Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS) held its 16th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 31 2025, presenting the Annual Update for 2024/2025. The event reflected on the institute’s progress and future directions presented by Dr. Gyanu Maskey, Researcher at SIAS and financial highlights shared by Ms. Alisha Bhujel, Admin and Finance Officer at SIAS. The event was facilitated by Dr. Sushant Acharya, Program Director at SIAS.
The technical presentation highlighted its key achievements in research, policy engagement, publications, and institutional development, structured around four major thematic areas: Natural Resources and Rural Livelihoods; Climate, Disaster, and Urban Resilience; Landscape Management and Ecosystem Services; and Decentralization, Gender Equality, and Social Inclusion (GESI). The presentation also discussed SIAS’s ongoing research and action research within these broader themes including SIAS’s efforts towards policy contributions through dialogues and consultations at national to local levels.
The presentation shared the glimpse of SIAS researchers participating in 31 national and 14 international events along with the events hosted by SIAS including five Future Himalaya Research Seminars, two Research Clubs, three capacity-building programs, and six writing workshops, nurturing a culture of learning and collaboration during this period.
On the publication front, SIAS produced five New Angle journal articles, four peer-reviewed papers, six reports, twelve blogs/op-eds, and other policy resources during the period. The New Angle Journal is completing special issue on Women’s Empowerment in Natural Resource Management (Vol. 9, 2024) while the special issue on Nepal’s Community Forestry at a Crossroads (Vol. 10, 2025) has received papers for the publication.
Institutionally, SIAS strengthened regional partnerships, interdisciplinary collaboration, and research communication, while securing new grants. The AGM reaffirmed SIAS’s commitment to impactful research, sustainable and inclusive development, and bridging science and policy across the Himalayan region.
Following the AGM, the event featured a Book Discussion on “Restoring Forests and Improving Livelihoods in Nepal: Four Decades of Community Forestry ”. Edited by Dr. Hemant Ojha along with Krishna K. Shrestha, Naya S. Paudel, Rahul Karki, Dil Khatri, Sony Baral, Mani Ram Banjade, and Ian Nuberg, the book reflects on Nepal’s four decades of community forestry from the narrative of “Himalayan degradation” in the 1970s to its emergence as a global success story in the 2000s.
During the session, Dr. Naya S. Paudel from Forestaction presented key highlights from the book, followed by reflections from the authors. The discussion, facilitated by Dr. Dil Khatri, Executive Director at SIAS, explored the political economy, governance transformations, and community dynamics that have shaped the evolution of community forestry and its contribution to livelihood enhancement and forest restoration. The book comprises 19 chapters under different thematic sections and serves as a valuable resource for researchers, scholars, and practitioners in forest conservation, community development, and environmental governance.
The AGM concluded with a reaffirmation of SIAS’s commitment to generating transformative knowledge, fostering inclusive development, and bridging science and policy for sustainable futures across the Himalayan region.
