Dr. Ram Chandra Bhusal Elected Chair of SAARC JICA Alumni Forum

Dr. Ram Chandra Bhusal, Chairperson of the Nepal JICA Alumni Association, has been elected as the Chairperson of the JICA Alumni Association Forum of SAARC Countries.

He was elected unopposed during an election held today in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The election took place after a three-day international seminar on the topic “Japan’s Contribution to Social and Economic Development in South Asia.”

Dr. Bhusal is currently the Chairperson of the Nepal JICA Alumni Association. He has also been serving as the General Secretary of the SAARC-region JICA Alumni Association since 2017.

According to Shanti Laxmi Shakya, General Secretary of the Nepal JICA Alumni Association, Dr. Bhusal and Vice-Chairperson Dr. Kiran Rupakheti represented Nepal at the event. A seven-member Nepali team, led by Dr. Bhusal, also attended the conference along with JICA alumni from other SAARC countries.

During the seminar, Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata said the forum plays an important role in strengthening relations between Japan and SAARC countries. He also said it helps support social and economic development in South Asia.

After being elected, Dr. Bhusal said Japan has always provided reliable and long-term support to SAARC countries. He added that the region can learn from Japan’s culture of honesty, responsibility, discipline, punctuality, and hard work.

The seminar also included presentations about the work done by JICA alumni in different SAARC countries.

The JICA Alumni Association Forum of SAARC Countries was formed in 2008 as a common platform for JICA alumni in the SAARC region. Its secretariat has been based in Kathmandu since 2017.