc- Weiss Fellowship at MIT JPAL
Moderator: Dr. Gaurab Aryal- Assistant Professor of Economics at University of Virginia

Episode 11: Are we traveling straight while the road ahead curves? Rethinking infrastructure investments and aspirations in Nepal in the context of climate change and other changes in the 21st century

Date: October 04, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Arnico Panday- Senior Advisor at National Planning Commission, Senior Research Fellow at IIDS and CEO at Ullens Education Foundation
Moderator: Dr. Aarjan Dixit- independent researcher on climate change and development

Episode 10: The next 50-years: Some reflections on Nepal's Urban Future from the Perspective of Infrastructure

Date: September 06, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Atul Pokharel- Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Public Service at Wagner School of Public Service, New York University
Moderator: Dr. Arnico Panday- Senior Research Fellow at IIDS and CEO at Ullens Education Foundation

Episode 09: Mass Schooling, Nation Building, and Long-term Political Outcomes: Evidence from Nepal's Mobile Schools

Date: August 02, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Vinish Shrestha- Assistant Professor at Towson University
Moderator: Dr. Lokranjan Parajuli- Historical Sociologist at Martin Chautari

Episode 08: Capital Production, Capital Accumulation, and the Cultural Ideology of Cooperation in the Manangi Trade Diaspora

Date: July 07, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Prista Ratanapruck- Cultural Anthropologist and Senior Research Fellow at IIDS
Moderator: Dr. Yamuna Ghale- Development Practitioner and Senior Research Fellow at IIDS

Episode 07: Motivating Equity: The Impact of Incentives on Elected Local Politicians in India

Date: June 07, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Slesh A. Shrestha- Former Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, National University of Singapore
Moderator: Dr. Ram Acharya- Research Coordinator, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED)

Episode 06: Environmental Disasters and Property Values: Evidence from Nepal’s Forest Fires

Date: May 03, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Jayash Paudel- Assistant Professor of Economics, Boise State University
Moderator: Dr. Sanjaya Acharya- Research Director, Saraswati Multiple Campus, TU.

Episode 05: Social Incentives in State and Non-State Armed Groups

Date: April 05, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Prabin Khadka- Assistant Professor in Government, University of Essex
Moderator: Dr. Sucheta Pyakuryal- Director, Center for Governance, IIDS

Episode 04: Do Remittances Reshape Household Expenditures? Evidences from Nepal

Date: March 01, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Khushbu Mishra- Assistant Professor of Economics at Stetson University
Moderator: Dr. Biswo Poudel- Visiting Associate Professor, Kathmandu University

Episode 03: Benefits and risks of low-skilled international migration: A researcher’s perspective

Date: February 01, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Maheshwor Shrestha- Economist at the World Bank
Moderator: Dr. Avidit Acharya- Associate Professor of Political Science, Stanford University

Episode 02: Does Revolution Work? Post-revolutionary evolution of Nepal's political classes

Date: January 04, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Soledad Prillaman- Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stanford University
Moderator: Dr. Avidit Acharya- Associate Professor of Political Science, Stanford University

Episode 01: Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment: An empirical study of the urban environment and its impact on human health

Date: December 07, 2020
Speaker: Prof. Alok Bohara- Professor of Economics, University of New Mexico
Moderator: Dr. Avidit Acharya- Associate Professor of Political Science, Stanford University