Program Details 2026

DATES

Aug 15-16, 2026

VENUE

University of Ottawa,
55 Laurier Avenue East, Desmarais Building, Main Floor, Ottawa

KEYNOTE

Prof. Bishal Gyawali, Queen's University

INCLUDES

Breakfast, Lunch, Networking Breaks, Conference Dinner

8:00-9:00 AM MEAL Registration (DMS Lobby) and Breakfast (DMS 1150)

9:00-9:30 AM Program Welcome and Inauguration Room DMS 1150

President’s welcome, remarks by Ambassador of Nepal, CANEFOR Journal Launch, housekeeping announcements.

9:30-11:20 AM Parallel-A Session 1 (Parallel-A): Diaspora, Migration & Social Transformation Room DMS 1110

Chair: Soni Thapa (Humber College, Etobicoke, ON)

Ambika Adhikari Arizona State University, USA Diaspora as a Development Partner: Nepal's Untapped Asset

Sharmila Ranabhat Mount Royal University, Canada Intersecting Barriers to Inclusion: Lived Experiences of Racialized Immigrant Women

Punya Sagar Marahatta & Chitra Pradhan NRNA, Canada Retiring in the Laps of the Himalayas: A Strategic Framework for Diaspora Reintegration and Cross-Border Collaboration

Laxman Lamichhane Independent Researcher, Canada Forced Migration, Legal Precarity, and Integration Challenges among Nepali Migrants in Canada

Govinda Dahal Health Canada Knowledge Translation and Dissemination of Evidence

9:30-11:20 AM Parallel-B Session 1 (Parallel-B): Business, Public Policy & Economic Development Room DMS 1120

Chair: Poonam Shrestha Malakar (University of Windsor, ON)

Anup Basnet, Magnus Blomkvist & Thomas Walker Western University / EDHEC / Concordia The Value of Layered Venture Capital Signals in Private M&A Markets

Dinesh Gajurel University of New Brunswick Welfare Contribution of Remittance Inflow in Nepal

Hari Luitel & Chay Virta Algoma University Population Aging in Canada: Fiscal Challenges and Policy Responses

Tulsi Dharel Centennial College The Future of Marketing: Innovation and the Power of Country Branding

Krishna KC GTA, Canada From Vision to Impact: Participatory Strategic Planning as a Catalyst for Organizational Effectiveness in NGOs and INGOs

11:20-12:50 PM POSTER Session 2: Poster Presentation Lobby (Ground Floor, DMS)

Co-ordinator: Santa Man Rai (Advisor, CANEFOR)

Abhi Poudel Longfields Davidson Heights SS Reusable Rockets: Revolutionising the Space Industry

Idika Poudel University of Ottawa Chaos Theory: Applications and Uses

Ishika Tripathi University of Ottawa Organizational- and System-Level Barriers and Enablers to Implementing Digital Palliative Care Tools into Long-Term Care Homes

Manus Basnet Merivale HS Language Loss Across Immigrant Communities

Pranaya Poudel École Secondaire Publique Omer-Deslauriers The Role of Molecular Structure for Predicting Toxicity Factors of Chemical Compounds

Shelina Poudel University of Ottawa The Role of PER3 VNTR Polymorphism in Modulating Cognitive Resilience to Sleep Deprivation

Shreedika Poudel University of Ottawa Earth's Magnetoreception: Navigation and Geoquantum Sensing Technologies

12:50-2:00 PM MEAL Lunch Venue: DMS 3105

2:00-3:50 PM Parallel-A Session 3 (Parallel-A): AI, Media & Digital Innovation Room DMS 1110

Chair: Jagadish Ghimire (Ericsson, Ottawa)

Sunita Acharya & Bhanu B. Acharya Kantipur City College / University of Ottawa Normalizing GenAI Use in Journalism: How Media Institutions Integrate GenAI into Journalistic Code of Ethics

Suraj Bhandari NEAJA, USA Bridging Diasporic Barriers through AI-Augmented Journalism: A Case of NEAJA in North American Media Ecosystems

Reya Shreya Rai Toronto Metropolitan University Beyond the Bookshelf: The Potential of Digital Mapping and Gamification to Boost Teen Engagement at Vaughan Public Libraries

Shaligram Aryal Carleton University Prime Ministerial Leadership and Media: A Critical Review of Communications and Media Relations Strategies of Two Canadian Prime Ministers

Shiromani Dawadi Prince of Songkla University, Thailand Communicating Climate Change in Nepal: Impact of Electronic Media on Journalistic Practice and Public Awareness

