Our Executive Team
(2024-2026)

Dr. Babita Paudel
President
Dr. Babita Paudel is the Founder, Research Director, and Head of the Center for Natural and Applied Sciences in Kathmandu, Nepal. Her research specializes in the Natural Product Chemistry of medicinal plants and microorganisms. She obtained her Ph.D. from Soonchunhyang University, South Korea, in 2009 and was awarded a Georg Forster Postdoctoral Fellowship at Göttingen University, Germany, in 2010. She has also conducted research at the Korea Polar Research Institute, S. Korea, and Tübingen University, Germany.
Dr. Paudel has been honored with several national and international grants and awards, including the Women in Science and Technology award from the Nepal Academy of Science & Technology and the Humboldt Alumni Award (2022) from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany. Committed to empowering female researchers in STEM, she established the Women in STEM Club, Nepal. She currently serves as a Humboldt Ambassador Scientist to Nepal and is the President of the Nepal German Academic Association (NEGAAS).

Ar. Rupesh Shrestha
Vice- President
Ar. Rupesh Shrestha is an architect and urban management expert with extensive experience in sustainable built environments, disaster risk reduction, and project management. He is currently the Vice President of the Nepal German Academic Association (NEGAAS) and serves as a Technical Coordinator at the National Housing and Settlements Resilience Platform (NHSRP), Nepal. He holds a Master’s in Natural Resources Management & Development from TH Köln, Germany, and a Bachelor in Architecture from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP), he has received prestigious awards, including DAAD and an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation International Climate Protection Fellow at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Germany, focusing on flood-resilient housing and urban management.

Mr. Dev Raj Gautam
Secretary
Mr. Dev Raj Gautam completed his Master Degree Program in Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology from University of Goettingen, Germany in 2010. Additionally, he had also completed Master Degree in Sociology from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. Currently, Mr. Gautam has been working as the Senior Consultant (Senior Policy and Institutional Expert) in JICA funded Project for Climate Change Adaptation through Sustainable Forest Management in Nepal. He has gained over 15 years of work experience in JICA, CARE International in Nepal, UNDP and Nepal Red Cross Society at senior management level. He has gained myriad experiences on n designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating complex projects on Natural Resource Management, Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change Adaptation, Disaster Risk Management funded by various bilateral, multilateral and private foundations.

Ms. Pratima Rai
Joint Secretary
Pratima Rai is an experienced clinician and international public health professional with over a decade of expertise in designing and managing global health programs and research, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Her areas of specialization include health financing, social protection, maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition (MNCHN), gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), infectious diseases, emergency health, and health systems strengthening. She holds a Master of Science in International Health (MScIH) from Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg. Currently, Pratima serves as a Health Advisor at GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). With a strong passion for decision science and research, she continues her collaborative work on systematic reviews with the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg. Her previous affiliations include USAID, IFRC, and UNICEF Indonesia. Additionally, she was a Deutscher Akademischer Austauchdienst- DAAD Young Ambassador for 2023–2024.

Dr. Shekhar Aryal
Treasurer
Shekhar Aryal has done his Ph.D. in “Sediment Erosion in Guide Vanes of Francis Turbine” from Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He has completed his M.Sc. in “Computational Engineering” from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany and Bachelor in “Mechanical Engineering” from Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal. He is currently doing research in the field of Hydro-power sector.

Er. Sheila Dangol
Executive Member
Sheila Dangol is an Environmental Engineer with over five years of experience in the climate-resilient, water, sanitation, and renewable energy sectors in Nepal. Ms. Dangol graduated in Environmental Engineering from Kathmandu University, Nepal and obtained her Master’s degree in Water Resources and Environmental Management from Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany. Throughout her career, Sheila has held various roles contributing to research, project coordination, and consultancy. In addition to her professional engagements, Sheila is actively involved in volunteer work and holds positions such as Chair at Young Water Professionals Nepal (YWPN) and Executive Member at the Nepal German Academic Association (NEGAAS). Ms. Dangol is interested in leveraging her experience towards advanced research and collaboration, while actively engaging in advocacy and knowledge-sharing initiatives to promote inclusive and equitable solutions for environmental sustainability.

