NEWSLETTER | | |  | | | | | | |
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| | June is generally a quiet month at USEF-N as we say goodbye to departing grantees and prepare for new arrivals. In addition to planning upcoming activities, during the past month we hosted outreach activities and orientation sessions designed to increase the number and diversity of Fulbright applicants and better inform students interested in higher education in the U.S. During the coming weeks, we look forward to welcoming our 2024 cohort of U.S. Student Researchers to Nepal, among others. |
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| | Nepal’s Failing Democracy? Findings from an Oral History Project by Dr. Richard Bownas | On June 30th, Fulbright Scholar Dr. Richard Bownas conducted a Research Seminar at Martin Chautari on commonalities of experience of political change since the panchayat era. His analysis, based on oral history interviews with a range of diverse respondents, explored key differences in perspectives by caste, region, and gender and offered causal explanations for why most respondents perceived failings in Nepal’s multi-party democratic experiment. Explanations drew on the oral history interviews and additional interviews with a range of respondents involved in political party activities at the grassroots level. |
|  | Dr. Richard Bownas on Right | | | Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short-Term Program (DAST) Grantee Lisa Wittner | On June 5th, USEF-N welcomed Fulbright DAST grantee Lisa Wittner to Nepal. Lisa is hosted by New Tulips School, Koteshwor, where she is supporting teachers and administrators to enhance their social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. Her responsibilities include designing and implementing SEL programs for middle and upper school students and establishing peer-to-peer mentor programs. |
|  | | | | | | | Humphrey Fellowship Information Session | On June 21st, USEF-N conducted an in-person information session and application writing workshop at Innovation Hub Teku for the currently open 2025-2026 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. The event provided attendees with important details about the fellowship, guided them through the application process, and addressed their queries. Bryce Moulton, currently a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant based in Kirtipur, served as resource person offering tips on writing a successful application. Thank you, Bryce! |
|  | | | | | Educational Advising Center |
| On June 14th, USEF-N hosted director Leslie Shampaine for a screening of her film “Call Me Dancer.” Currently a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in India, Leslie visited Nepal to showcase the film to Nepali audiences. A truly inspirational story, “Call Me Dancer” follows the life of an Indian dancer as he perseveres to master skills and secure a place for himself in the professional dance world. The film explores the bonds between friends and family, and shows how dance can bring people from different backgrounds together. |
|  | Leslie Shampaine and audience during the screening of her film "Call Me Dancer" |
Staff of the EducationUSA Advising Center conducted a pre-departure orientation for Nepali students traveling to the U.S. to study this fall. Students learned about academic study at American universities, life in the U.S., banking before they go, and travel tips. Guest speakers at the program included Anita Shrestha from Nabil Bank, Dr. Samrat Thapa from Lynchburg University, and Dr. Topraj Gurung from the Georgia Institute of Technology. USEF-N will conduct four more similar seminars later this summer.
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|  | Pre-departure orientation participants | | | | | Nepal Association of Humphrey Fellows Talk Series | On June 20th, the Nepal Association of Humphrey Fellows (NAHF) continued its talk series at Nepal House, Hattisar, focusing on the topic "Leveraging Diaspora for Prosperous Nepal," featuring Professor Dr. Alok Bohora. This insightful event provided a platform for in-depth discussions on how Nepali youths can leverage the vast potential of their diaspora communities to foster economic growth, innovation, and sustainable development within Nepal. |
|  | Dr. Alok Bohora (center) with program participants | Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund Winner | Manoj Kaphle, a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program alumnus, and Dylan Rodgers, a recent Fulbright U.S. Student Researcher in Nepal, have been honored with a Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) Award from the U.S. Department of State. Their project, "Bees, Trees, and Climate-Smart Communities," will support small communities in Nepal through the conservation and planting of butter (“chiuri”) trees, coupled with providing expert training. Butter trees are essential to the local ecosystem in Nepal, providing livelihood opportunities for beekeepers who harvest unique honey. They also supply wood for cooking, fruit for making butter, and leaves for ceremonial purposes. The trees also play a critical role in environmental conservation by creating habitats for animals, preventing soil erosion, and sequestering carbon dioxide. |
|  | DManoj Kaphle (left) and Dylan Rodgers |
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Articles by and Featuring our Alumni |
| Climbers have turned Mount Everest into a high-altitude garbage dump, but sustainable solutions are within reachArticle by Alton Byers in The Conversation
A long way to Europe
Article by Bhrikuti Rai in Nepali Times
Southerly winds
Article by Akhilesh Upadhyay in Nepali Times |
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Opportunities and EventsJuly 2023 |
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USEF-Nepal / Fulbright Commission / EducationUSA Advising Center |
| Aakriti Marg, Maharajgunj, 44600, Kathmandu |
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