Board of Trustees and Honorary contributors

BoT member Er. Birendra Raj Pandey is a leading figure in Nepal’s industrial and construction sectors, serving as President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and leading Nepal Adarsha Nirman Company (NANC). A civil engineer with an ME in Construction Engineering & Project Management from AIT, Thailand, he previously served as Secretary General of IFAWPCA.

BoT Ex officio member Mr. Choodamani Poudel is the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Government of Nepal. He is a key official focusing on education policy, vocational training, digital education platforms, and international educational collaborations. 

BoT Ex officio member Dr. Ghanashyam Upadhyaya is Secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Finance, overseeing revenue growth, capital expenditure, and investment promotion. He previously served at the National Planning Commission, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation. He holds a PhD from Kathmandu University and has extensive public finance expertise.

BoT Ex officio member Dr. Gyan Bahadur Thapa is Member Secretary of the University Grants Commission, Nepal, and a Professor of Mathematics at the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Pulchowk Campus, with over 30 years of teaching experience. He specializes in applied mathematics, optimization, operations research, and supply chain management and holds a PhD from Tribhuvan University.

BoT member Mr. Lochan Gyawali is a renowned entrepreneur with leadership experience across tea, microelectronics, and tourism. He is Director of Jun Chiyabari Pvt. Ltd., Managing Director of Narayani Group, and former Director of Four Season Travel. He holds an MBA from the University of Delhi and a BCom from Shri Ram College of Commerce.

BoT member Professor Nam Pyo Suh is Cross-Professor Emeritus at MIT and served as the 13th and 14th President of KAIST. Appointed by U.S. President Reagan as Assistant Director for Engineering at the National Science Foundation (1984–1988), he led MIT’s Mechanical Engineering Department, transforming it into a multidisciplinary, future-focused academic unit

BoT member Dr. Pushkar Bajracharya is a Professor of Management and former member of Nepal’s National Planning Commission. Founder Chairman of Professional Educators Limited, he specializes in policy, trade, strategic management, and higher education leadership. He holds a PhD from Delhi University and a postgraduate degree from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

MBUST President Dr. Rajendra Dhoj Joshi holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering and served over 20 years at Tribhuvan University as Professor and Dean. Later, he contributed to education and energy reforms with the World Bank across multiple countries. With 30+ years’ experience, he is a leader in tertiary education reform in Nepal.

BoT member Dr. Sangeeta Singh is a Professor of Urban Planning at Institute of Engineering, TU, and  Director of the Center for Applied Research and Development, and Program Coordinator of M.Sc. in Energy for Sustainable Social Development. A former National Planning Commission member, she holds a PhD in Urban Planning, and an MSc in Infrastructure Planning.

BoT member Professor Seeram Ramakrishna is Chair Professor at Tsinghua University and Director of the Centre for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology at NUS. An academician of several academies, he holds a Master’s from IIT Madras, a PhD from Cambridge, and completed Harvard’s General Management Program. He is globally recognized in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

BoT member Mr. Shankar Man Shrestha is a veteran Nepalese microfinance expert with over 50 years of experience and a pioneer of “clean microfinance.” Founder of the Centre for Self-help Development, former CEO of the Rural Microfinance Development Center, he holds an MA in Economics and has served on multiple boards.

BoT member Prof. Sudarshan Raj Tiwari is a senior conservation architect with over 40 years of teaching in architecture and urban planning. He has consulted for UNDP and the World Bank, authored numerous publications on Nepali architecture and urban culture, and holds a PhD from Tribhuvan University, an MArch from Hawaii, and a BArch from Delhi University.

BoT member Prof. Suzanne Fortier has served as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University since 2013. A chemist by training, she earned her BSc and PhD from McGill. Former President of Canada’s NSERC, she is recognized for research in crystallography and AI-based protein structures and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.