Events

CSAS in cooperation with the KAS organized the 4th series of the conference on Nepal's National Interests on Nov. 22, 2010 in Kathmandu. 5 former foreign ministers spoke on 'Nepal's Foreign policy: The Way Ahead' at the conference. This was the first time that 5 former foreign ministers spoke on critical aspects of Nepal's international relations exercise from a single platform. Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani on Nepal-US Relations, Hon'ble Upendra Yadav on Indo-Nepal relations, Ramesh Nath Pandey on China and Japan and Nepal's Core Interests, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat on Nepal's Relations with the EU and Shailendra Kumar Upadhaya on Nepal and the UN. German Ambassador to Nepal H.E. Verena Grafin von Roedern also spoke on the occasion. Director of CSAS Nishchal N. Pandey and Director of Regional Program (SAARC) Tomislav Delinic highlighted the objectives of the conference. Please see CSAS-KAS Policy Papers to see the proceedings.

The Centre for South Asian Studies hosted a meeting of think-tanks from 13 different countries in Kathmandu on Feb. 24-26, 2010. Sponsored by the NESA Center, National Defense University, Washington D.C. the participants of the 2-day Regional Network of Strategic Studies Centers (RNSSC) discussed Re-integration, Reconstruction, Reconciliation in Afghanistan and Civil Military Relations. CSAS hosted a dinner at the Hotel Shangri-La for all the delegates. Ambassador (retd.) Michael Lemmon, Director of the RNSSC at the NESA Center thanked the CSAS for the hospitality.

The CSAS in cooperation with the Sri Lanka based Regional Centre for strategic Studies and The Netherlands based Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict organized a 2-day regional roundtable on 'Promoting People to People Interaction Through SAARC' at the Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu on July 15-16, 2010. Mr. Kunda Dixit, Editor of the Nepali Times gave the keynote address. Mr. Darynell Rodriguez, Nishchal N. Pandey and Prof. Amal Jayawardane from the GPPAC, CSAS and the RCSS spoke at the inaugural session. Participants included Brig. Shahedul Anam Khan (Bangladesh), Prof. Nighat Khan (Pakistan), Dr. Paula Banerjee (India), Ms. Gayathri Nannayakara (Sri Lanka), along with Ambassadors Prof. Mohan P. Lohani, Dr. Bishnu Hari Nepal and Dr. Shambhu Ram Simkhada, Mr. Arjun Karki, Mr. Chiran J. Thapa and Ms. Saloni Singh from Nepal. Participants also had interactive discussions at the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament for the Asia and the Pacific and at the SAARC Secretariat.

Director of CSAS Nishchal N. Pandey participated in a 2-day planning conference held in Singapore on 'Developing a Framework for Regional Cooperation in Southern Asia' organized by the New Delhi based Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS). It was held from Oct. 8-9, 2009. The IPCS is headed by Maj. Gen. (retd.) Dipankar Banerjee. Pandey is authoring a paper for the study project.

Consortium of South Asian Think-tanks organized by Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), New Delhi and supported by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in cooperation with the BIISS held a regional conference on 'Countering Terrorism: Building a Common Approach in SAARC' in Dhaka on April 12-13, 2010. Director of CSAS Nishchal N. Pandey and Former Ambassador to United Nations in conduct of international relations. CSAS is also involved in research, dissemination and deliberation on Nepal's current peace process and constitution drafting with several programs on federalism and integration. In partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German political foundation, CSAS has been implementing 'Nepal's National Interests' project for the year 2010.

The second Annual General Meeting of the Association for Security Sector Education and Training (ASSET) took place from 2-3 March 2010 in Manila, the Philippines. Co-organized by DCAF/ISSAT and the Institute for Strategic and Development Studies (ISDS), Manilla, the CSAS was welcomed as a member of the Association. Director Pandey also spoke on Security Sector Governance in Nepal during the meet.

Director of CSAS Nishchal N. Pandey participated in the regional conference on 'South Asia 2020: Moving Towards Cooperation or Conflict" organized by Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi on Nov. 4-5, 2009. Foreign Secretary of India Ms. Nirupama Rao had delivered the keynote address. Pandey also presented a paper in the conference.

Director Pandey participated and presented a country paper on 'Re-structuring of SAARC' at a regional conference organized by the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Germany and the Program on Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Department of International Relations, University

of Karachi on March 30-31, 2010. Delegates from SAARC countries, and a large number of students and faculty deliberated on the topic.

CSAS organized a 'Regional Workshop and Training on Security Sector Transformation' at the Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu on May 12-14, 2009. It was organized in cooperation with the Association for Security Sector Education and Training (ASSET), Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo, International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT) and Global Facilitation Network for SSR (GN/SSR) of the University of Birmingham, UK. More than 30 delegates from South Asia and Southeast Asia participated in the workshop.

Director Nishchal N. Pandey gave a talk on the Role of Political Culture and the Current Situation in Nepal at the prestigious Royal United Service institute (RUSI), Whitehall, London on Asug. 13, 2009. It was co-organized by the Centre for Foreign Policy Analysis, London. Director of RUSI Prof. Michael Clarke and Director of CFPA Dr. Paul Moorcraft were present on the occasion.

The CSAS hosted a visit of Member of European Parliament Klaus-Heiner Lehne and Member of German Parliament Dr. Joachim Pfeiffer on Oct. 6, 2008 in Kathmandu. The visit was organized in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. The delegation called on the current Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', the then Finance Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Chairman of the CPN (UML) party Jhal Nath Khanal. The CSAS also organized a talk program by the visiting German M.Ps at the Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu.

The CSAS hosted a visit of a delegation of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) led by its President Prof. Yang Jiemian on Jan. 28-31, 2009. The delegation called on the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', current Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Former Prime Ministers Girija Prasad Koirala and Sher Bahadur Deuba. Director of CSAS Pandey was present on all occasions. The CSAS also hosted a luncheon in honor of the delegation at Hotel Shangri-La which was attended by the then Minister for Information and Communications Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Former Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey, Former Minister Buddhi Man Tamang, Former Ambassadors Dr. Shambhu Ram Simkhada, Prof. Dr. Mohan Prasad Lohani among others.