Nirmal Rijal, Ph.D., has over 20 years of experience working in international development with a focus on communications for development. As Asia Representative, Country Director, and Project Director, he has designed and provided strategic and technical leadership to projects that combine communication messaging and direct outreach, in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Since 2014, he has designed and implemented projects with governance and civic engagement’ focus, in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nepal and Nigeria. His areas of expertise and interest include democracy, governance and civic engagement; digitalization of the public sphere and digital engagement; public interest policy advocacy and reform; power, citizenship and agency; and developing youth leadership. He provides pro-bono guest lectures on research and academic writing for M.Phil. students at the Tribhuvan University Department of Mass Communications and Journalism.