The first Annual Kathmandu Conference on Nepal and the Himalaya was organised by Social Science Baha in partnership with the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies and the Britain-Nepal Academic Council. The inaugural edition of the conference was held at Hotel Shanker in Kathmandu from 18 to 22 July, 2012.
The 2012 conference was divided into three parts. The first three days, 18-20 July, 2012, were devoted to Inequality and Affirmative Action: Situating Nepal in Global Debates. This part of the conference was by invitation only.
For the fourth day, 21 July, 2012, eight parallel panels were organised, where researchers presented papers on various social science disciplines and topics. Participation in this part of the conference was by pre-registration only. Registration has been closed.
The fifth and last day of the conference, 22 July, 2012, was devoted to a morning session that consisted of a policy dialogue entitled Health and Nature: A Policy Dialogue on Ayurveda and Medicinal Plant Conservation. This workshop was also by invitation only.
Support for the conference was received from Goldsmiths, University of London; Yale University; Social Inclusion Research Fund; Open Society Foundations; and the US Embassy in Kathmandu.