RIC Team Profile

Rebat Kumar Dhakal, PhD

• Coordinator - Research and Innovation Centre
• Assistant Professor - Department of Educational Leadership, School of Education
• Ratuwamai-10, Morang
• +977-9851143848
• rebat@kusoed.edu.np

Bio:

Rebat is an educational researcher, curriculum designer and integrity advocate. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Kathmandu University, where he has been since 2011. He received his PhD in Education from the same university in 2021. At KUSOED, he teaches graduate courses on education dimensions, academic writing, educational leadership, curriculum development, and research methods. He speaks and writes about pedagogical innovations, educational leadership, transformative learning and practitioner research. His research interests include teacher education, TVET, academic integrity, evidence-informed policymaking, curriculum mapping, and academic audit.

Honors/Awards:

• Writing Fellowship for COMPARE Writers’ Workshop: Building Capacities of Researchers in South Asia for Publishing in Academic Journals. Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India, 2015.

• UNESCO Fellowship for Regional seminar for UNESCO Resource Distribution and Training Center (RDTC). South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China, 2015.

• Shanghai Open University Visiting Scholar Fellowship. Shanghai Open University, Shanghai, China, 2016.

• Keynote Speaker:

• International Elitological Congress (Elites and Leaders: Strategies of Forming Elites in a Modern University), Astrakhan State University, Russia, 2017. 

• International Conference "Ethical Values in Nowadays Society: Professional Errors and Ethical Dilemmas in the COVID-19 Era", Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania, 2022. 

• International Conference on “Transforming Indian Tradition and Ethos Through National Education Policy 2020: Multilingual and Multidisciplinary Culture of Education”, Central University of Odisha, India, 2023.

• DFC PhD Fellowship, Kathmandu University School of Education, Nepal, 2016-2019. 

• UKFIET Conference Bursary, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, 2019.

• Transilvania Fellowship for Visiting Professors, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania, 2022.

Research Publications:

A. Journal Articles

• Dhakal, R. K. (2014). Reengineering education and reimagining rural transformation. Journal of Education and Research, 4(2), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.9771/110

• Dhakal, R. K., & Pant, B. P. (2016). Assessment of teacher education curricula in Nepal: An ICT perspective. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 2(3), 96-108. https://www.ijicc.net/index.php/ijicc-editions/2016/10-vol-2-iss-3-2016

• Dhakal, R. K. (2016). Making transformation happen: Turning stumbling blocks into road to success. Journal of Education and Research, 5(2), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.3126/jer.v5i0.15727

• Dhakal, R. K. (2016). Responsible practice of research: Safeguarding research integrity and publication ethics. Journal of Education and Research, 6(2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3126/jer.v6i2.22144

• Dhakal, R. K. (2017). Going beyond fair treatment: Promoting gender responsive education in Nepal. Gender Equality Development Education, 18, 139-145.

• Dhakal, R. K. (2017). “Confronting the dragons at the door”: A call for transformative learning in teacher education. Journal of Education and Research, 7(2), 54-69. https://doi.org/10.3126/jer.v7i2.21247

• Dhakal, R. K., & Bhandari, B. (2019). Situation analysis of open and distance e-learning teacher preparation in Nepal. Jamia Journal of Education, 5(2), 29-35.

• Dhakal, R. K. (2019). The politics of education policymaking in Nepal. Journal of Education and Research, 9(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3126/jer.v9i1.28787

• Dhakal, R. K. (2019). A dialogue on social inquiry: Expanding our understanding of sociological thinking. Social Inquiry: Journal of Social Science Research, 1(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.3126/sijssr.v1i1.26912

• Dhakal, R. K. (2020). Decline in the moral foundations of Nepali politics. Social Inquiry: Journal of Social Science Research, 2(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3126/sijssr.v2i1.28902

• Parajuli, M., Gautam, S., Dhakal, R. K., Bajracharya, J., Paudel, T., Acharya, L., & Paudel, P. (2020). Engaging displaced Nepali workers in post COVID-19 situations: A call for action. Journal of Education and Research, 10(2), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.3126/jer.v10i2.32717

• Dhakal, R. K. (2020). Charting a new foreign policy direction: Will it deliver better? Social Inquiry: Journal of Social Science Research, 2(2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3126/sijssr.v2i2.33042

• Dhakal, R. K. (2021). How are ‘included’ excluded and vice-versa: Negotiated participation of women in school governance in Nepal. Journal of Social Inclusion Studies, 7(1), 16-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/23944811211020369

• Dhakal, R. K. (2021). “When I stopped making sense, senses became clearer!” Meaning-making in ethnographic research. The Caspian Region: Politics, Economics, Culture, 2(67), 149-157.

• Dhakal, R. K. (2022). Academia-Policy Linkages: Bringing Evidence Into Policymaking Processes. Journal of Education and Research, 12(2), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.51474/jer.v12i2.620

• Dhakal, R. K. (2023). Respectfully Yours…: Dealing With Questionable Authorship Practices. Journal of Education and Research, 13(2), 1-6. 

