AIDIA Founder KC presents at Japan's IDE‑JETRO; becomes first Nepali scholar included in its research portfolio

KATHMANDU: Sunil KC, founder of the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA) and president of the Nepal‑India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), is the first Nepali scholar invited to present at the Institute of Developing Economies of the Japan External Trade Organization (IDE‑JETRO). He presented at the IDE‑JETRO symposium held in Tokyo on Monday.

The symposium, titled 'Bay of Bengal Updates: Regional Economic Cooperation at a Crossroads', formally included Nepal in IDE‑JETRO’s research and dialogue portfolio for the first time, opening a pathway for sustained academic and policy collaboration between Japanese and Nepali institutions.

KC’s presentation, 'From Buffer State to Green Battery and Digital Bridge: Nepal’s strategic pivot in the Asian century', outlined Nepal’s evolving strategic and economic role in the Bay of Bengal region. He argued that deeper regional cooperation — expanding beyond bilateral ties to trilateral and broader regional frameworks — is increasingly essential for economic resilience and shared prosperity.

He highlighted economic growth and trade expansion as primary drivers of integration and emphasised the need to develop multimodal transport and logistics links that connect landlocked hinterlands, including Nepal, to the Bay of Bengal. KC also addressed collaborative resource management, energy cooperation, digital integration, and the importance of maritime security and geopolitical stability. He pointed to tourism and cultural exchange as additional avenues to reduce regional disparities by better connecting coastal and landlocked economies.

The event convened scholars and policy experts from Japan, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, providing a platform for forward‑looking dialogue on strategic connectivity and regional economic cooperation in the Bay of Bengal. Organisers said IDE‑JETRO’s inclusion of Nepal signals growing recognition of the country’s role in regional discussions.

AIDIA and IDE‑JETRO have agreed to engage regularly on regional discourse and research projects, a partnership expected to support evidence‑based policymaking and enhanced regional collaboration in the coming years.

AIDIA is a Kathmandu‑based think tank dedicated to independent research and dialogue on Nepal’s foreign policy, regional cooperation and global affairs.