RIC Team Profile

Dr. Niroj Dahal 

• Coordinator - Research and Innovation Centre
• Assistant Professor - Department of STEAM Education, School of Education
• niroj@kusoed.edu.np

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 She also has researched entertainment trafficking and the experience of women in civil service in Nepal, which are unpublished.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” 

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

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