• Khadka, J., Joshi, D. R., & Dhakal, R. K. (2024).  Effects of distributed leadership practices on educational environment and achievement in Nepali schools. International Journal of Leadership in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2024.2313016 

• Yamphu, I., & Dhakal, R. K. (2024). Politics of knowledge in conservation: (De)valued traditional ecological knowledge of Bote in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Ethnobiology and Conservation, 13. https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2024-01-13.04-1-13

              For other publications, visit Google Scholar or ResearchGate.

Others:

Other Positions

• Extraordinary Senior Lecturer @ Global Initiative Forefront Talent of the North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, 2022- 2025.

• Member of Subject Committee, Educational Leadership @ School of Education, Kathmandu University

• Managing Editor, Journal of Education and Research

• Executive Editor, Social Inquiry: Journal of Social Science Research

• Editor, Journal of Technical and Vocational Education and Training

• International Editorial Board Member, Focus on Language Education and Research

• International Editorial Consultant: Journal of Applied Research in Education

• Editor, Journal of Educational Management, Leadership, and Supervision

• Life member, International Forum of Researchers in Education

• Member, International Society of Managing and Technical Editors

• Member, School Reform Initiative

• Signer, Declaration on Research Assessment

Other Contributions

• Project Design: Technical Support Cooperation to Education Sector in Nepal (TECSES), 2022-2025, to Support School Education in Nepal

• Peer Review: Publons Verified Peer Review

Guidelines and Tools [Lead Roles]:

• Leadership Performance Standards of Community School Headteachers 2022, Education Review Office, Government of Nepal.

• Guidelines for Academic Audit at KUSOED 2022.

• One-day Integrity Teacher: A Training Manual for Teachers, KUSOED Integrity Alliance, 2017.

• Curriculum Review: Curriculum Mapping of Master of Technical Vocational Education and Training (MTVET) and Master in Sustainable Development (MSD) Programs 2022, Kathmandu University, School of Education, Lalitpur, Nepal.

• Performance audit of Educational Programs/Projects Implemented by Different CSOs: Guidelines and Tools, 2023, Education Review Office, Government of Nepal.

• KU’s Policy, strategy and guidelines on labor market driven programs (LMDP) 2024

• KU’s Faculty and staff capacity development guideline 2023

• KUSOED’s Policy Guidelines for Faculty Competency Development and Administrative staff Training 2023

• KUSOED’s Policy Guidelines for Academic Leadership Sensitization 2023

• KU’s policy, strategy and guidelines for Academic Leadership Sensitization 2024

Research Assistants Profile:

Asmita Parajuli

• Research Assistant - Research and Innovation Centre
• Email: asmitaparajuli@kusoed.edu.np

Bio:

Asmita Parajuli is a Master's graduate in Sustainable Development and has a Bachelor's in Social Sciences. She's skilled in critical thinking and research, having worked as a Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator for the UKaid Skill for Employment Project. At Kathmandu University School of Education, she was a Research Assistant for the "Climate Action with Project and Activity-Based Learning (CAPABLE)" program. As a Program Coordinator at the Pahichan Foundation, she led a research project in Namo Buddha Municipality, focusing on barriers for gender minorities. She excelled as a finalist in the Crossroad Emerging Leadership Program at Harvard University's Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute in 2021, representing Nepal. She also has researched entertainment trafficking and the experience of women in civil service in Nepal, which are unpublished. Asmita is dedicated to making positive changes in society. 

Honors/Awards:

• A finalist in the Crossroad Emerging Leadership Program at Harvard University's Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute in 2021, representing Nepal.

• Received research grant from CWIN for the topic of “Processes and Vulnerability of Sexual Entertainment Trafficking in Kathmandu Valley” 

Binita Sunder Chaudhary, Mphil

• Research Assistant - Research and Innovation Centre
• Co-Teacher - Department of Educational Leadership, School of Education
• Mid-Baneswor-31, Kathmandu
• +977-9767952455/9841274875
• bchaudhary@kusoed.edu.np

Bio:

Binita is an educational researcher, teacher trainer and fully engaged in humanitarian services. She is a Research Assistant at RIC and a co-teacher in the Department of Educational Leadership at Kathmandu University, since 2024. She received her M.Phil in Education from the same university in 2023. She has been assisting Dr. Rebat Kumar Dhakal in teaching Research methods to Master in Education Leadership. Her research interests include teacher education, Grant proposal writing, and integrating Physical activities in pedagogy. She is an international martial arts player and a pride of Nepal. She has won a gold medal in South Asian Games, a bronze medal in Asian karate games and participation in several Asian games. Besides doing research her interest is to teach English literature. She has more than a decade long experience in teaching from primary level to masters. She has an experience of teaching IELTS at Transcend Consultancy.

