The Committee is pleased to announce the accepted papers for presentation at the 2026 Canada-Nepal Forum for Research Conference under the following nine thematic tracks.
Theme 1: AI, Media, and Digital Innovation
Navigating the Algorithmic Frontier: GenAI Governance and Institutional Adaptation in Canada's Research-Intensive Universities
Bhanu B. Acharya (University of Ottawa, Canada) and Basu Sharma (University of New
Brunswick, Canada)
Normalizing GenAI Use in Journalism: How Media Institutions Integrate GenAI into Journalistic Code of Ethics
Sunita Acharya (Kantipur City College, Purbanchal University, Nepal)
Bridging Diasporic Barriers through AI-Augmented Journalism: A Case of NEAJA in North American Media Ecosystems
Suraj Bhandari (NEAJA, USA)
Communicating Climate Change in Nepal: Impact of Electronic Media on Journalistic Practice and Public Awareness
Shiromani Dawadi (Prince of Songkla University, Thailand)
Beyond the Bookshelf: The Potential of Digital Mapping and Gamification to Boost Teen Engagement at Vaughan Public Libraries
Reya Shreya Rai (Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada)
Prime Ministerial Leadership and Media: A Critical Review of Communications and Media Relations Strategies of Two Canadian Prime Ministers
Shaligram Aryal (Carleton University, Canada)
Theme 2: Diaspora and Social Transformation
Diaspora as a Development Partner: Nepal's Untapped Asset
Ambika Adhikari (Arizona State University, USA)
Entangled Mobilities: From Gulf Labour Migration to Digital Nomadism in the Reconfiguration of Global Work
Hari KC (Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada)
Forced Migration, Legal Precarity, and Integration Challenges among Nepali Migrants in Canada
Laxman Lamichhane (Independent Researcher, Canada)
Experiences of Nepali Migrants in the United States Entering through Irregular Channels
Pramod Acharya (Freelance Journalist)
Retiring in the Laps of the Himalayas: A Strategic Framework for Diaspora Re- integration and Cross-Border Collaboration
Punya Sagar Marahatta and Chitra Pradhan (NRNA, Canada)
Intersecting Barriers to Inclusion: Lived Experiences of Racialized Immigrant Women
Sharmila Ranabhat (Mount Royal University, Canada)
Theme 3: Health, Medicine, and Public Health
Characterizing the Metabolic Alterations Underlying Phenotypic Changes in Chimeric Antigen Receptor Natural Killer (CAR-NK) Cells During Ex Vivo Expansion
Abha Ranjitkar, Jannat Pervin, and Seung-Hwan Lee (University of Ottawa, Canada)
From Plant to Pharmacy: Unlocking the Complete Biosynthetic Pathway of the Alzheimer's Drug Galanthamine in Leucojum aestivum
Basanta Lamichhane and colleagues (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada)
Lung Ultrasound for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Diagnosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Jithin Sreedharan (University of Manitoba, Canada)
Economic Burden and Adequacy of Financial Protection in Cancer Treatment: Evidence from Bhaktapur, Nepal
Santoshi Paudel and colleagues (Public Health Office, Nepal)
How People Respond to Public Health Policies During an Epidemic
Gyanendra Pokharel (University of Winnipeg, Canada)
Strengthening Institutional Ethics Review Systems in a Tertiary Eye Hospital in Nepal: Practical Experience from an IRC Office
Mukunda Sanjel (Nepal Eye Hospital, Nepal)
The Afterlife of Humanitarianism: Ageing, Abandonment, and Care in Bhutanese Refugee Camps in Nepal
Karun Karki (University of British Columbia, Canada)
From Aldehyde-induced DNA Damage to Pan-cancer Biology: Linking Mutational Signatures to Their Biological Processes
Mahanish J. Thapa (University of Ottawa, Canada)
Theme 4: Environment and Sustainability
Natives' Lived Experience of Climate Change in Sikles, Kaski, Nepal: An Ethnographic Study
Bishal Regmi (Western University, Canada)
Are Intersectional Inequities Addressed in Energy Policies? A Comparative Study of Canada and Nepal Using the IEEAT Framework
Sunitha Bisan, Tara Howse, and Riya Osti (University of Ottawa, Canada)
Rethinking Political Economy for the Anthropocene: A DiCaSoc Framework for Sustainable Development
Radheshyam Malakar (University of Waterloo, Canada)
Strengthening Results Tracking in Federal Support for Canada's Green Technology Innovation
Ajoy Bista and Amiti Bista (Government of Canada)
From Source to Tap: How Cities Treat and Distribute Water
Mohan Basnet (LRL Engineering, Canada)
Hot Springs in Nepal: Geological Origin and Tourism Significance
Santa Man Rai, Tara Nidhi Bhattarai, and Durga Khatiwada (CANEFOR, Canada)
Theme 5: Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Security
Integrating Biochar with Organic–Mineral Fertilization to Improve Soil Health, Sustain Yield, and Modulate Nutritional Quality of Butternut Squash
Krishna Poudel and colleagues (Université Laval, Canada)
