Asian Mountain Academic Alliance AMAA

29/08/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧.

In July 2025, a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) from a supraglacial lake on the Purepu Glacier swept down the Trishuli River and struck the Rasuwagadhi border crossing between Nepal and China. Nine people were killed, dozens went missing. The Miteri Bridge, Nepal's primary gateway for cross-border trade with China, was destroyed. Four hydropower projects were damaged, taking 8% of Nepal's generation capacity offline. Hundreds of vehicles and cargo containers were buried in mud. Cross-border commerce came to a halt.

Scientists confirmed the cause within days. A rapid hazard assessment by Qiao Liu, Amrit Thapa and Jakob Steiner, published through the HiRISK collective, was among the first formal scientific analyses released.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟔 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 — 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫. An ice-rock avalanche in the Langtang region sent a wall of water, ice and debris thundering down the Lhende Khola and into the Trishuli river system at speeds of up to 108 km/h. The flood wave travelled 168 km. Nearly 600 are confirmed dead. Nearly 2,000 are still missing. Over 40 km of highway were damaged. Twelve hydropower facilities were damaged, removing 431 MW from the national grid, with a further 470 MW of projects under construction also impacted. The Rasuwagadhi customs post, only recently rebuilt, was destroyed once more.

Two days after the flood, AMAA members Abiral Khatri (economist), Dr Austin Lord (anthropologist), and Narayan Thapa (geospatial scientist), working within the 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐜𝐨-𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐫 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐛 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 (hydrologist) together with colleagues from Canada, China, and Netherlands, released a new Rapid Risk Assessment — written also in Nepali — to put concise, evidence-based scientific knowledge directly into the hands of Nepal's policymakers, disaster responders, journalists and affected communities.

This is what AMAA does. Our members — in Nepal and across the world — are working around the clock, drawing on satellite imagery including open-access Landsat and Sentinel data, alongside commercial Planet imagery accessed for rapid disaster response, as well as seismic records and ground-level observations. 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬.

When the same place is struck by catastrophic mountain hazards twice in just over a year, the message is unmistakable: 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝.

But scientific data alone is not enough. As Dr Jakob Steiner has consistently argued — including in "Asking those who feel it," a course on indigenous knowledge and climate risks he co-teaches with Solmaz Mohadjer at the University of Tübingen — we must listen to the local people. The Indigenous communities who have lived in these mountains for centuries are their true custodians. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 — 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞.

Mountain science and mountain people must work together.

🔗 Read the Rapid Risk Assessment (नेपाली):https://hirisk.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/RHA_NP3_RasuwaFlood-1.pdf
🎥 Watch Dr Steiner on the satellite evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa6xLsJLFnc

Mountain Partnership

Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist at the University of Graz in Australi...

26/06/2026

AMAA leadership had a valuable opportunity to meet Hon. Dr. Mahabir Pun, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, and Hon. Dr. Pukar Malla, Member, National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal 🇳🇵, yesterday.

🌱 Nepal does not lack talent — it lacks the enabling ecosystem that lets talent take root and grow. Too often, promising researchers and innovators leave not out of choice but because the conditions to stay productive aren’t there: limited research funding, weak university–industry links, and few pathways from idea to enterprise. The challenge is not how to stop people leaving, but how to build a system worth staying for — and one that keeps knowledge circulating between Nepal and its diaspora.

💡 The aim is concrete: to unleash innovation and entrepreneurship within Nepal, and to create gainful, dignified, and meaningful employment. That means building real bridges between universities and industry — helping Nepal leapfrog into the sectors that will define its future: ⚡ clean and distributed energy, ♻️ waste-to-energy and the circular economy, 💻 digital technology, 🏔️ high-value applications of mountain and biodiversity knowledge, and 🧘 wellbeing, health and spiritual tourism grounded in living traditions. The goal is 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝.

🌐 It's time, too, to strengthen 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐥'𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲 — 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 — and our network of overseas Nepali scientists and scholars can help carry the country’s science onto the world stage, amplifying its distinctive mountain, cryosphere and biodiversity knowledge, rooted in the country’s rich cultural heritage, in the global forums where research agendas and climate finance are shaped.

