Apprentices

Aakriti Kafle

Jr. Research Analyst

Aakriti Kafle

Jr. Research Analyst

Ms. Aakriti Kafle is an enthusiastic Agricultural Economics student with experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Her research interests focus on inclusive agricultural development, evidence-based policy making, and linking grassroots data with broader development goals. She has conducted research supported by the USAID Livestock Systems Innovation Lab (LSIL) grant, exploring opportunities and barriers for women’s participation in the dairy value chain in Nawalparasi East district. In addition, she has contributed to impact assessments of SwissContact’s agricultural interventions across various districts in Koshi Province. She is also a published researcher, with her work focused on agricultural value chains and crop management practices. She is passionate about addressing socioeconomic issues, gender equity, social inclusion, and economic prosperity through evidence-based research, policy advocacy, and inclusive development.

Ashila Gurung

Jr. Operation Analyst

Ashila Gurung

Jr. Operation Analyst

Ashila Gurung is a Junior Operation Analyst at the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS). She holds a Master’s in Business Administration and has experience in operations, stakeholder engagement, administrative coordination, and project management. Her interests include development operations, institutional management, and evidence-based policy. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature and engaging in community activities

Anjali Sapkota

Jr. Research Assistant

Anjali Sapkota

Jr. Research Assistant

Anjali Sapkota is a Computer Engineering graduate with a growing portfolio in data science, analytics, and AI. She has contributed to educational and environmental research through the development of a climate data analysis project focused on Nepal. She is interested in problem-solving and applying data analysis and research to meaningful, real-world challenges.

Shriju Thapa

Jr. Research Assistant

Shriju Thapa

Jr. Research Assistant

Shriju Thapa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and has been working in the education sector since 2021. She brings experience in curriculum development, program management, and research support, with strong skills in data analysis and documentation. Her interests lie in advancing education and community-based learning.

Karan Mahato

Jr. Research Assistant

Karan Mahato

Jr. Research Assistant

Karan Mahato is a recent graduate from DePauw University, Indiana, USA with a double major in Economics and Anthropology and a minor in Political Science. He has conducted a wide range of research, from analyzing trade patterns in the SAARC region to exploring urban development in Kathmandu and the effects of the U.S.-China trade conflict on Vietnam. With experience in policy research, he is passionate about evidence-based policymaking that addresses development challenges. Karan aims to contribute his analytical skills and learn from the IIDS’s expertise while furthering his long-term goal of engaging in inclusive economic development and policymaking in Nepal.

Amesh Pandey

Jr. Research Assistant

Amesh Pandey

Jr. Research Assistant

Amesh Pandey is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a degree in Business Administration. He previously worked on Nepal’s energy transition and hydropower strategy as a Summer Intern at IIDS. He has also studied at Kathmandu University School of Management and at Palacký University in Olomouc, Czechia, where he focused on European political history, World War II, and the Soviet era. His current interests lie in development economics, international trade, energy, and geopolitics.

Aadya Maya Aryal

Jr. Research Assistant

Aadya Maya Aryal

Jr. Research Assistant

Aadya recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in International Social and Public Policy & Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has gained hands-on experience in policy research in both Kathmandu and London, particularly in the fields of youth unemployment, education, and democracy. She is deeply passionate about bettering the institutions and systems that shape people’s lives in Nepal.

Rukesh Paudel

Jr. Research Assistant

Rukesh Paudel

Jr. Research Assistant

Rukesh is a Computer Science and Information Technology graduate with a background spanning software engineering, AI research, and qualitative data analysis. He has contributed to meaningful research work, including a formative study on Child Trafficking in Nepal, bringing both technical rigor and social awareness to his projects. Passionate about responsible AI, he is driven by the belief that technology should be built thoughtfully — with people and real-world impact at its center.

Dibya Karki

Jr. Research Assistant

Dibya Karki

Jr. Research Assistant

Dibya Karki is an aspiring development enthusiast from Nepal with interests in sustainability, tourism, youth participation, and social impact studies. She actively engages in academic research, policy discussions, and youth-led initiatives that focus on creating meaningful change in society. With strong communication and analytical skills, she is passionate about contributing to innovative ideas, interdisciplinary learning, and community-oriented development.

Suchita Khadka

Jr. Research Assistant

Suchita Khadka

Jr. Research Assistant

Suchita Khadka is a master’s student in Media Studies at Kathmandu University School of Arts. After teaching primary school children in rural Dolakha, she developed a strong interest in educational accessibility and in strengthening public education across the country. Her work is further informed by her dissertation research on Media and Information Literacy (MIL), which underscores the need to focus on nurturing critical thinking from early education in an increasingly digitised, information-saturated world.

Summer Interns

Shashwat Pokharel

Summer Intern

Shashwat Pokharel

Summer Intern

Shashwat Pokharel completed his undergraduate degree with a triple major in Economics, Psychology and Sociology from Christ University, Bangalore, and has recently finished the first year of his Master’s in Applied Economics at the same institution. He is currently working on his dissertation on the trends and determinants of electric vehicle (EV) adoption in India, focusing on policy, economic factors and consumer behavior. He is interested in working with data and understanding how economic decisions and trends work in practice.

Arnav Pokharel

Summer Intern

Arnav Pokharel

Summer Intern

Arnav Pokharel is an intern at the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS). He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Economics and completed his undergraduate studies in Sociology, Psychology, and Economics at Christ University, Bangalore. His interests lie in macroeconomic research, development issues, and public policy, with a focus on understanding broader socio-economic dynamics.

Muskan Agrawal

Summer Intern

Muskan Agrawal

Summer Intern

Muskan Agrawal is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics at the University of Texas at Arlington, United States, with a minor in Mathematics. Her academic interests include econometrics, financial economics, policy research, institutional performance, and the fragility of economic and financial systems. She is currently co-authoring a faculty-led finance research project on Business Development Companies (BDCs), which operate within the estimated $1.7 trillion global private credit market. Her work examines how governance structures shape BDC market valuation, including NAV discounts across externally and internally managed firms. Through this research, she studies a consequential asset class reshaping capital allocation, corporate financing, and the governance of modern financial markets.

Volunteers

Shreya Gorkhali

Volunteer

Shreya Gorkhali

Volunteer

Shreya Gorkhali is a fourth-year undergraduate Economics student at Kathmandu University School of Arts. She is interested in development economics and public policy, particularly in the context of Nepal’s socio-economic challenges. She has experience working with quantitative and econometric methods to study issues such as climate change, labor markets, and inequality. She is interested in how data-driven research and policy can work together to address inequality, expand opportunities, and support more inclusive and sustainable development.

Sineria Regmi

Volunteer

Sineria Regmi

Volunteer

Sineria Regmi is an intern at the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), contributing to Project Gyan, an initiative focused on strengthening the STEM pipeline. She completed her higher secondary education and has demonstrated a strong commitment to education through her volunteer teaching experience at NGO Ketaaketi, where she worked with underprivileged children in the Pashupati area. With a passion for mathematics and teaching, she brings both academic enthusiasm and hands-on community experience to her work in STEM outreach. Sineria will be furthering her academic journey by pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering in the United States.

Apprentices

Apprentices

Aakriti Kafle

Ashila Gurung

Anjali Sapkota

Shriju Thapa

Karan Mahato

Amesh Pandey

Aadya Maya Aryal

Rukesh Paudel

Dibya Karki

Suchita Khadka

Summer Interns

Shashwat Pokharel

Arnav Pokharel

Muskan Agrawal

Volunteers

Shreya Gorkhali

Sineria Regmi

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