DASNR
International
Student of the Week
Home Country:
Nepal
Nepal is a landlocked nation in South Asia. It is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China to the northeast and India to the south and west; it is separated from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim and from Bangladesh by a small strip of the Indian state of West Bengal, known as the "Chicken's Neck". The Himalaya mountain range runs across Nepal's north and western parts, and eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including the highest, Mount Everest are situated within its territory.
The modern state was formed with the Unification of Nepal on December 21, 1768. Prior to 2006, Nepal was a kingdom and the only nation with Hinduism as its official religion. Its recent history has involved struggles for democratic government with periods of direct monarchic rule. Since 1995, Nepal has suffered from a civil war between government forces and Maoist guerrillas of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). As a part of a peace process to end civil war and restore democracy, on May 18, 2006, Nepal was declared a secular state by the Interim Parliament of Nepal. On December 28, 2007, the interim parliament passed a bill and declared Nepal to be a federal democratic republic.
For a relatively small country, Nepal has a diverse landscape, ranging from the humid Terai plains in the south to the mountainous Himalayas in the north, which make it a major tourist destination. Hinduism is the predominant religion of the Nepali people, but the country also has a strong Buddhist tradition; Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama is located in the southern part of the country bordering India. The capital Kathmandu is the largest city in the country. The official language is Nepali and the state currency is the Nepalese rupee. Nepal's flag is the only national flag that is not quadrilateral in shape; its shape is a double triangle.
Nepal 's gross domestic product (GDP) for the year 2005 was estimated at just over US$39 billion (adjusted to Purchasing Power Parity), making it the 83rd-largest economy in the world. Agriculture accounts for about 40% of Nepal's GDP, services comprise 41% and industry 22%. Agriculture employs 76% of the workforce, services 18% and manufacturing/craft-based industry 6%. Agricultural produce——mostly grown in the Terai region bordering India——includes tea, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, and water buffalo meat. Industry mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce, including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Its workforce of about 10 million suffers from a severe shortage of skilled labour. The spectacular landscape and diverse, exotic cultures of Nepal represent considerable potential for tourism. (Source: Wikipedia)
Rupak Lohani
February 2009
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From the Department of Agricultural Economics
This week’s international student of the week is Rupak Lohani. He is a Masters’ student in the Department of Agricultural Economics. Rupak was born in the Chitwan a District of central Nepal; he speaks three languages, Nepali, English, and Hindi. Rupak is an active member of the Nepalese Student Association at OSU in where he served as a treasurer in 2008. He was recognized as the best Area Club Treasurer of 2008 by President Burn Hargis at the Presidential Leadership Awards Ceremony. Rupak was a dance performer award for OSU Cultural Night 2007 when the Nepalese Student Association won the first place Prize for best area club performance. He is also a member of the Agricultural Economics Graduate Student Association and the American Agricultural Economics Association. Rupak came to the United States to pursue his graduate education. The USA is still a favorite destination for higher education because of the good education. He chose OSU because the Ag. Economics Department is one the best; OSU has also a great international community. His friends also recommended OSU to him.
Rupak is the oldest of three children; he has one brother who is a medical doctor and one sister who is a journalist. Rupak’s father used to work for the family planning association of Nepal and now he is a consultant for public health organizations. His mother is a social worker, and she worked for the Woman Development Centre in Nepal; currently, she is working on a micro credit sector project enabling women to start small businesses.
Rupak’s appreciation for his grandparents is extraordinary. He learned the alphabet and poems with them. Rupak can never forget the contribution of his grandparents to his life; they helped shaping him to whom he is now.
Rupak’s future plans are to graduate in spring 2009 and then to pursue a PhD and work in academics or research in Nepal. Advisor: Dr. Rodney Holcomb Rupak’s advice to students: “Learning is not only confined to the textbooks. Try to mingle with people around you, including people who look different than you and with different cultures. Get involved and you will be surprised how much is there to learn from different cultures and people. The more we get to know people the more we learn to respect the differences and get along.” Interview by: Sandra Rodríguez, Office of International Agricultural Programs
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