Dr. Bishnu Dev Pant

During my 40-years of professional career, I have gained significant experience working in esteemed international organizations, think tanks, academia, and government. I worked in the Asian Development (ADB) in Manila, Philippines for about 13 years starting from 1996 in different capacities. The last position that I held was the Director of the Development Indicators and Policy Research Division .at the Economics and Research Department. This gave me an opportunity to learn and understand the economic, social and political issues as well as opportunities to interact with the policy makers and senior government officials, researchers and academia in the countries of the region. Prior to my moving to ADB I worked at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand as Chief of Statistical Information Services Section for ten years from 1986 to 1995..During that period, I was able to understand the state of statistical system around the countries of Asia Pacific region, and the problems and issues they faced in the production and dissemination of the statistics. At UNESCAP, my role was to assist developing member countries in strengthening their capacities in generating policy relevant statistics.

After returning to Nepal in around 2009 I joined the Institute of Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), a premier think tank of the country, as Executive Director and worked there for more than ten years. During my tenure I was able to significantly raise the status and profile of IIDS from almost scratch to one of the descent regional think tank of South Asia. One of the many projects that I initiated at IIDS was the establishment of IIDS/KU joint public policy academic program leading to a Master's in Public Policy program at KUSOM since 2020. Around this time I was also successful in hosting the head office of the South Asian Network of Economic Research Institutes (SANEI) at IIDS complex in Kathmandu and served as its Coordinator for more than five years from 2014 to 2020.

Before joining UNESCAP in early 1986, I served at the National Planning Commission, Nepal as advisor for eighteen months during 1984- 85. My professional career started from the Agricultural Projects Services Centre (APROSC), Kathmandu where I worked as statistician from 1977 to 1984. Presently I am a part time faculty and Head of Research Unit at the South Asian Institute of Management (SAIM), Kathmandu.

I started my rotary journey from the Rotary Club of Dillibazar some six years ago, but have now been associated with the Rotary Club of Himalayan Golfers. In the beginning, I took my rotary involvement as just a pastime. But now it has become a sort of passion. I am specially attracted by the vision of rotary that “sees the world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in communities and in ourselves”. Rotary has motivated me to do something for the society. I now strongly believe that even a small contribution will make a difference.