✨ The strength of our community lies in its breadth — not scientists and engineers alone, but social scientists, humanities scholars, artists, and practitioners who understand that Nepal’s hardest challenges sit where disciplines meet. Mountain science, biodiversity and traditional ecological knowledge, high-altitude health, disaster resilience and the cultural systems that sustain communities: these are areas where Nepal holds knowledge that is globally valuable, and where systems thinking across the sciences, humanities and lived experience matters most. 𝑨𝑴𝑨𝑨 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒍-𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔 𝑵𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒍𝒊 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒇𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆–𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒎𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆.

21/05/2026

When a glacial lake bursts, it doesn't just reshape a valley. It can collapse a customs point, take 250 MW of hydropower offline, and trigger over a billion rupees in economic losses. These weren't hypotheticals. They were realities discussed at Cryosphere & Society Workgroup Meeting last week in Kathmandu, co-organized by AMAA and the Cabot Institute for the Environment, University of Bristol.

Twelve participants, half women, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and the UK brought expertise across climate science, engineering, environmental and social sciences, and the humanities, representing universities, research institutes, government agencies, and local NGOs.

Seven key takeaways:
🏔️ Cryosphere risks are now economic and infrastructure risks; they need to be priced into planning and investment.
🔗 Critical infrastructure is interconnected. Damage to a single bridge cascades through trade, energy, transport, digital connectivity, and public services.
⚖️ Resilience isn't only technical; it's social, political, and institutional. Governance gaps, competing interests, and transboundary tensions shape outcomes.
👥 Climate vulnerability is socially differentiated. Women, indigenous communities, and marginalized groups bear unequal burdens, and adaptation planning must reflect this.
🌍 Property rights and resource governance need rethinking as climate change reshapes access to land, water, and forests in mountain ecosystems.
🧭 Local and indigenous knowledge remains indispensable. Communities read visual cues and experiential signals that formal systems cannot replace, only complement.
💡 Innovation and public engagement matter: from AI-based disaster communication to citizen science. Smartphones For Water Nepal (S4W-Nepal) presented their work using mobile technology and young researchers to generate open-source hydro-meteorological data in data-scarce regions; a powerful convergence of technology, youth, and community science.

On the final day, a field visit to Tikabhairab-Nakkhudole brought discussions into sharp relief. In these landscapes, interdisciplinary perspectives, multi-scientific solutions, and trans-epistemic communication are not desirable extras; they are necessities.

The overarching message: cryosphere risks cascade across infrastructure, economies, and communities. Responding to them demands integrated, inclusive, and climate-informed planning, led by a new generation of researchers who can work across disciplinary and epistemic boundaries.

Thank you to all participants for their thought leadership, and to the Cabot Institute for a generative partnership. This is the kind of work AMAA was built for.

19/03/2026

Something is breaking. Not just in one place.

Armed conflicts are escalating. Diplomatic channels are being bypassed. International law is contested. The idea that violence can resolve what conversation cannot has returned, loudly, to the centre of world affairs — and with it, a question higher education can no longer treat as rhetorical: 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟, 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒?

The great peace traditions of Asia have always offered a more demanding answer than the West's default — peace as the absence of war. In Sanskrit, 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊 is wholeness radiating outward. In Buddhist and Gandhian thought, 𝑨𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒂 is active, creative non-harm. In Confucian philosophy, 𝑯é is harmony — differences held in productive relationship, not erased. In Islamic tradition, 𝑺𝒂𝒍ā𝒎 is rooted in the same word as safety and completeness. In Bhutan, the conviction that prosperity must be grounded in mindfulness and harmony with nature has just taken a new form: Gelephu Mindfulness City, His Majesty The King's bold vision of an economy built not despite its Buddhist heritage, but because of it.

Five traditions, one convergent insight: 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒆, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆.

