Diaspora Scholars in Building Connections Across Continents: The Nepal Study Center at the University of New Mexico

The Nepal Study Center at the University of New Mexico (UNM), founded in 2005 with the assistance of numerous diaspora scholars, serves as a crucial hub for scholars from the Himalayan region, South Asia, and beyond. Its mission is to provide a platform for social sciences and policy research, facilitating collaborations and knowledge exchange. Over the years, the center has organized conferences, workshops, and field research projects, and played a key role in signing MOUs between UNM and institutions like ICIMOD and Kathmandu University. Through its innovative initiatives, the center continues to make significant contributions to teaching, research, and outreach in the academic community.

Background behind MOUs with ICIMOD and Kathmandu University

The Nepal Study Center, established in 2005, was conceived in response to then-Provost Dr. Brian Foster's call for a globalization initiative at the University of New Mexico (UNM). In 2009, a team led by UNM’s Provost and Senior Vice President, Dr. Suzanne Ortega, including Senior Dean Dr. Phillip B. Gonzales (Professor of Sociology), Dr. Alok K. Bohara (Professor, Department of Economics) & Dr. Kristin Vanderbilt (Department of Biology, The Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research --LTER), facilitated by the Nepal Study Center (Department of Economics, UNM), visited ICIMOD and signed an MOU, proposing UNM's membership in the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC), which comprises over 100 universities. Representing eight Asian countries, it is housed in ICIMOD, an organization dedicated in studying climate, environment, and sustainable development of the mountain communities.

The Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed between the University of New Mexico (UNM) and institutions like the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Kathmandu University (KU) mark pivotal moments for the Nepal Study Center.

ICIMOD, a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge-sharing center, is dedicated to the sustainable development of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region. Through collaboration with ICIMOD, NSC and UNM aim to harness expertise and resources in addressing pressing environmental and social challenges facing mountain communities.

Kathmandu University (Dhulikhel, Nepal) boasts a reputation for academic excellence and research innovation. By partnering with KU, UNM seeks to foster academic cooperation and exchange, enriching scholarly endeavors and nurturing cross-cultural understanding.

These MOUs signify a commitment to collaborative scholarship, leveraging the strengths and expertise of each institution to advance knowledge and promote sustainable development in the Himalayan region and beyond. NSC has collaborated on several projects with both institutions.


Summary of NSC’s Milestones

The UNM's Nepal Study Center (NSC) and its collaborators have achieved several significant milestones in its engagement with the Himalayan community and various academic institutions of Nepal and beyond:

·       Conducted numerous doctoral field research projects focusing on the Himalayan region (Bagmati River restoration using choice experiments, solid waste management, environmental health (air and water pollution, arsenic), adolescent health (mental health, HPV awareness, & gender hygiene), climate adaptation & natural disaster, micro finance and women’s empowerment, cancer screening, socio-economic consequence and cancer.  

·       Fellowship for UNM doctoral student (Economics, Dr. Niraj Khatiwada) with ICIMOD to foster research collaboration.

·       Implemented study abroad programs (2009, 2017, & 2018) facilitating cultural exchange and research opportunities.

·       Designed new curriculum to enhance understanding of Himalayan issues (Econ 369*: problem-based learning).

·       Signed MOUs with member universities of the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) –Kathmandu University to promote academic cooperation. (Signed by Medical School Chancellor).

·       Seminar: Just concluded the 18th Annual Himalaya Policy Research Conference (HPRC), providing a platform for webinars and workshops for scholars from the region and beyond.

·       Established the Himalaya Policy Research Consortium to expand intellectual outreach in the region and beyond, involving young scholars from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Pakistan, and the USA, many of whom have conducted field research in Nepal.

·       Piloted a citizen science program involving a college in Siddharthanagar and a few schools along the Danda River, focusing on monitoring water quality and sharing data through a portal.

·       UNM students installed several air pollution monitoring devices at schools as part of their community-engaged research and experiential learning engagement (Econ 369*).

·       Contributed to the development of a bio-museum in a college to promote environmental awareness and arts. Two UNM fine arts students designed a floating wetland structure.

·       With seed funding from the NSF, an interdisciplinary team of UNM scholars (Dr. Alok Bohara, Dr. Mark Stone, & Dr. Joe Galewsky – 2014/2015) and three engineering students scoped out the Kali Gandaki River for potential coupled-dynamics research and citizen science projects similar to the BEMP program of New Mexico.

·       Following the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Dr. Bohara (economics) and Dr. Stone (engineering) co-mentored a team of UNM4NEPAL students to build a women’s community center in collaboration with Kathmandu University, a member of the HUC university.

