A high-level delegation from Nepal visited UBC from August 24 to 29 to meet with existing research partners and explore new research collaborations. The delegation included National Assembly Member Hon. Sonam Gyalzen Sherpa, Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality (KPLRM) Vice Chair Hon. Tashi Lhamu Sherpa, and KPLRM Ward 2 Chair Hon. Nuru Zangbu Sherpa. They were joined by community members Dawa Doma Sherpa, Pema Chhoyang Sherpa, Pasang Gyalzen Sherpa and Nima Sherpa. The visit was organized by Dr. Pasang Yangjee Sherpa. The visit also allowed all collaborators to deepen their understanding of Indigenous experiences of climate change impacts in both Nepal and Canada.
Highlights from their visit include a tour of the TRIUMF, Canada’s national particle accelerator centre, with Dr. Chris Charles, a visit to the Museum of Anthropology with Dr. Fuyubi Nakamura and a visit to the Nitobe Garden with Dr. Christina Laffin. They also met with the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies’ new director Dr. Glen Coulthard, and offered Khata (auspicious ceremonial scarf) for his new role. Their visit culminated with a public event on “Climate Change Science-Policy-Society Interface in the High Himalaya” hosted by the Himalaya Program at the Place of Many Trees on August 28, 2025.
The group also met with Dr. Glen Coulthard, the new director of UBC’s Critical Indigenous Studies program, and Fay Alkhani at the Go Global offices to discuss future exchange and collaboration opportunities.
Lastly, Dr. Christina Laffin welcomed the group at UBC’s Nitobe Memorial Garden, where they reflected on place-based learning and the importance of cross-cultural understanding in academic partnerships.
A central part of the visit was a public panel hosted at the Liu Institute for Global Issues at UBC in xʷəθkʷəy̓əm (the Place of Many Trees) on August 28th. The panel featured high officials from Nepal: Hon. Sonam Gyalzen Sherpa (National Assembly Member and President of the Federation Strengthening and National Concern Committee), Hon. Tashi Lhamu Sherpa (Vice Chair of Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality), and Hon. Nuru Zangbu Sherpa (Ward Chair, Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality). The speakers described how shifting weather patterns and disasters, such as glacial lake outburst floods, have damaged infrastructure and disrupted livelihoods. They called for stronger early warning systems, community-led adaptation plans, and more respectful research partnerships. They urged researchers to consult with a wider range of community members, such as elders, women, farmers, and herders. Further, they emphasized that, to effect broader systems change, climate solutions must be grounded in local priorities and Indigenous Knowledge.