Three educators at this webinar have spent their careers building the conditions for that practice. 𝑳𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒂 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏 has been connecting students through collaborative science since 2001 — weaving AI, Earth observation, and citizen science into what she calls the Global STEM Classroom®. Truong Huyen Chi leads our network of 100+ members across some of the world's most contested borders; she will argue that the mountain communities COIL has not yet reached are already holding the peace knowledge the world urgently needs. Facilitating is 𝑰𝒛𝒛𝒚 𝑪𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒅 of Robert Gordon University, who travelled to Kathmandu last spring to bring COIL@UArctic into direct conversation with Asia's mountain academic community.

COIL is one of the few tools in education capable of making exchange a two-way street — at scale, without a passport or a plane ticket.

On 24 March 2026, we ask whether it can keep doing so.
📅 24 March 2026 · 18:45–19:45 NST · Free on Zoom
🔗 bit.ly/4U4JR3A

03/03/2026

The world is not pausing for education.

Armed conflicts are escalating. Borders are hardening. Supply chains fracture, flights are rerouted, and for millions of students and scholars, the simple act of crossing into another country has become a question of safety, cost, or permission. The infrastructure of international education — built on 𝒎𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 — is under pressure it has not faced in a generation.

And yet the need for cross-cultural understanding, empathy, and collaborative problem-solving has never been greater. If anything, the erosion of diplomacy and the normalisation of violence as a political instrument make these capacities not just valuable — but urgent.

COIL — 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 — was built to address this tension. It connects students and faculty at universities in different countries through co-designed, technology-enabled projects, embedded in existing courses. No travel required. No visa needed. Students collaborate across borders on real-world challenges, building the intercultural competence and genuine human connection that no algorithm generates and no conflict should be allowed to extinguish.

On 24 March 2026, COIL@UArctic Thematic Network and AMAA jointly convene an urgent conversation: 𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 — 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑪𝑶𝑰𝑳?

📅 24 March 2026 · 18:45-19:45 NST Kathmandu / 13:00–14:00 UTC London / 9–10 AM EDT New York · Zoom 🔗 Registration https://bit.ly/4u4jR3a

02/03/2026

Deadline extended till 10 March 2026.

Very few mong 100+ applications are from universities located in Asian mountains. This deadline extension is applicable to applicants from AMAA institutional members and 𝑨𝒔𝒊𝒂-𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒑𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎-𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 in any discipline of physical sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Two Duke students shared their key learnings and reflections of last year 2025 Lumbini to Lomanthang Transect in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQxEm4kZmPM

Are you an undergraduate student at an AMAA member institution in Asia?

Here's a rare opportunity: join the 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭, a two-week field-based learning experience across Nepal's extraordinary climate landscapes.

You'll travel from the lush Terai plains of Chitwan to Muktinath, a sacred Hindu-Buddhist site at 3,710 meters, alongside students from Duke University, Duke Kunshan, and Nepal's leading institutions.

What's covered: All field-based costs in Nepal

What you provide: International flights, visa, insurance & fitness for mobility

𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝟐 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐀 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭.

📅 14-29 May 2026
📧 Inquiries: [email protected]
⏰ Deadline: 1 March 2026

21/02/2026

👋 Are you an educator — whether you teach high school, lecture at university, or facilitate community workshops and adult learning spaces?
A scholar or scientist ready to examine how colonial legacies shape your field? An activist or community organizer working alongside people who've always known what climate justice requires? Or simply someone who refuses to look away from hard truths?

Join us for the launch of 𝑨𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝑮𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 & 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒎 — a free, first-of-its-kind online resource based on our 2023 webinar series "Climate Science and Colonialism: Can We Do Better?" — by leading scholars spanning history, sociology, energy policy, ocean diplomacy, environmental studies, and interdisciplinary research. These voices bring perspectives from across the globe — from the Arctic to the Philippines, from Brazil to Europe — examining how colonial legacies have shaped climate science from its earliest foundations to present-day policy.

🎥 Explore the original talks here: https://www.wcrp-climate.org/mcr-events-opportunities/mcr-climate-science-and-colonialism

What's inside the Guide:
✦ A decolonizing Orienting Discussion to ground learning in YOUR local context
✦ Curated video segments from the scholar talks
✦ Readings, learning outcomes, and critical thinking prompts you can adapt — whether you're teaching mid-teens, undergraduates, community members, or fellow researchers.

