Dr. Bibek Chand, assistant professor of political science and international affairs, recently published a discussion paper on Nepal titled “Nepal and Regionalism: Convergence of Geo-economic and Normative Interests“ 

Published through the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) as part of a series titled “Nepal’s Foreign Policy in a Changing World,” Dr. Chand’s paper presents his analysis of how Nepal tries to overcome its geographical challenges and limited material capabilities by participating in international organizations and supporting global norms. 

“It feels great to foster this conversation and get people talking,” Dr. Chand, a native of Nepal, said. “It has helped me grow as a scholar. Research is my passion, and it gets me going. I am continuously looking for students who would be interested in researching in my field.” 

Dr. Chand submitted this discussion paper after an invitation from the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement’s (NIICE) research director Pramod Jaiswal. 

He is also mentoring two students, Jessica Case (IA‘25) and Nathanael Hines (PS’24), on their research project titled “Analyzing Political Rhetoric during War: A Case Study of the Conflict in Ukraine,” which recently earned a Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (CURCA) Student-Faculty Collaborative Mini-grant. 

Dr. Chand is always looking for new ways to get students interested in research and make room for exploring interests as he has been able to do with this discussion paper. He says the assistance from CURCA and PSIA’s supportive environment helps him inspire students. 

“When I teach, I always encourage students to think about their own research interests,” Dr. Chand said. “This is a great starting point to get some professional writing under their belt. It’s an illustration that if I can do it, so can you. There are always conversations going on in international politics and I want students to know that they can contribute to them.” 

[author: Orla Fennell, IA’23]