Prof. Arhan Sthapit, PhD
Dean, Faculty of Management & Law
Nepal Open University* NEPAL

*(The Central, Government University of Nepal)

Prof. Dr. Arhan Sthapit is a management practitioner-turned-academician. He joined Nepal Open University—the central university of the Nepalese government—as its first full Professor of Management on May 15, 2019, following a competitive national selection process. On March 3, 2023, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Management & Law, again through a rigorous national competition and has been leading the Faculty of Management and Law as its Dean. Dr. Sthapit also served as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university during June 2022.
 

Prof. Sthapit has a diverse academic background, having studied Management, Journalism, and Global Trade/IPR in Nepal, India, and the USA. He earned his PhD in Management in 2014, specializing in Strategic Human Resource Development (SHRD). As an academician, he is widely recognized for his expertise in International Business, Strategic Management, Human Resource Management, and Financial Services Marketing. He is also renowned for his case-based teaching approach, having received certification jointly from Harvard University and IIM Ahmedabad in 2016.

With 23 years of industry experience, Dr. Sthapit has worked across multiple sectors, including 6.5 years in management roles at two foreign joint-venture banks in Nepal, 11 months with GIZ (German International Cooperation), and 15 years with The Rising Nepal, the national English daily of the Nepal Government, where he held the position of Senior Associate Editor.

Dr. Sthapit has published over 98 research papers, predominantly as the principal or sole author, in prestigious international peer-reviewed journals, including Scopus and Scimago-indexed publications. He has also contributed four book chapters internationally. As one of Nepal's most widely read English writers, he has authored over 1,745 articles on current issues in national media. Dr. Sthapit serves on the editorial boards of esteemed research journals and represents Nepal in various academic and research institutions globally. He has evaluated more than 24 PhD dissertations as an external examiner and currently supervises close to a dozen PhD students. To date, he has delivered keynote addresses at nearly three dozen international conferences.

Continuously listed in ‘Who’s Who in Nepal’ since 2001 as a "noted writer, English editor/journalist, and university teacher," Dr. Sthapit is also a recipient of the prestigious ‘The Dean of International Peace Prize-2019’ (DOIPP-2019).