Useful Links and References:

·       Himalayan Policy Research Consortium (conferences, workshop, e-portal)
https://sites.google.com/view/hprc/home?authuser=0

·       A model concept, Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program: https://bemp.org/
(University of New Mexico, Bosque School, piloted in Siddharthanagar, Nepal)

·       Pilot programs implemented by Nepal Study Center (University of New Mexico):

o   Student Community Science Projects: https://nepalstudycenter.unm.edu/SustainableResearchLab/UndergraduaterResearchInitiatives.html

o   Himalayan Study Abroad: Lumbini Sustainable Circle & Hands-on Learning
https://foxc01.wixsite.com/yogdan/seminar-abroad

o   Data Portal Example:
https://dempnsc.unm.edu/

·       Publications
o   Integrative Experiential Learning Education Model:
https://www.aetrjournal.org/UserFiles/file/AETR_2022_044R%20PDF%20FINAL.pdf

o   Linking Communities for Science and Exploration (community science): From Mustang to Lumbini:
https://nepalunplugged.substack.com/p/linking-communities-for-science-and

o   Mustang-Lumbini Vertical University: An Integrative Experiential Learning Approach to Education:
https://nepalunplugged.substack.com/p/mustang-lumbini-vertical-university



Collaborative Landscape at UNM for NSC and HUC

·       Transformation Network UNM's leadership in a $15 million NSF project focused on enhancing community resilience in the Western region underscores UNM’s commitment to multidisciplinary research for regional sustainability. Known as the Transformation Network, this initiative aligns with the mission of the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC), where collaborative efforts are harnessed in addressing pressing environmental and social challenges. As part of this endeavor, UNM is collaborating with esteemed institutions such as Colorado State University, the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, Washington State University, Utah State University, New Mexico Tech, and New Mexico State University.
https://transformimw.unm.edu/
Contact: Lee Ann Ratzlaff, Senior Program Manager lratzlaff@unm.edu

Select UNM-wide collaborative opportunities:

·       The Nepal Study Center and its Himalayan Policy Research Consortium, along with its affiliated scholars, many of whom are UNM PhD graduates, can offer collaborative opportunities for co-organizing events with the HUC, such as the annual HPRC conference, special panels, workshops, and grant writing exercises. https://sites.google.com/view/hprc/home?authuser=0  

Contact Dr. Alok K. Bohara bohara@unm.edu , Dr. Jingjing Wang wangj@unm.edu

·       The Center for Environmental Arts & Humanities (CEAH) has potential overlaps with the HUC initiative and its interests. There are several points of potential connection, especially in the realms of biodiversity and multispecies coexistence, as well as economic justice and sustainability. The CEAH will be happy to facilitate conference panel (or workshop) to bring two significant bio-culturally diverse large-landscapes into conversation—the Himalaya and the US-Mexico borderlands—both of which include global biodiversity hotspots but are facing myriad challenges, including biodiversity and climate crises.

https://art-beta.unm.edu/research/center-for-environmental-arts-humanities

Contact: Subhankar Banerjee, Professor of Art & Ecology and founding Director of the UNM Center for Environmental Arts & Humanities subhankar@unm.edu

·       Dr. Manuel Montoya, Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, envisions exploring avenues to design curriculum, particularly focusing on course modules that connect "mountain economies" from both an ecological economic and interdisciplinary economic perspective. This part of his work to develop an interdisciplinary economics curriculum.  He is keen on developing teaching modules that can serve as shared resources across universities in mountain regions such as the Himalayas, the Rockies, and the Andes.Contact: Manuel Montoya mrmonto@unm.edu
Faculty Bio:  https://econ.unm.edu/people/faculty/profile/manuel-montoya.html   

·       UNM’s Sustainability Studies Program is a nationally and internationally recognized interdisciplinary program that seeks creative solutions that promote environmental health and restoration, social equity, and economic vitality. The goal is to meet the needs of the present (such as health, energy, food, shelter, and transportation) while ensuring the satisfaction of those same needs for future generations. In light of unprecedented environmental degradation, social instability, and economic uncertainties in today’s world, the sustainability minor cultivates the complex knowledge and skills needed to secure a healthy future for all. The program also conducts study abroad abroad trips to Brazil and Senegal working with communities and social movements.
https://sust.unm.edu/index.html
Contact: Andreas Hernandez, PhD, W.K. Kellogg Chair in Sustainable Environmental & Food Systems  andreashernandez@unm.edu 

·      Accelerating Resilience Innovations in Drylands Institute ARID maximizes the resilience of drylands to climate change. It aims to foster transdisciplinary research, co-create innovations with community and industry partners, and equitably train the next generation to enhance economic, human, and ecosystem health in New Mexico and beyond.
https://arid.unm.edu/
Contact: Dr. Debbie Lee, Senior Program Manager debbieylee@unm.edu