Dignity Initiative and Centre for Development Studies, Simla, India are pleased to invite you to the 18th Distinguished Lecture of the Global Dialogue on Dalit Studies in South Asia.
Speaker
Prof. Richard Bownas,
University of Northern Colorado, USA
Topic
Religion and Dalits in Nepal
Event Details:
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- Date: Saturday, 23 August 2025
- Time: 08:00 PM Nepal | 07:45 PM India | 10:15 AM USA | 02:15 PM UK
- Meeting ID: 875 3447 1481
- Passcode: 077770
- Zoom Link: Join Session
Format
Prof. Bownas will speak for about 40 minutes. The talk will be followed by a chatbox-moderated Q&A session.
Contact
Rup Sunar
Chairperson, Dignity Initiative, Kathmandu, Nepal
Email: info@dignityinitiatives.org
Dr. Prashant Negi
Assistant Professor, Dr. K. R. Narayanan Centre for Dalit and Minorities Studies
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Email: negiprashant@gmail.com
Watch Live
About the Speaker:
Dr. Richard Bownas, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Northern Colorado, was awarded a 2023 Fulbright Scholar Award for his ongoing research in Nepal. His project centers on oral history interviews with Nepali elders, documenting lived experiences of political transformation and grassroots democracy.
With over 15 years of fieldwork in South Asia, Dr. Bownas has published extensively on caste, conflict, religion, and post-conflict reconstruction. His recent work appears in Contemporary South Asia, Globalizations, and New Political Science. He continues to collaborate with Kathmandu-based organizations such as the Dignity Initiative, supporting historically marginalized castes, empowerment and inclusive civic engagement.
Dr. Bownas holds a PhD in Government from Cornell University and has taught at Cornell, Swansea University (UK), and UNC. His teaching portfolio includes courses on Asian politics, global issues, and international law.