KATHMANDU: Dr. Hemraj Sharma, Vice President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), has announced his candidacy for the position of Central President at the 12th NRNA General Convention.
In a statement released on Monday, Sharma, who has been actively involved with NRNA for nearly 20 years, emphasized that the association stands at a critical juncture and requires leadership that is inclusive, effective, and globally relevant.
Sharma has previously held several key roles, including General Secretary, Vice President, Spokesperson, Coordinator of the First and Second World Knowledge Conferences, and Chair of the Constitution Amendment Advisory Committee. He also plans to contest for the position of Chair of the International Coordination Council (ICC).
He expressed concern over divisions within the central leadership, which he said have led to fragmentation within the global Nepali diaspora and sidelined key NRNA issues, including citizenship rights. “I aim to make NRNA a globally recognized, inclusive, accountable, and dynamic organization, with a clear roadmap and a forthcoming manifesto,” Dr. Sharma said.
The NRNA, with over 80,000 members worldwide, has already conducted elections for 58 National Coordination Councils. For the 12th International General Convention in Kathmandu this October, more than 4,700 representatives have applied.
Dr. Sharma highlighted his focus on building a unified, tech-friendly, results-oriented, sustainable, accountable, transparent, and multidimensional NRNA. “Once elected, I will create opportunities to channel the skills, knowledge, innovation, and investments of the Nepali diaspora into Nepal. Strengthening partnerships with the government and international agencies to secure foreign employment for Nepalis will also be a priority,” he said.
He added that he would safeguard the organization from financial, political, and other external influences, and ensure that the ICC leadership is elected through direct member voting.
Born in Baglung, Sharma currently serves as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool, UK. A gold medalist in Physics from Tribhuvan University in 1997, he earned his PhD in Physics from Free University Berlin and later completed postdoctoral research in Japan, where he also worked as a senior researcher at a national laboratory under the Japanese government.
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