Honors/Awards

• Si.prabal gorkha dakshin bahu by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah

• Gold Medal in 8th South Asian Games, Nepal

• Bronze Medal in Asian Karate Championship, Macau

• Gold Medal in Okazaki Cup, India

• Gold Medal in 3rd National Games, Palpa

• Gold Medal in 4th National Games, Nepalgunj

Other Positions

• Operation Director at Chitwan Tigers (Franchisee Team at EPL)

• Director at I.D.S Group

Other Contributors:

• Research Assistantship for LMDP Project at Research and Innovation Center

• Research Assistantship for DPLR Project at Educational Leadership Department, KUSOED

• Past President- Lions Club of Dingla Bhojpur

• Past President- Lions Club of Kathmandu Corporate Nepal

• Head of Operations at Alfa Beta Consultancy

• Primary Teacher at Rato Bangala School

• Program Co-Coordinator at Himalayan White House College

• Program Coordinator at Matrubhumi School

Hiralal Kapar

• Teacher Educator - Kathmandu University School of Education-RIC
• Email: hiralalkapar@kusoed.edu.np
• ORCID ID- 0009-0000-9123-4600 
• Affiliation: Kathmandu University School of Education
• Education: MPhil in English Language Education, KU

Bio:

Mr. Hiralal Kapar, a Gold Medalist from Mahottari with a Masters and MPhil degree from Kathmandu University (KU), is a dedicated teacher educator and researcher at KU. Internationally recognized, he serves as a reviewer for Mahidol University’s Journal of JPSS. His prolific contributions to academia include numerous articles, focusing on indigenous education, learners’ psychology, and teacher development. 

Honors/Awards:

• Gold Medal (Government of Nepal)

• Got a Full scholarship from UGC for a master's degree

• Got a Full Scholarship from UGC again for MPhil

Research Publications:

Research Project: 

• Working as a Teacher Educator at Kathmandu University School of Education (Since 2022)

• Coordinator for Research on the Status of Learning Crisis in Nepal (Madhesh Province) (Jun 2023 to Nov 2023)

• Supervised for the SSDP DLI Achievement Reports, Center for Education and Human Resource Development, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Nepal (Sep-Oct 2022)

• Supervised for the SSDP DLI Achievement Report on the NEGRP, Center for Education and Human Resource Development, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Nepal (Apr-May 2023)

Sandeep Khattri

• Research Assistant - Research and Innovation Center
• Email: sandeep.khattri@kusoed.edu.np

Bio:

Sandeep Khattri, a graduate in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Beijing Normal University, and holds a Bachelor's degree from Kathmandu University, is a dedicated and passionate higher education researcher. His primary interest lies in student affairs and advocates for holistic development and success of students in higher education through best practices. In the past, he has also worked as a Public Policy Fellow at Daayitwa, collaborating with Parliamentarian Hon. Shisir Khanal to investigate strategies for bridging the education-employment gap within Nepal's higher education sector.

His research interests encompass student affairs services, student wellbeing, international student experiences, graduate employability, and policy development within higher education. Sandeep has authored and co-authored few research papers published in reputable international and national journals. Moreover, he contributes as a peer reviewer in reputed international journals.

 

Honors/Awards:

• Excellent International Graduate Award (2023): Granting Authority: Beijing Normal University

• Chinese Government Scholarship 2021 (Fully Funded): Granting Authority: Chinese Government Council

• National Cadet Corp Scholarship for Excellence: Granting Authority: National Cadet Corps (India)

Research:

1. Publications:

Khattri, S. (2023). Bridging education employment gap through curriculum innovation in higher education (p. 74). Daayitwa.

Khattri, S. (2022). Higher Education in Nepal: Exploring Current Student Services and Practices. In Dhami, N. (2022) Transformation of Higher Education in Nepal: Dimensions, Dynamics and Determinants (111-118). Pokhara University.

Basnet, B. B., Satyal, D., Pandit, R., Basnet, T. B., Khattri, S., & Mishra, S. K. (2022). Knowledge, practice and psychological symptoms among medical laboratory staff during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal: An online based survey. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 59, 004695802210827. https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580221082783

Basnet, B. B., Satyal, D., Pandit, R., Basnet, T. B., Khattri, S., & Mishra, S. K. (2021). Knowledge, Practice and Psychological Symptoms Among the Nepalese Medical Laboratory Staff: An Online-Based Cross-Sectional Study During COVID-19 Pandemic. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-700409/v1 (Pre-print)

Masoud AT, Zaazouee MS, Elsayed S.M. for the KAP-COVIDGLOBAL Investigators, et al. KAP-COVIDGLOBAL: a multinational survey of the levels and determinants of public knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 BMJ Open 2021;11:e043971. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043971

2. Research Projects

Project: Bridging education employment gap through curriculum innovation in higher education | Solo Project

Organization: Daayitwa

• Period: June to September, 2023
• Project: Innovating Education for Lifelong Learning | Project co-leader
• Organization: Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
• Period: March - April, 2023

---