south asia
Infrastructure Diplomacy and Development: How Nepal manages infrastructure aid from India, China, and Japan
Ep#110 Shuvangi Poudyal is a public policy researcher based in Kathmandu, with a focus on South Asia geo-economics, regional connectivity, and local governance. As the Program and Outreach Officer at PEI, she contributes to research projects like Infrastructure Diplomacy and RENT, while also coordinating programs and communicating findings through publications and an in-house host at PODS by PE...
Pen, Power, Politics: Nirjan Rai on Education Diplomacy in South Asia
#Ep.095 Nirjan is a researcher with over 20 years of experience of designing, managing, and leading analytical studies in Nepal and the United States. He specializes in political economy analysis and has examined critical reforms in the electricity sector, water governance, and geopolitics. Nirjan is the primary author of the recent PEI report “Pen, Power, Politics: How China and India wield soft ...
Mandakini Devasher Surie on Civic Spaces in South Asia
#Ep.086 Mandakini is an international development consultant with more than 18 years of expertise in program design, development, and aid management in South Asia. She has managed complex regional programs in South Asia focused on sustainable development, with a strong understanding of governance systems, institutions, and political economy dynamics. In March of last year, she worked with The...
Saumitra Neupane and Anurag Acharya on PM Dahal's China Visit and Beijing's Evolving Diplomacy in South Asia
#Ep.066 This episode was recorded as a special episode prior to PM Dahal’s official visit to China. In this special release, PEI colleagues Saumitra and Anurag are joining Shreeya to discuss the evolving Nepal-China relationship amidst a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Saumitra is the Executive director at PEI . He leads projects on infrastructure, bilateral investments, and aid....
Bishal Thapa on the Potential and Pitfalls of Energy Trade for Nepal
#Ep.064 Nepal has come a long way from its dismal past of power shortage and routine load sheddings. Today as more hydropower projects come online and supply is beginning seasonally to exceed demand there is an optimistic anticipation for power trade within the energy fraternity in Nepal. In this episode, Satish and Bishal evaluate the scope of the electricity trade between Nepal and its regi...
Satyam Panday on the Economic Performance of China and India: Unpacking S&P Global's Recent Emerging Markets Outlook Report
#Ep.058 The economic performance of emerging markets in the post-COVID-19 world has been a mixed landscape of growth, vulnerability, and resilience. Driven by rebounding commodity prices and supportive fiscal policies, many economies experienced robust recovery, but this revival has been uneven across regions. Factors such as varying global trade impacts, and differences in exposure to external...