Nepal, Feb. 8 -- The sheer size of the Nepali diaspora is estimated to be in the millions. If its potentials are untapped, the network, formally represented through the Non-Resident Nepali Association, can become an overwhelming force in Nepal's development. Keeping all of this in mind, the government has given legal status to the Nepali diaspora by promulgating the Non-Resident Nepali Act 2008. Certainly, institutional platforms are needed both in Nepal (including support from the government) and abroad to foster knowledge exchange and skill development.

This raises the need to establish a mechanism that will help link Nepali academics and the diaspora from various professions will be the Nepal government's initial step. Except for Trib...