2:00-3:50 PM Parallel-B Session 3 (Parallel-B): Health, Medicine & Public Health Room DMS 1120

Chair: Rajendra Parajuli (University of California San Diego, USA)

Basanta Lamichhane and colleagues Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières From Plant to Pharmacy: Unlocking the Complete Biosynthetic Pathway of the Alzheimer's Drug Galanthamine in Leucojum aestivum

Gyanendra Pokharel University of Winnipeg How People Respond to Public Health Policies During an Epidemic

Mahanish J. Thapa University of Ottawa From Aldehyde-induced DNA Damage to Pan-cancer Biology: Linking Mutational Signatures to Their Biological Processes

Aarsi Basnet University of Ottawa Adversity, Caregiver Distress, and Child Socioemotional Development: A Cross-Context Analysis of Risk and Resilience in Canada and Nepal

Basudev Koirala Vedik Gyan Kendra, Nepal Reimagining the Zodiac: A Comparative Etymological Study of Misrepresented Astrological Symbols

3:50–4:20 PM BREAK Networking / Health Break Lobby (Ground Floor, DMS)

4:20–5:20 PM Keynote Session 4: Keynote Speech Room DMS 1150

Chair: Sanjeena Dang Subedi (Carleton University, Ottawa)

Prof. Bishal Gyawali 'Queen's University, Canada' Title: "From Nepal to Nippon to the North: My Journey of Cancer Policy and Global Oncology Research." Activities: Includes speaker introduction, keynote speech, and Q&A session.

5:20–6:00 PM BREAK Networking / Health Break Lobby (Ground Floor, DMS)

6:00-7:30 PM MEAL Conference Dinner Room DMS 3105

8:00-9:00 AM MEAL Breakfast Room DMS 3105

9:00-10:30 AM Parallel-A Session 5 (Parallel-A): Agriculture, Forestry & Food Security Room DMS 1110

Chair: Nira Sharma (Seneca College, Toronto)

Bibek Bhandari Université Laval Interactive Effects of Trail Design and Harvest Intensity on Residual Tree Damage and Its Spatial Distribution in Mechanized Partial Harvesting

Sewak Bhatta & Shuva Hari Gautam Université Laval Analysis of the Traceability of Wood from the Forest to the Processing Unit

Shuva Hari Gautam Université Laval Long-Term Wood Supply Planning and Its Impacts on the Forest Products Supply Chain

Radheshyam Malakar University of Waterloo Rethinking Political Economy for the Anthropocene: A DiCaSoc Framework for Sustainable Development

9:00-10:30 AM Parallel-B Session 5 (Parallel-B): Environment and Sustainability Room DMS 1120

Chair: Birendra Sapkota (Natural Resources, Canada)

Sunitha Bisan, Tara Howse & Riya Osti University of Ottawa Are Intersectional Inequities Addressed in Energy Policies? A Comparative Study of Canada and Nepal Using the IEEAT Framework

Ajoy Bista & Amiti Bista Government of Canada Strengthening Results Tracking in Federal Support for Canada's Green Technology Innovation

Mohan Basnet LRL Engineering From Source to Tap: How Cities Treat and Distribute Water

Hom Nath Gharti and colleagues Queen's University Computing Gravity Across Scales: From Earthquakes to Lava Tubes and Asteroids

10:30–10:50 AM BREAK Health Break & Refreshments Lobby (Ground Floor, DMS)

10:50-12:40 PM Session Session 6: Society, Culture & Human Development Room DMS 1150

Chair: Gokul Bhandari (University of Windsor, Canada)

Bali Rai Royal Roads University The Effect of Colonial Oppression and Cultural Erasure on the Indigenous Bayung Rai People's Segro Ceremony in Nepal

Kamal Kumar Nepali Memorial University of Newfoundland A Case Study of Feminist Reproductive Justice Movement in Nepal: Feminist Critical Discourse and Semiotics Analysis

Shiva Acharya Laurentian University Walking Together: What We Learned About Building Relationships and Repairing Harm through Indigenous Sharing Circles in Canada

Kritisha Acharya University of Toronto The Ins and Outs of Drug Development: A Case of Drug Development Ecosystem

Shasanka Chalise University of Regina Delving into Diversity: Integrative Framework on Understanding Perceived Workplace Discrimination Against Visible Minority Employees

12:40–1:40 PM MEAL Lunch Room DMS 3105

1:40–3:00 PM Program Conference Closing and CANEFOR Annual General Meeting Room DMS 1150

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