A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been formally signed to foster cooperation and collaboration in policy research between Policy Research Institute (PRI), a government think tank, and Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI), an independent think tank. The signing ceremony took place at the PRI premises in Narayanhiti, Kathmandu, Nepal, on December 10, 2024, during a brief but significant function attended by representatives from both institutions.

Representing PRI at the event were, Executive Chairperson Prof. Dr. Lekhnath Sharma, Senior Research Fellows Dr. Hari Sharma Neupane, Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka, Dr. Mukti Ram Rijal, Dr. Khaga Nath Adhikari and Office Manager Mr. Laxman Prasad Bhattarai. The NDRI delegation included President Dr. Krishna Pahari, Executive Director Dr. Shankar Shrestha, Senior Research Specialist Prof. Dr. Punya Prasad Regmi, and Outreach and Communication Officer Ms. Ashma Aryal.

The MoU signifies a shared commitment to collaboratively addressing emerging policy challenges through high-quality research and proactive engagement. Both institutions expressed their enthusiasm to work together on critical areas such as Climate change and environmental sustainability, Economic development and poverty alleviation, Food security and achieving Zero Hunger; Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI); Disaster management and resilience-building; Governance and policy innovation.

During the ceremony, the NDRI team, led by Dr. Pahari elaborated on NDRI’s 20-year legacy of delivering impactful policy research, advocacy, and capacity-building programs. They highlighted the institute’s active engagement across key research domains, including food security, water and climate, health, education, environment, economic resilience, and governance.

NDRI’s achievements were recently recognized through the Policy Award (निति सम्मान) 2024, awarded by the Policy Research Institute. This honor further solidifies NDRI’s reputation as a leading think tank committed to evidence-based research, capacity building, and transformative policy solutions.

Prof. Dr. Sharma and other PRI representatives emphasized the transformative potential of this partnership. In his remarks, Dr. Sharma stated that this collaboration with NDRI marks a critical step toward fostering impactful research and policy solutions that address emerging issues facing our nation. He, along with other PRI members, underscored the importance of proactive engagement in research, avoiding complacency through continuous diligence, and delivering innovative solutions to address both national and global challenges.

As part of this collaboration, NDRI announced its plans to launch a policy research project focused on achieving Zero Hunger. Both institutions agreed to prioritize joint efforts in research, capacity-building, and dissemination of evidence-based policy recommendations that contribute to Nepal’s long-term development goals.

This MoU marks a significant milestone in strengthening Nepal’s research and policy ecosystem by leveraging collective expertise, of PRI the Government think tank and NDRI, a leading think tank at the non- government level.

Further details are also available at the PRI website here.