Education happens everywhere: in classrooms, village halls, after-school programs, museums, faith communities, union meetings, and kitchen tables. This resource is designed to meet you wherever you teach and learn.

This is an invitation to sit with discomfort, ask harder questions, and keep going anyway. Because the world can't wait — and neither can we.

📅 Friday, 27 February | 12:30 PM UTC

💻 Free on Zoom
🔗 Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/p6-ScD8KQV-zqcXzJA5cPQ #/registration

𝘈 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘶𝘣, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭 𝘏𝘶𝘣 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘊𝘙𝘗 𝘔𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘬.

19/02/2026

📢 Calling all researchers, educators, and practitioners!
Are you working on sustainability education in Asia's mountain regions? We want to hear from you.

A new Springer Nature book is accepting chapter proposals on Higher Education for Sustainability in Mountains of Asia—covering pedagogical innovation, transdisciplinary research, indigenous knowledge, community partnerships, and more.

First-time authors and Indigenous scholars are especially welcome. The editorial team is committed to supporting new voices in academic publishing and can provide mentorship through the process.

This is an activity of the AMAA Education for Sustainable Mountain Futures Workgroup.

Whether your focus is the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Japanese Alps, Philippine Cordilleras, or Sri Lankan highlands, your insights can help shape how universities respond to urgent sustainability challenges facing mountain communities.

Deadline: 15 March 2026
Submit your abstract and synopsis: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HE-MtAsia-SpringerEd

17/02/2026

🌏 Speaker Spotlight: Two Indigenous Scholars Transforming Research Governance

What happens when a Māori scholar from Aotearoa and an Adivasi computer scientist from India come together to reimagine how knowledge is governed?

Prof 𝓜𝓪𝓾𝓲 𝓗𝓾𝓭𝓼𝓸𝓷 (Whakatōhea, Ngā Ruahine, Te Mahurehure) began his journey in physiotherapy and ethics before learning te reo Māori and working alongside traditional Māori healers. Today, he is Professor and Director of Te Kotahi Research Institute at the University of Waikato, and one of the world's foremost voices on Indigenous Data Sovereignty. As a founding member of the Global Indigenous Data Alliance and co-developer of the Biocultural Labels Initiative, he creates practical tools helping Indigenous communities worldwide protect and govern their cultural heritage.

Prof 𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓳𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝔃 (Oraon tribe, Jharkhand) was denied admission to school at age five because of her Adivasi identity. She responded by excelling in mathematics and building a distinguished career in artificial intelligence and geospatial analytics at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Now India's first tribal UNESCO Co-Chair and the first tribal woman Vice-Chancellor, she uniquely bridges cutting-edge technology with Indigenous epistemologies - championing epistemic justice and the recognition that there are multiple valid ways of knowing.

𝕋𝕨𝕠 𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕤. 𝕋𝕨𝕠 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤. 𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕧𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟: that Indigenous peoples must lead research about their own communities, lands, and futures.

Join them for a landmark dialogue on transforming research governance - from the Pacific to the Himalayas.

📅 Sun 22 Feb 2026
🕐 9:30-11:30 Nepal Standard Time
📍 MS Teams & Kathmandu
Registeration closes noon Thurs 19 Feb https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ILK-LLA-webinarFeb26

An activity of AMAA's Cross-cutting Workgroup on Indigenous Local Knowledge and Locally-led Adaptation

15/02/2026

Are you an undergraduate student at an AMAA member institution in Asia?

Here's a rare opportunity: join the 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭, a two-week field-based learning experience across Nepal's extraordinary climate landscapes.

You'll travel from the lush Terai plains of Chitwan to Muktinath, a sacred Hindu-Buddhist site at 3,710 meters, alongside students from Duke University, Duke Kunshan, and Nepal's leading institutions.

What's covered: All field-based costs in Nepal

What you provide: International flights, visa, insurance & fitness for mobility

𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝟐 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐀 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭.

📅 14-29 May 2026
📧 Inquiries: [email protected]
⏰ Deadline: 1 March 2026