Ms. Oshin Sharma
Executive Member
Oshin works as Food System Associate in ICIMOD, She is also co founder and member of Mountain Youth Hub. Her expertise are in agricultural research and development, food system and security, gender inclusion in agriculture, value chain and agroecology. She has worked in a number of agriculture settings, including research projects, humanitarian support, development projects and private sector. After the Nepal Earthquake, she worked as a Livelihood Officer for a respected National NGO DEPROSC Nepal, aiding in recovery and transition efforts of OXFAM. She has also conducted research in Andhra Pradesh, India, and Udayapur district, Nepal, where she independently carried out fieldwork and research activities

Dr. Ramji Bogati
Executive Member
Ramji Bogati completed his Ph.D. in Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning at the Faculty of Spatial Planning from TU Dortmund University, Germany in 2012. He studied Master’s degree in Zoology (Ecology) and a Bachelor’s degree in Science as well as Health Education from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Currently, Dr. Bogati is a Program Coordinator of a Master’s degree in Natural Resource and Development Program and teaching faculty at Nepal Open University. Dr. Bogati has been involved in research and development in the environment, biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, climate change adaptation, and development fields.

Mr. Milan Bhattarai
Executive Member
Milan Bhattarai is an agricultural economist and development professional with extensive experience in research, teaching, and project coordination. Currently serving as a Teaching Assistant in Agricultural Economics at Tribhuvan University with an additional responsibility of Head of the Department (Department of Social Science, Lamjung Campus), he lectures on Econometrics, Mathematical Economics, and Agricultural Economics while supervising postgraduate research students. Mr. Bhattarai holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Hohenheim, Germany, where he was a DAAD Scholar (2018-2020). Beyond academia, Milan has made significant contributions to agricultural development in Nepal. As a District Project Coordinator at SAHAS Nepal, he led project operations, stakeholder coordination, and financial management. His tenure as an Agriculture and Livestock Officer at LI-BIRD involved planning, monitoring, and implementing biodiversity-focused agricultural projects. A recipient of multiple honors, Milan has been awarded the University Merit Scholarship, Golden Jubilee Scholarship, and Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship, recognizing his academic excellence. His research interests include agricultural resilience, climate-smart technologies, and economic efficiency in farming systems, where he applies quantitative research methods using STATA and SPSS.

Ms. Saki Thapa
Executive Member
Ms. Saki Thapa is an internationally trained public health practitioner currently holding the position of Advocacy, Networking, and Resource Mobilization Manager at Birat Nepal Medical Trust (BNMT). She has over 10 years’ experience in designing grants applications and projects in BNMT, and plays key role in strategic planning and policies formulation in the organization. She has led multiple projects and research initiatives on sexual and reproductive health and rights, WASH, Mental health and evidence synthesis for health system strengthening in Nepal. Saki holds an MSc in Public Health from the Berlin School of Public Health, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany, and a Master’s in Health Care Management from Pokhara University, Nepal. She is passionate about evidence-based advocacy and policy research, with areas of interest including qualitative study design, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Women’s and Adolescent Health (including health promotion and disease prevention), and Mental health (including suicide prevention).

Er. Shirish Maharjan
Executive Member
Shirish Maharjan is a researcher, data analyst, and programmer specializing in using technology for environmental and climate solutions. He holds a Master’s in Information Engineering and Computer Science from Hochschule Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Germany and a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering, Pokhara University. Currently a Research Associate at GIIS in Nepal, he focuses on climate data analysis, remote sensing, and species distribution modeling using large datasets (CMIP6, ERA5) and advanced machine learning techniques. Proficient in Python, R, and GIS, he’s contributed to projects for WHO, USAID, and ICIMOD. Shirish is also a passionate educator, having led over 25 training sessions on Google Earth Engine, QGIS, and R. He’s co-authored publications on climate change and conservation. Fluent in English, Nepali, and Nepal Bhasa, with intermediate German, his passions include sustainability, photography, cycling, and travel. He’s an active member of NEGAAS.