½­ÄÏÌåÓý

Laveesh Bhandari is President and a Senior Fellow at CSEP.? Dr. Bhandari?has published widely on subjects related to sustainable livelihoods, industrial, economic, and social reforms in India, economic geography, and financial inclusion. He received his PhD in economics from Boston University for which he was awarded the Best?Thesis in International Economics. He has taught economics?at?Boston University and IIT Delhi.

Ashish Gajurel is an Executive Director at Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB), Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies. He worked as a Senior Consultant at the Investment Board. He has written a book published?"Performance Based Contracts for Road Projects". The book focuses mainly on Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP). He completed Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Transportation Systems Engineering from Technical University Munich (TUM), Germany and has also taught Transport Economics?and Public Transportation at the Institute of Engineering Pulchowk, Tribhuvan University.

Shamimul Huq is the Country Head, Bangladesh, Dubai Port World- a logistics firm which is based out UAE and has operations across South Asia.

is an Associate Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Security vertical. She is also the 2022 Visiting Fellow at the Stimson Centre in Washington DC. At CSEP, Riya coordinates the Sambandh Regional Connectivity Initiative, focused on conducting data-driven research to map India¡¯s links with its neighboring countries. She also co-manages the Sambandh Policy Dialogue, a track 1.5 format, private, and off-the- record forum for policymakers and experts to exchange perspectives on connectivity and geo- economic relations between India, South, and Southeast Asia, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indo- Pacific regions.

Mr Tenzin serves as the Director General of Department of Surface Transport, a new department that has the holistic mandate for the formulation and implementation of policies, legislations and strategies for surface transport along with development and operations of all surface transport infrastructure.? Prior to that he was? the Director of the Department of Roads, which is responsible for the maintenance and construction of all roads and highways in Bhutan.

Cecile Fruman?is the Director, Regional Integration and Engagement in the South Asia Region (SAR). She is responsible for fostering greater connectivity and collaborative activities amongst SAR countries.

Cecile has dedicated her career to international development across multiple geographies. She has deep experience in trade and competitiveness, strategy development, portfolio management, and partnerships. A French national, she holds an MBA from ESCP Europe, one of France¡¯s top business schools, and furthered her studies at the University of Osaka in Japan.