Grantee

Ramesh Kumar Neupane is News Chief at Himal Media, Nepal, with 15 years of experience in investigative journalism. He reports on corruption, governance, business, economic affairs, and environmental issues, with a growing focus on data journalism. His investigations have led to policy reforms, exposed corruption and political-business collusion, uncovered capital market irregularities, and helped remove corrupt officials. He is a member of the Centre for Investigative Journalism–Nepal, an IVLP alumnus (U.S. Department of State, 2019), and currently a 2025–2026 Humphrey Fellow at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University.

He holds a Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication from Tribhuvan University and has received multiple national awards, including the Barbara Foundation Investigative Journalism Award (2024), the Freedom Forum Investigative Journalist Award (2018), and several Best Economic Journalist Awards from SEJON. He has also received fellowships from the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Internews, Earth Journalism Network, National Press Foundation (USA), and others. He is the co-author of Sweat of Foreign Lands, a book examining the socio-economic impacts of labor migration.

Shailendra Jha is a former Policy Maker and Planner for Kathmandu Metropolitan City, where he shaped and implemented education and development policies aligned with Nepal’s national priorities. In this role, he influenced strategic planning for over 600 schools, strengthening educational infrastructure, promoting innovative learning practices, and advancing equitable urban development.

He is also the founder of Bits Ladder Pvt. Ltd., an organization with a vision to build sustainable communities through education, technology, and innovation. The organization works to strengthen students’ knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and life skills beyond academics by integrating ICT, innovation, and project-based learning. Mr. Jha is currently a 2025–2026 Humphrey Fellow at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, specializing in Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy.