Mr Nishchal N. Pandey is Director, Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu. A well-known academic from Nepal, he was Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director and Research and Documentation Officer of the Kathmandu based Institute of Foreign Affairs where he worked for 8 years (1998-2006). He was also advisor to the National Planning Commission, taskforce member to draft the ninth five-year plan of the Nepal government and sub-editor of ‘The Rising Nepal’ daily.

Additionally, Mr Pandey is currently International Research Committee Member of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo. He also teaches at the Department of Peace, Conflict and Development, Tribhuvan University and also at the Nepal Army Command and Staff College.

Mr Pandey is the author of the book, “Nepal’s Maoist Movement and Implications for India and China” published by Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, Colombo in 2005. His other book “India’s North-Eastern States: Insurgency, Economic Development and Linkages with South East Asia” was published by the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), Singapore in 2008. Additionally, Pandey has edited / co-edited a dozen books including “Nepal as a Transit State: Emerging Possibilities”, “Trade Facilitation: Nepal’s Priorities”, “Nepal-China Relations”, “Nepal-Japan Relations”, “Nepal and the United Nations”, “Labor Issues and Foreign Policy”, “New Life Within SAARC” and “Comprehensive Security in South Asia”. He has also authored over three dozen research papers and articles to internationally reputed journals, books and periodicals.

From December 2006 to February 2007, Mr Pandey was a Visiting Research Fellow at the ISAS, at the National University of Singapore.