Governing Council

Dr. Biswash Gauchan

Executive Chair

Dr. Biswash Gauchan

Executive Chair

Dr. Biswash Gauchan is the Executive Chair and Director, Center for Economic Policy at Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS). He served for over a decade with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), undertaking various responsibilities in Nepal and across Africa. Following that, he worked as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a commercial bank in South Sudan for two years. Dr. Gauchan is the founding Chairperson of Shangri-la Development Bank and the co-founder of Quest International College and Omega International School. He has been deeply engaged in studying and writing on Nepal’s economic policies and geo-strategic issues related to South Asia. A Fellow Chartered Accountant, Dr. Gauchan holds a Ph.D. in Economics and has also contributed as a member of the High-Level Economic Reform Recommendation Commission.

Mr. Durga Prasad Bhattarai

Member

Mr. Durga Prasad Bhattarai

Member

Durga Prasad Bhattarai is a member of Governing Council at the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) and a senior career diplomat of Nepal. He currently serves as Nepal’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and is concurrently accredited as Ambassador to Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. During his tenure at the UN, he has held key leadership roles including Chairman of the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization Committee) and Chairman of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary Committee) of the UN General Assembly. He has also served as Vice President of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board, overseeing major global development programs. Earlier in his career, Ambassador Bhattarai served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, and as Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, as well as President of the Colombo Plan Council. He has also held positions as Minister and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, and has worked across the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Planning Commission, and Cabinet Secretariat. His work spans multilateral diplomacy, international governance, and national policy leadership.

Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa

Founder Chair & Life Member

Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa

Founder Chair & Life Member

Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa is Founder Chair and Life Member of the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), a South Asian policy think-tank established in Kathmandu. He is a distinguished economist, diplomat, and former statesman with over six decades of service in Nepal’s public sector, international diplomacy, and economic governance.

Dr. Thapa began his career in economic leadership as Member Secretary of Nepal’s National Planning Council at the age of 24. He served as the 4th Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank from August 14, 1966, to July 26, 1967, and later held senior positions in the Ministry of Finance, including State Minister of Finance, Secretary of Finance, and Minister of Finance (1976–1978), guiding Nepal’s fiscal and economic policies.

In diplomacy, Dr. Thapa served as Nepal’s Ambassador to the United States twice (1980–1985 and 1996) and as Ambassador to India (1997–2003). He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs (2004–2005) and led the National Advisory Committee for the 18th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu in 2014. Additionally, he served as UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka during the civil war period, contributing to international development and conflict management.

Currently, Dr. Thapa is the Nepal Coordinator for the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), a bilateral initiative reviewing and updating treaties between Nepal and India. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to national development, diplomacy, economic governance, and regional cooperation.

Dr. Thapa remains a guiding figure for policy research, international relations, and institutional leadership in Nepal.

Ms. Barsha Shrestha

Treasurer

Ms. Barsha Shrestha

Treasurer

Barsha Shrestha is a member of the Governing Council (Treasurer) at the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) and a prominent leader in Nepal’s banking and finance sector with over three decades of professional experience. She currently serves as Business Head of ICRA Nepal, the country’s first credit rating agency, where she oversees strategic initiatives, strengthens governance frameworks, and drives innovation in financial services.

She began her career at Nabil Bank Limited in 1984, rising to Head of Privilege Banking, and later became the first woman to join Clean Energy Development Bank Limited (CEDBL) as General Manager, eventually serving as Deputy CEO. Under her leadership, CEDBL became the first and only Nepali bank to join the Global Alliance for Banking on Values in 2013.

At IIDS, Barsha contributes her expertise on banking, financial governance, and sustainable finance, strengthening research and policy dialogue on financial inclusion and institutional development. She also serves on several boards and advisory bodies, including the Nepal Institute for Policy Research (NIPoRe), the Asian Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB), the Karnali Basin Conservation Foundation (KBCF), IDEA Studio Nepal, and the Nepal Ambulance Service (NAS).

Barsha has been recognized with the National Woman Award (2009) and the Woman Manager Recognition Award (2010) for her contributions to leadership and women’s empowerment. Her career reflects a commitment to advancing Nepal’s financial sector and promoting sustainable and inclusive development.

Mr. Vidyadhar Mallik

Member

Mr. Vidyadhar Mallik

Member

Vidyadhar Mallik is a seasoned public policy expert and former senior government official of Nepal with extensive experience in governance, peacebuilding, and public administration. He has served as Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development and Minister of Health and Population, contributing significantly to local governance reform and health sector policy. Following his public service career, he has remained actively engaged in policy research and peace facilitation. He currently serves as the Chairperson of the Nepal Transition to Peace Institute (NTTPI) and is associated with the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) as a policy thinker, contributing to evidence-based discourse on governance, federalism, peace processes, and socio-economic development in Nepal.

Ms. Dawa Futi Sherpa

Member

Ms. Dawa Futi Sherpa

Member

Ms. Dawa Futi Sherpa is a Member of the Governing Council at the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), contributing her expertise to research and policy dialogue on international engagement, sustainable tourism, and community development.

From November 2019 to October 2021, Ms. Sherpa served as the Ambassador of Nepal to the Kingdom of Spain. During her tenure, she became the first Nepali Permanent Representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and was recognized as the youngest Nepali ambassador appointed to Spain at the time.

Beyond diplomacy, she leads initiatives that promote women’s empowerment, education, and health in high-altitude communities as President of the Pasang Lhamu Foundation. She also serves as Vice President of Sherpa Hospitality Group and contributes to corporate and cultural development as a Board Member of Citizen Life Insurance Company Limited and the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF). Her career reflects a commitment to diplomacy, sustainable development, and the preservation of Nepal’s cultural and natural heritage.

Ms. Sumnima Udas

Member

Ms. Sumnima Udas

Member

Sumnima Udas is the Founder and Executive Director of the Lumbini Museum Initiative, an effort to showcase Nepal’s soft power on the world stage through the creation of a state-of-the-art museum in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Previously, she built a distinguished career as an award-winning international journalist with CNN International for 15 years, working in New Delhi, Hong Kong, and New York, and most recently serving as South Asia Correspondent. Udas holds degrees from Washington and Lee University and the University of Oxford, and serves on the Governing Council of the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS).

Dr. Biswash Gauchan

Mr. Durga Prasad Bhattarai

Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa

Ms. Barsha Shrestha

Mr. Vidyadhar Mallik

Ms. Dawa Futi Sherpa

Ms. Sumnima Udas

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