Former project members
Dr. Binayak Krishna Thapa
Former position in the project:
Postdoc at the School of Education (KUSOED), Kathmandu University, Nepal
Binayak Krishna Thapa was a Postdoctoral researcher in the LELAM-TVET4Income project in team Nepal, at the School of Education of Kathmandu University, from January 2018 to end of May 2019.
In June 2019, he became assistant professor at the Kathmandu University's School of Arts (https://kusoa.edu.np/soa-faculties-and-staffs/).
He earned his PhD from the Department of Development Studies at Kathmandu University. He has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from University of Pune, India and a master’s degree in Development Studies from the Kathmandu University. His interests lie in the capability approach, migration studies, poverty measurement, governance and citizenship studies.
Jutta Buergi, MA
Former position in the project:
Doctoral Student at Chair of Education Systems,
Department of Management, Technology, and Economics
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Switzerland
Jutta Buergi was a researcher and doctoral student at the formerly Education Systems Division of the KOF Swiss Economic Institute (currently Chair of Education Systems at D-MTEC), which is part of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. She has a university degree in Sociology from the University of Chile, Santiago de Chile and received her master’s degree in Sociology and Political Science from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Her research interests lie in sociology of education, vocational education and training, tertiary/higher education, education policy, as well as research policy and government support of research.
Dr. Johanna Kemper
Former position in the project:
Postdoctoral researcher at Chair of Education Systems,
Department of Management, Technology, and Economics
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Switzerland
Former LELAM-TVET4INCOME project coordinator
Johanna Kemper is a postdoctoral researcher at the Chair of Education Systems at Department of Management, Technology, and Economics which is part of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. She has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Anthropology from the University of Göttingen, Germany and a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Vienna, Austria. She did her PhD at the Education Systems Division of the KOF Swiss Economic Institute (currently Chair of Education Systems) at ETH. The focus of her thesis was on labour market regulation. Her research interests include labour, education and development economics. She was project coordinator of the LELAM-TVET4INCOME project until 2020.
Dr. Karina Maldonado-Mariscal
Former position in the project:
Postdoctoral researcher at the Chair of Education Systems,
Department of Management, Technology, and Economics ,
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Switzerland
María Valeria Calderón Ramírez, BA
Former position in the project:
Project student
Institute of Education Research
University of Costa Rica (UCR), Costa Rica
María Valeria Calderón Ramírez is a research assistant at the Institute of Research in Education (INIE) of the University of Costa Rica (UCR). She graduated from Special Education at University of Costa Rica and is currently enrolled in the program of Non Formal Education Administration also at UCR. She has been part of the research team since 2019 and continues to study and research for the implementation and improvement of Technical Professional Education and Training in Costa Rica.
Dr. Laxman Acharya
Former position in the project:
Postdoc
School of Education
(KUSOED)
Kathmandu University, Nepal
Laxman Acharya, PhD, is Postdoctoral researcher in the project since November 2019. He obtained a PhD in Education in 2018 from Kathmandu University and two Master degrees in Economics and Public Administration from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. His research interests include out of school children, financing education, inclusive education, and technical and vocational education and training. His PhD thesis is entitled as 'Exploring the Dynamics of Out-of-School Phenomenon in Nepal'. He has been facilitating the course Statistical Methods in Education and Social Science Research in MPhil/PhD program as a visiting faculty in School of Education, Kathmandu University since 2013. He has published some books, book chapters, and research articles.
Dr. Acharya has 30 years of experience in teaching, research, management and coordination, and project evaluation. After working with various I/NGOs, he worked for National Institute for Research and Training (NIRT), as a Managing Director since its establishment in 2011 and played a lead role in coordinating and managing all NIRT projects. Major projects he involved for NIRT includes National Early Grade Reading Program, School Sector Development Plan (SSDP 2016-2022), and Technical Assistance for Soft Skills Project.