Dear NACA Friends,

I am delighted to announce the final program of the second annual conference of NACA, themed “Recovery and Resilience in an Uncertain World,” to take place on April 15 and 16, 2022 virtually. Scheduled for 7:45 to 10:55 PM EST (evening) on the first day and 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (EST) on the second day, this conference features an exciting line up of speakers and presenters covering interdisciplinary topics and issues around higher education, research, and policy practices with specific connections or lessons for Nepal.

On the first day, the program includes a keynote titled “Lessons Learned from Past Earthquakes - Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal” by Binod Tiwari, Professor and Associate Vice President of Research, California State University Fullerton. The second day of the conference includes a key moderated session on “The Critical Role of Health Equity in the Post-Disaster World” with four accomplished medical and public health professionals serving as a moderator and panelists.

Divided into 16 organized/moderated panels and presentation sessions, the rest of the conference features 59 speakers and presenters from the United States and Nepal. From biomedical sciences, Covid-19, environment, natural disaster, and water resources to agriculture, economics, development, entrepreneurship, and forestry, the breadth of coverage is wide, with each presentation assessing current research and offering new insights. The panel discussions focused on landing a tenure-track job, transitioning to academic administration, and the activities of the Association of the Nepalese Mathematicians in America (ANMA) will provide hands-on information and experience on professional activities that are of interest across the NACA membership.

This event will also include the organization’s General Assembly scheduled for 2:30 to 3:00 pm EST on April 16. Please check out the conference program for more details: https://nepaliacademics.org/2022conference/program.

As you know, NACA has remained active throughout the year. In addition to offering interactive Zoominars on specific topics and issues, it has been publishing its newsletter, NACA Newsflash, with news, updates, and other items of interest to the NACA community. As the institution works toward building “a thriving and vibrant Nepal and Nepali communities through research, innovation, and knowledge production,” annual conferences provide an opportunity to share and review our own cutting–edge research and service activities.

On behalf of the NACA Executive Council and the entire NACA community, I would like to congratulate Dr. Krishna Paudel, chair of the conference committee, for leading a group of dedicated NACA members serving on the Conference Committee. I would also like to thank every member of this Committee—Drs. Ananta Acharya, Gaurab Aryal, Jagriti Bhattarai, Rabin Bhattarai, Samagya Banskota, Arun KC, and Bhuwan Thapa—for their foresight, diligence, and hard work in planning, preparing, and hosting this second annual conference.

I invite everyone interested in the academic, research, and service outreach to Nepal to participate in and take advantage of this great opportunity. The goal here is to create a community of scholars, professionals, and learners, which is possible only with your own participation and inputs. Please also join NACA as a member so that we can all contribute to our shared vision, purpose, and goal.

Sincerely,

Udaya R. Wagle

NACA Founding President