Dr Nepali is the visionary behind the establishment of the KU Policy Lab, a prominent center of excellence in public policy and governance in Nepal. This initiative is in partnership with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MOFAGA) and represents a collaborative effort involving KU, the Government of Nepal, and the University Grant Commission.

Dr. Nepali also serves as a Research Fellow (non-resident) at Harvard Kennedy School and the Hutchins Center, Harvard University, USA. His research at Harvard focuses on the Political Economy of Inclusive Agrarian Transformation, with a comparative analysis between the United States and Nepal/South Asia. Notably, he recently completed a Fulbright Visiting Research Fellowship (2017-18) in Global Development and Sustainability at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, USA. During this fellowship, his research delved into reorienting the Political Economy of Agrarian Transformations, with a specific emphasis on marginalized communities in Nepal. In his previous role, Dr. Nepali served as the Regional Project Coordinator for the Regional Food Security Governance Project in South Asia and East Asia, which covered countries such as Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. This project was funded by the European Union and focused on issues related to food security.

For over a decade, Dr. Nepali has been actively engaged in research on land rights and food rights, advocating for evidence-based policy formulation and reforms in South Asia, particularly from a civil society perspective. Additionally, he imparts his knowledge and expertise by teaching graduate courses for master’s and Ph.D. students as an adjunct professor at Tribhuvan University and the Agriculture and Forestry University in Nepal.