Dr. Hemraj Sharma, Vice President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), has announced his candidacy for the presidency in the Association's 12th International Convention.
Issuing a press release on Monday, he stated that the NRNA is at a critical juncture and expressed his intention to make the organization more relevant, effective, and inclusive. Having been involved in the NRNA movement for nearly 20 years, he has held various roles including General Secretary, Vice President, Spokesperson, Coordinator, and organizer of the first and second World Knowledge Conferences, as well as the Coordinator of the Constitution Amendment Advisory Committee. He stated that this experience has led him to run for President.
Dr. Sharma noted that unnecessary divisions, diverse views and ambitions within the central leadership have pushed the entire Nepali diaspora toward a split. This has not only sidelined crucial issues like citizenship but also raised concerns about the association's very existence. He mentioned that the NRNA, with over 80,000 members worldwide, has successfully held elections in 58 National Coordination Councils. Furthermore, over 4,700 representatives have applied for the 12th International Convention in Kathmandu in October 2025, who are seeking capable leadership to guide the organization toward a bright future.
Acknowledging the current challenges, he decided to run for the presidency of the International Coordination Council for the 2025–2027 term. His main plan is to rebrand the NRNA, transforming it into a legacy institution that feels like a home for all and endures for generations.
Dr. Sharma emphasized his focus on building a unified, inclusive, tech-friendly, result-oriented, sustainable, strong, accountable, transparent, and multidimensional NRNA. If elected, he is committed to creating an environment to attract the skills, knowledge, innovation, and investment of the diaspora for Nepal, supporting secure foreign employment, and strengthening partnerships with the Nepal government and international agencies. He also pledged to implement fundamental changes in the institutional structure, including transitioning to direct voting by all registered members for leadership selection to protect the association from economic, political, and other external negative influences.
As coordinator of the first and second NRNA World Knowledge Conferences in cooperation with the Nepal Government, he played a key role in connecting global experts with Nepal. Born in Baglung, Dr. Sharma is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool, UK. He was a gold medalist in Physics from Tribhuvan University in 1997. After completing his PhD in Physics from the Free University of Berlin, he worked as a Senior Researcher at a national laboratory under the Japanese government. He has been a lecturer and Reader at the University of Liverpool since 2007 and is on track to become a professor soon.
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