Asian Mountain Academic Alliance AMAA

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

15/02/2026

Happening next Sunday 22 February 2025:

🌏 Hybrid Public Webinar: MANY WAYS OF KNOWING: TRANSFORMING RESEARCH GOVERNANCE FOR INDIGENOUS FUTURES

𝑾𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒔? 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅, 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅?

Indigenous communities are leading a global movement for epistemic justice — asserting that there are multiple valid ways of knowing, and that they must govern research about their own lands, cultures, and futures.

Join two trailblazing Indigenous scholars in conversation:

Prof. Maui Hudson — Founding member of the Global Indigenous Data Alliance, on Indigenous Data Sovereignty and practical tools for community-led governance

Prof Dr. Sonajharia Minz — India's first tribal UNESCO Co-Chair, on epistemic justice, decolonising research, and why language is epistemology

From Aotearoa to the Himalayas, discover how communities are transforming research governance and reclaiming authority over their knowledge.

This is an activity of AMAA's 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚-𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝑨𝒅𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑 and parts of a project funded by Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research.

📅 Sunday 22 February 2026
🕐 09:30-11:30 Nepal Standard Time
📍 Kathmandu & MS Teams

Kathmandu-based AMAA members are welcome to participate in-person.

𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ILK-LLA-webinarFeb26 Form closes at noon Kathmandu time Thurs 19 Feb.

22/12/2025

We asked four members, all women – a university rector, a mid-career lecturer, a scholar-cum-practitioner, and a humanitarian leader, 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕-𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 – to share what they did as parts of AMAA’s community in 2025, and reflect on what it would take to keep science and education 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 alive and thriving despite setbacks in knowledge ecosystems across the globe.

Key takeaways are:
✅𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 carries us far
✅Shared values that bind: 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒇𝒖𝒍 participation, genuine ownership, and 𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆
✅A networked structure with 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 and 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏
✅Transparency and 𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚, leveraging digital tools of 𝒆-𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆
✅Justice and equity require 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏-𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 to ensure no one left behind

Warm thanks to AMAA members for your active participation in 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒌𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 this unique community in 2025. May the New Year 2026 bring 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆, 𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒔, and 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 to science and education cooperation for regenerative mountains of Asia and the wellbeing of its peoples and species.

Application for membership available here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AMAAmembershipform

17/12/2025

At the first virtual Member Townhall last Friday 12 Dec, AMAA members met the Alliance's Board of Governors and heard an overview of 2025 productivity of 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔-𝑪𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑𝒔:

🏕Environmental Humanities
❄️Cryosphere & Society
🏞Mountain Heritage & Tourism
🌽Mountain Agriculture
📖Education for Sustainable Mountain Futures
📈High Mountains of Asia Data
🌏WCRP My Climate Risk Himalayan Hub

TWGs/CWGs are member-led clusters of like-minded researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners, operating on a resource-sharing basis. These collaborative groups 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 and💡𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 in research, capacity development, and practice.

Warm welcome to new institutional and individual members from 🇧🇩 Bangladesh, 🇨🇳 China, 🇮🇳 India, and 🇲🇳 Mongolia💐. Thank you for sharing ideas, aspirations, and resources, and for 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝑴𝑨𝑨 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚. New members are particularly drawn to AMAA's collaborative vibrancy and its member-led principle, whereby every member's view is respected and contribution appreciated. 𝑫𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒕, 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉! We look forward to a productive year of cooperation for just and resilient Asian mountains and highlands.

11/12/2025

Today we celebrate the International Mountain Day by announcing the winners of 𝑭𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒂𝒔 - 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝑭𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 Online Contest.

🎖Winner - Individual Category: Bhawana Bista, Project Officer - LI-BIRD (Surkhet, 🇳🇵 Nepal), Entry titled "𝑩𝒂𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒐 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒚🥘," submitted in English.
🎖Winner - Team Category: Team Thyokyon, Wokha (Nagaland, 🇮🇳 India), Entry titled "𝑻𝒉𝒚𝒐𝒌𝒚𝒐𝒏🦀- 𝑭𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑹𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒖𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒂𝒃 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆," submitted in Naga and English.

Two Special Mentionings:
🏅Maliha Erfani, Business Manager, Kabul (🇦🇫 Afghanistan), Entry titled "𝑸𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊 𝑷𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒘", submitted in Dari / Persian and English.
🏅Sunit Gotame, Project Officer, LI-BIRD, Butwal (🇳🇵 Nepal), Entry titled "𝑺𝒊𝒔𝒏𝒖 𝑲𝒐 𝑻𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒓𝒊 𝒓𝒂 𝑨𝒂𝒕𝒐 - 𝑺𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒔," submitted in Nepali and English.

Entries were assessed by authenticity, nutritional insights, cultural relevance, sustainability message, and creativity / presentation. The Contest was co-organized in partnership with WHH Nepal - Welthungerhilfe and Native Foodscape Foundation as part of 𝑴𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝑭𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑺𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑, Co-Lead by Dr Chubbamenla Jamir, PhD. The TWG was established last May 2024 in Dhaka 🇧🇩 as part of the Foresight4Food Initiative workshop, where the participation of members was graciously supported by ICIMOD.

🎉𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔! You are the passionate guardians of Indigenous local heritage. Thank you for demonstrating how 🔬grounded scientific knowledge of foods and nutrition, 🥣top-notched culinary skills, and 🎬creative communication best serve your community and proudly carry forward unique mountain cultures to sustainable futures.

🏆Prizes will be e-conferred at the end of AMAA Virtual Member Townhall tomorrow Fri 12 Dec 2025 at10:45 GMT. Participation by invitation upon pre-registration.