KU-NCCS Summer School @ Sama Centre
We invite applications for a five-week Academic Writing and Scholarly Publication Workshop designed to support academics, researchers and interested others in preparing and finalising a manuscript for a scholarly publication (journal or a book manuscript). This intensive workshop offers structured programme through each stage of the academic writing— from getting started and developing arguments, to organising ideas, style and flow, and preparing the manuscript for scholarly publication. Participants will receive direct feedback from experienced journal editors and professional copy editors to review their drafts, revise the manuscript and support in submission to the scholarly publications.
Over the course of the workshop, participants will engage in three-hour weekly sessions focused on key aspects of academic writing, including how to turn their research into a publication plan, build strong and authoritative arguments, organise content effectively, and maintain coherence and clarity throughout the text. Additional sessions will cover copy editing, referencing and citation practices, and demystifying the journal submission process and peer review systems. The objective of this workshop is to support each participant to submit a manuscript to a reputable peer-reviewed journal (or scholarly book publisher) by the end of the workshop. This programme is ideal for those who are currently working on an academic manuscript (journal article or a book), have an initial draft, or are looking to develop a publishable manuscript with extensive support.
The workshop will include the following:
- Getting started with writing: writing as a sign of academic identity
- Getting manuscript published: navigating journals, copy-editing, peer reviews and submission process
- Making and delivering your arguments, and supporting with evidence and analysis
- Structure, organisation and flow in academic writing
- Referencing, citation and engaging with scholarly debates
The workshop is ideal for:
- University professors, scholars, and other early-career researchers
- Authors with draft article in progress
- Writers struggling to complete their manuscripts for submission
What the participants will gain:
- Guided writing process – from how to begin, develop strong arguments, and structure your article
- Improving clarity and style – flow, tone, paragraphing, and transitions
- Feedback from journal editors and professional copy editors
- Master referencing and citation tools (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
- Understand journal selection, submission systems & peer-review process
Venue:
Sama Centre, Gyaneshwor, Kathmandu University
Proposed Dates:
August, 17, 24 & 31, 2025 & September 7 & 14, 2025 || 7:00 – 10:00 AM, Sundays
Registration fee:
Early bird (until August 3, 2025) – Rs. 15,000
Regular (August 4-12, 2025) – Rs. 20,000
Seats are limited, so please register at your earliest.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18TWhpMCxq_Q3bqSNV-SHt1GJEtvh03NEHH4PXDz0om4/edit
Shortlisted candidates will be informed via email. The final seats will be reserved only after the payments have been received. Following that, the participants will receive further information on the program schedule, course curriculum and the reading materials for the workshop.
KU-NCCS Summer School Convenor
Avash Piya, PhD
Research Fellow, KU-NCCS
Email: avashpiya@kusoa.edu.np
Resource persons
Dr. Monalisa Adhikari is an Associate Professor in International Politics at the University of Stirling. Currently, she is a Visiting Faculty at the School of Arts at Kathmandu University. Her research focuses on shifting in the global order, and its impact on the global governance of peace and security, particularly examining India and China’s role in peace processes and conflict-affected states broadly. She is a prolific writer. Her work has been published in leading journals in politics and international relations including European Journal of International Relations, International Studies Review, International Peacekeeping and Journal of Global Security Studies amongst others. Her monograph Post-Liberal Peace: India and China in the Fray of Peacebuilding is forthcoming with Cornell University Press. She is the Co-Investigator of FCDO-funded Peace and Conflict Resolution Evidence Platform (PeaceRep) and the Associate Editor for the Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding.
Professor Jeevan R Sharma is Personal Chair of South Asia and International Development at the University of Edinburgh. Currently, he is a Visiting Professor at the School of Arts at Kathmandu University and a sabbatical Research Fellow at International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Prof. Sharma is the Editor-at-large of HIMALAYA Journal, the Associate Editor of South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, and the Co-editor of Routledge Edinburgh South Asia Series. He is the author of Crossing the Border to India: Youth, Migration and Masculinities in Nepal (2018), and Political Economy of Social Change and Development (2021). At present, he is Co-Director of the Centre for South Asian Studies in Edinburgh and the General Secretary of the Britain Nepal Academic Council (BNAC). He has more than 20 years of experience researching labour migration, border-crossing, Maoist conflict, humanitarianism, human rights documentation, international research collaboration, ethics governance, health policy and planning, and maternal and child health. During his academic career he has published extensively and carried out field research in Nepal, India, the UK and Malawi.
