Chief Advisor
Gretchen Kalonji is an American materials scientist and academic administrator. She is dean of Sichuan University–Hong Kong Polytechnic University Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction. Kalonji was previously the assistant director-general for natural sciences at UNESCO. She was the Kyocera Professor of Materials Science at University of Washington and an associate professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Leader: CHINA
Leader: CHINA
Dr. Bingwei Tian is an Associate Professor and holds a PH.D in Engineering, and PH.D in Remote Sensing and Urban Engineering from Kyoto University and an M.S. from the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He currently works at the Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction (IDMR) at Sichuan University.
Dr Tian is doing research in the fields of International Disaster Risk Reduction Education, Disaster Mapping, Remote Sensing and Natural Disasters. He has participated in more than 20 scientific research projects, published more than 20 papers, edited five monographs, published one book, and participated in the compilation of a disaster atlas. He was awarded the “Nepal disaster Reconstruction for China-Nepal Friendship Award” by the ambassador of Nepal to China for his contribution to reconstruction after the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.
Co- Leader: NEPAL
Dr. Ram Thapaliya is currently the faculty member of the Master’s/PhD Program in Conflict, Peace and Development Studies, Department of International Relations and Diplomacy and Crisis Management Study 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 was awarded as a Goodwill Ambassador of the USA, as awarded by former President Bill Clinton.