Diversity Assessment and Agro-Morphological Characterization Based on Nepalese Finger Millet Landraces at Lamjung Conditions
Sujan Chapagain and colleagues (Tribhuvan University, Nepal)
Interactive Effects of Trail Design and Harvest Intensity on Residual Tree Damage and Its Spatial Distribution in Mechanized Partial Harvesting
Bibek Bhandari (Université Laval, Canada)
Analysis of the Traceability of Wood from the Forest to the Processing Unit
Sewak Bhatta and Shuva Hari Gautam (Université Laval, Canada)
Long-Term Wood Supply Planning and Its Impacts on the Forest Products Supply Chain
Shuva Hari Gautam (Université Laval, Canada)
Pulse Crop Breeding for Premium Quality Traits: Lentil as an Example
Maya Subedi (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon)
Theme 6: Business, Economics, and Governance
The Value of Layered Venture Capital Signals in Private M&A Markets
Anup Basnet, Magnus Blomkvist, and Thomas Walker (Western University, EDHEC
Business School, and Concordia University)
Welfare Contribution of Remittance Inflow of Nepal
Dinesh Gajurel (University of New Brunswick, Canada)
Population Aging in Canada: Fiscal Challenges and Policy Responses
Hari Luitel and Chay Virta (Algoma University, Canada)
Canada–US Economic Integration: The Diversification Destiny
Ram Acharya (CANEFOR, Canada)
The Future of Marketing: Innovation and the Power of Country Branding
Tulasi Dharel (Centennial College, Canada)
From Vision to Impact: Participatory Strategic Planning as a Catalyst for Organizational Effectiveness in NGOs and INGOs
Krishna KC (Canada)
Theme 7: Society, Culture, and Human Development
Adversity, Caregiver Distress, and Child Socioemotional Development: A Cross- Context Analysis of Risk and Resilience in Canada and Nepal
Aarsi Basnet (University of Ottawa, Canada)
The Effect of Colonial Oppression and Cultural Erasure on the Indigenous Bayung Rai People's Segro Ceremony in Nepal
Bali Rai (Royal Roads University, Canada)
Spatial Hierarchy and Cultural Logic in Nawalpure Tharu Settlements: A Case Study of Gochhada, Nawalpur
Bhawana Aryal and colleagues (Tribhuvan University, Nepal)
A Case Study of Feminist Reproductive Justice Movement in Nepal: Feminist Critical Discourse and Semiotics Analysis
Kamal Kumar Nepali (Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada)
Emotional Intelligence of Leaders and Its Impact on Employee Behavioural Engagement
Namrata Gautam, Abhinash Adhikari, and Krisha Maharjan (STEAM Research Centre,
Nepal)
Walking Together: What We Learned About Building Relationships and Repairing Harm through Indigenous Sharing Circles in Canada
Shiva Acharya (Laurentian University, Canada)
Knowledge Translation and Dissemination of Evidence
Govinda Dahal (Health Canada)
Theme 8: Science, Engineering, and Innovation
Computing Gravity Across Scales: From Earthquakes to Lava Tubes and Asteroids
Hom Nath Gharti and colleagues (Queen's University, Canada)
The Ins and Outs of Drug Development: A Case of Drug Development Ecosystem
Kritisha Acharya (University of Toronto, Canada)
Reimagining the Zodiac: A Comparative Etymological Study of Misrepresented Astrological Symbols
Basudev Koirala (Vedik Gyan Kendra, Nepal)
Poster Presentations
Reusable Rockets: Revolutionising the Space Industry
Abhi Poudel (Longfields Davidson Heights Secondary School, Canada)
Efficacy of Brassicaceae Species as Nickel Hyperaccumulators for Sustainable Nickel Mining
Abiraj Sapkota (Merivale High School, Canada)
Biological Transport Network Optimization Across the National Capital Region Using Physarum polycephalum
Surbhi Gairapipli and Noah Vanzante (University of Ottawa, Canada)
The Role of PER3 VNTR Polymorphism in Modulating Cognitive Resilience to Sleep Deprivation
Shelina Poudel (University of Ottawa, Canada)
From Awareness to Action: Examining the Impact of ESG Factors on Investment Decisions Across Emerging and Developed Economies
Sasarpari Koirala and Unik Dahal (Gujarat University and Kalinga Institute of
Industrial Technology, India)
Listening to Learn: A Personalized Ambient Sound Profiler for Student Focus Optimization
Sanskriti Budhathoki (University of Ottawa, Canada)
Organizational- and System-Level Barriers and Enablers to Implementing Digital Palliative Care Tools into Long-Term Care Homes
Ishika Tripathi (University of Ottawa, Canada)
Earth's Magnetoreception: Navigation and Geoquantum Sensing Technologies
Shreedika Poudel (University of Ottawa, Canada)
The Role of Molecular Structure for Predicting Toxicity Factors of Chemical Compounds
Pranaya Poudel (École Secondaire Publique Omer-Deslauriers, Canada)
Lessons Learned from Turning a Student App into a Secure Cloud App
Lance Adhikari (Dr. Anne Anderson High School, Canada)
Language Loss Across Immigrant Communities
Manus Basnet (Merivale High School, Canada)
Chaos Theory: Applications and Uses
Idika Poudel (University of Ottawa, Canada)