Dr Indra Adhikari, a PhD in Civil-Military Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India has completed a Master Degree in Political Science from Tribhuvan University-Kathmandu, and an M.Phil. in International Relations from JNU. Dr. Adhikari has served as Acting Executive Director (while being appointed as Deputy Executive Director) of the Institute of Foreign Affairs, a government think-tank under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has been the recipient of several fellowships, including the SAARC Fellow of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (2004-2010), the SAARC Research Fellow at the Delhi-based Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis (2011-2012) and the Harka Gurung Senior Research Fellow at Social Inclusion Research Fund, SNV-Nepal (from 2012-2013). To her credit are a couple of co-authored books, and dozens of research articles in edited books, monographs and journals. She is a columnist in Kantipur Daily, a leading daily newspaper in Nepal, and contributes op-ed articles on security, foreign policy and diplomacy, internal and international politics and socio-political issues, including gender in Kathmandu based newspapers and magazines. Among the books she has authored is Military and Democracy in Nepal (2015).
Kailash Rai is a freelance researcher, editor, and mentor with a keen interest in gender, social justice, politics and social inclusion/exclusion, minorities’ rights, and sexuality. She has worked as a freelance researcher in various development organizations in different capacities. She is the author of Indigenous Women’s Institutions, Movement and Writings (2017). She has edited several books including In Search of Identity: Social, Cultural and the Political Context of Indigenous Women, 2016-2073 v.s. (2016), Struggle for Recognition: Experiential Stories of Indigenous Women (2022), Experiences of the Grassroots: Narrative Stories of Intersex Persons (2022); and Elected Indigenous Women Representatives at the Federal, Provincial, and Local Levels 2079 (2023). She has also co-edited a book entitled Relay Race for Equality (2021). She has published dozens of research articles on gender, women, social justice, sexuality, and social inclusion in various journals and books. Her opinion pieces on multi-dimensional aspects of gender, feminism, and women of Nepal have been published in various newspapers, magazines and online as well. She currently serves as the Vice-Chair of Martin Chautari, a research and policy think tank, and is the Co-founder of Indigenous without Borders (IwB), an initiative dedicated to transnational indigenous solidarity. Through her research, writing, and mentorship, Rai continues to challenge dominant narratives and foster inclusive, transformative dialogue across generations.
Dr. Uddhab Pyakurel is Acting Director, Global Engagement Division Kathmandu University, Nepal and Associate Professor, School of Arts. He holds a Ph.D. from the Centre for the Study of Social Systems at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Dr. Uddhab has worked extensively in fields including: poverty, development, people’s participation, social inclusion/exclusion, state restructuring, conflict, identity, democracy, election, Indo-Nepal relations and other socio-political issues. He has published a number of books and articles including Maoist Movement in Nepal: A Sociological Perspective and Dalit representation in national politics of Nepal amongst others.
Dr. Amar BK is a cultural anthropologist, researcher, and development expert, holding a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh, USA. His interests and work converge at the intersection of caste, gender, and religion. Amar’s doctoral research delves into the caste and gender politics of dignity, equity, and justice among Dalit women in Nepal. Amar has authored over a dozen essays, articles, and op-eds in both Nepali and English languages, predominantly focusing on caste and Dalit politics. His contributions encompass areas such as social inclusion, gender equality, anti-caste movement, Dalit rights, democracy, inclusive governance, and research and policymaking. Amar is currently serving as the Chairperson of Association of Nepal and Himalayan Studies – Kathmandu Center (ANHS-KC) and is the Director of Research at SHODH.
Khem Shreesh is a professional copy-editor. He has an MPhil in English. With over two decades of writing and editing experiences, Khem has a comprehensive understanding of writing techniques and tools. He has co-edited a book on Academic Writing and Publishing in Health and Social Sciences, and has copy-edited various volumes on social science publications – Multi-Ethnic Interface in Eastern Nepal , The Dynamics of Health in Nepal, South Asia State of Minorities Report 2016: Mapping the Terrain, South Asia State of Minorities Report’ series (2017-2025), Dalit Women Rights and Inequality in Nepal. Khem has also written a number of articles and reports for various journals and conferences. Khem has facilitated a number of writing seminars and workshops.
Dr. Avash Piya is a development anthropologist and specializes in research, planning and strategy for governments and institutions. Avash’s PhD research looked into the intersection between migrant aspirations and the under-workings of migration infrastructures in Nepal. He has written a number of articles on issues of migration and brokerage and is currently working on a manuscript based on his PhD dissertation that looks into the under workings of migration brokerage in Nepal. Currently, Avash is a Research Fellow at Kathmandu University-Nepal Centre for Contemporary Studies (KU-NCCS) and is the Executive Director at SHODH.
