Dr. Ram Thapaliya is faculty member of the Master's Program in Conflict, Peace and Development Studies and Crisis Management Studies at Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He holds a degree in International Law from Tribhuvan University, a Master's degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (USA) and has been awarded a Ph.D. in Crisis Management from Atlantic International University (USA). His research interests include the role of the military in South Asia, identity based conflicts and crisis management of both natural and human-made disasters.
Dr. Thapaliya's experience as a mediator, facilitator and trainer has included work in the Balkans, South Asia and with the UNWFP, US government agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations, as well as international and local NGOs. He represented the Nepali Congress Party at the International Socialist Global Forum to reconfirm the party's commitment to the principle of democratic socialism. He is an advocate of Nepal's strategic foreign policy engagement and has served a s a international secretary of the Party's Foreign Relations Department and is also a Goodwill Ambassador of the USA, as awarded by former President Bill Clinton.
Dr Thapaliya cover a vast array of experience in conducting the various types of assessments related to disaster risk management and risk reduction programming and planning at local and national levels. He is experienced in working with a variety of stakeholders, including local response agencies, organizations and others in building capacity in disaster preparedness and response. In addition to in disaster risk management planning for local and national organizations, providing capacity-building workshops for actual response scenarios is another area where he is assisting. He has developed disaster risk management educational curriculum and materials and has experience in utilizing the course curriculum and materials in working with local and national stakeholders to build disaster risk management knowledge and capacity. Currently he chair the Institute of Crisis/Disasters Management (TU) Masters in Crisis and Disasters Management Study Program.
During 2015, Dr. Ram Thapaliya served as the Honorary Disaster Management Advisor to the former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
