Dr. Dinesh Bhattarai
Dr. Dinesh Bhattarai holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and a Post Graduate Diploma from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. Bhattarai is a distinguished career diplomat and academic who has played a pivotal role in shaping Nepal’s modern foreign policy. With a career in the Foreign Service (1983–2012), Dr. Bhattarai served as a key advisor and representative for Nepal on the global stage. He most notably served as the Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister of Nepal during two critical periods: 2014–2015 and 2017–2018. Nepal’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Rome, and Vienna from 2007 to 2012, where he also headed the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). His extensive international experience includes serving as Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation and Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington D.C., as well as key political postings in New Delhi. Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he led vital divisions including South Asia, SAARC, and BIMSTEC. An accomplished scholar. He has authored and edited influential works such as Nepal’s Foreign Policy: From Expediency to Pragmatism. Currently, he shares his vast expertise as a faculty member at the Institute of Crisis Management Studies and the Department of Peace, Conflict, and Development Studies at Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, mentoring the next generation of Nepali strategic thinkers.
