The second executive committee served from 2009 to 2013, a period marked by the Academy’s expansion into scholarship facilitation and the historic first official delegation visit to Beijing — milestones that transformed the organization from a Kathmandu-based initiative into a recognized bilateral institution.
Expanding the Mandate
Prof. Sarita Devi Shrestha, who had served as Vice President under the founding committee, brought continuity and ambition to the presidency. Her leadership prioritized two strategic pillars: creating tangible educational opportunities for Nepali students in China, and establishing the Academy’s presence beyond Nepal’s borders through direct institutional engagement with Chinese counterparts.
The committee’s scholarship program, launched in 2010, partnered with Chinese government cultural affairs offices to identify and recommend Nepali candidates for Chinese Government Scholarship positions. In its first two cycles, the program facilitated applications for over forty students, with twelve receiving full scholarships to study at institutions including Peking University, Fudan University, and Sichuan University.
Committee Roster
- President: Prof. Sarita Devi Shrestha
- Vice President: Mr. Nabin Kumar Tamang
- Vice President: Dr. Bindu Lal Joshi
- General Secretary: Mr. Rajendra Maharjan
- Secretary: Ms. Puja Dangol
- Treasurer: Mr. Mohan Lal Shrestha
- Executive Member: Ms. Sushila Thapa
- Executive Member: Mr. Arun Bahadur Gurung
- Executive Member: Dr. Mina Kumari Acharya
- Executive Member: Mr. Pradip Manandhar
- Executive Member: Ms. Nirmala Bhandari
The Beijing Delegation
In October 2011, a nine-member delegation led by Prof. Shrestha traveled to Beijing for a ten-day program of institutional visits, cultural exchanges, and preliminary partnership discussions. The delegation met with representatives from the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, toured the campuses of three major universities, and attended a reception hosted by the Nepali Embassy in Beijing.
What began as a courtesy visit became the foundation for every partnership agreement the Academy has signed since. We returned to Kathmandu with signed letters of intent and, more importantly, with friendships that transcended protocol.
Mr. Rajendra Maharjan, General Secretary, 2nd Executive Committee
The delegation’s outcomes included formal invitations for future student exchanges, a framework for annual academic conferences, and the seed of what would become the Academy’s annual cultural exchange festival — a program realized by the subsequent committee.