Auctioning Dr. Mahabir Pun's medals for NIC

Dr Mahabir Pun, awarded with Asia's Nobel Prize equivalent "The Ramon Magsaysay Award", is auctioning his globally acclaimed medals to raise funds in order to fund , establish and operate Nepal's National Innovation Center (NIC) in a sustainable manner. The target is to raise $5 Million to establish National Innovation Center in Nepal to benefit generations. (Scroll down to see medals)

About National Innovation Center Nepal (https://www.nicnepal.org)

Need and Opportunity
One of the major reasons Nepal is economically a least developed country is that there is little happening in our country to promote economic development. Nepal imports over 90% of its goods, and manufactures and exports very little, resulting in a huge trade deficit. A major economic overhaul will be required to make Nepal a prosperous country in the 21st century. To ensure a sustainable base for her much needed growth engines, Nepal must give the highest priority to science, technology-creation, and innovation. Topmost priority must be given to nurturing home-grown inventors, innovators and scientists to promote this economic development. Because of the lack of such an initiative at the government and private level, a majority of newly-graduated, talented, innovative and creative Nepalis leave the country every year in search of better careers and opportunities abroad. This is a huge and shameful loss for a country like Nepal. As a result, Nepal remains one of the least developed countries, despite so much foreign aid over many years. Unless and until Nepal stops losing creative, innovative and talented human resources at such an alarming rate, it will remain an underdeveloped country. This is a bitter, but irrefutable fact. The goal of the National Innovation Center is to retain talented and creative people and use their talents for the economic development of Nepal, specifically through research and innovation.

Vision
The vision of the National Innovation Center (NIC) is to introduce a Research and Development (R&D) culture to Nepal, and to help nurture and promote innovation-based ecosystems for socio-economic development, by employing both grassroots (bottom-up) and top-down approaches as described below.

• Grassroots Approach (Bottom-up): In order to recognize the often-overlooked resourcefulness and inventiveness of grassroots innovators, NIC will set up network of local innovation hubs in rural Nepali communities, with the goal of providing tools and resources to support the innovative rural Nepali populace, and incubating their creative ideas. NIC will support them in creatively solving local challenges, while also contributing to the local economy.
• Structured Approach (Top-down Approach): NIC will also focus on building central and regional structures to work with talented and innovative Nepalis who are either studying at or have graduated from the university. NIC will also support and collaborate with innovators and researchers who are already working in Nepal in many fields of innovation and invention. These innovation hubs will become accelerators and incubators at a national level, and will support innovative enterprises and research projects that can positively impact the social and economic fabric of the country.
• Networked Approach (External Supporters): NIC will persuade Nepali researchers currently working abroad or in Nepal to support its efforts. Our vision includes creating an environment conducive to encouraging talented Nepali researchers and scientists to engage and contribute in various ways in order to help nurture the creativity of young and talented Nepalis. NIC will create a database of those researchers and will encourage them to provide mentorship to young Nepali innovators.

Modality
A not-for-profit sharing company by the name of “Rashtriya Awishkar Kendra” (National Innovation Center) has been registered under Sub-section (1) section 5 of the Company Act 2006, Nepal. This is not a private limited company because there are no private shareholders. The center will support young innovators and inventors in four steps as described below:

• Step 1 - Provide full financial support and mentoring for accelerating prototype design;
• Step 2 - Provide full financial support and mentoring for product development;
• Step 3 - Provide full support for securing patents, trademarks, intellectual property rights, etc.;
• Step 4 - Provide support for introducing them to investors so that they can launch innovative products and services aimed at improving economic and social development.

In this sense, NIC is a nurturing center, as it aims to create unique models for retaining, nurturing and promoting Nepal’s top human capital. This is designed to leverage their considerable intellect, creativity, and talent, and to foster the country’s social and economic growth. This model could be replicated in other least developed countries that are in situations similar to Nepal’s.

Sustainability:
In order to make NIC sustainable from the very beginning, it is working on several ideas to generate financial resources such as producing export quality mineral water from Himalayan springs, developing a drink from ginger or herbs, and producing power from solar and bio-gas for sale etc. The plan is to make NIC fully sustainable within five years, and NIC is ready to invest in projects that can bring income to the center on regular basis. One of the money-making ideas is to register a hydropower company, with NIC as a major stakeholder, and develop a 10 MW to 15 MW hydropower station. The hydro power would be sold to the government to generate income for the center.

The hydro power project was chosen because it is a predictable, stable, and steady source of revenue. It requires a one-time investment, and it would take about five years to complete construction and begin generating power. NIC will obtain the necessary permissions from the government of Nepal to build the power station and sell the power.

It is estimated that a 10 MW hydropower station will generate a net income of about US$3 million every year by selling electric power to the government. In the beginning years of power production, 75% (~US$2 million) of the net income will be used each year to pay interest and principal on loans, and to cover operating and maintenance costs. The remainder (~US$ 1 million) will be used to run the innovation center. The estimated loan payback period is 8 years. After that NIC will use the full profits to fund its operation.

Board of Directors
The team members who are taking initial leadership role are, Dr. Mahabir Pun (Social Entrepreneur) leads the project as Chairman with Mr. Rameshore Khanal (Economist and Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance), Dr. Dambar Nepali (Hydro power expert), Dr. Pramod Dhakal (Former scientist in Canada now in Nepal), Dr. Dinesh Bhuju (Scientist, National Academy of Science and Technology), and Mr. Hari Kumar Silwal (Chartered Accountant). Board members will be added based upon their potential contributions to achieving our mission. As the NIC is a not-for-profit organization, board members are not entitled to any financial incentives.

Requests to Individuals and Donor Communities
NIC has asked the government of Nepal for seed funding for the development of a 10 MW hydropower station. However, because of a lack of interest from the government, we launched a public fundraising campaign in July 2016 to raise US$5 million from Nepalis living in Nepal and abroad. NIC has had a very good response from both Nepalis and friends of Nepal.

Here is how you can support the innovation center.

• Bring ideas and skills to help establish and run innovation centers in the most productive ways;
• Sign up to become mentors for talented Nepali innovators and inventors if you are expert;
• Provide one time financial support and material support in whatever capacity you can;
• Contribute 30 minutes or more of your time per week to share and promote the importance of the innovation center with your relatives, neighbors, friends and other Nepalis.

Moreover, NIC would like to request business houses, donor communities and angel investors to give one-time financial support either in the form of a grant or a soft loan to help realize the project. Such support will make a long-lasting positive impact on the economic and social development of Nepal. Your contribution could be the most meaningful investment you will ever make in supporting Nepal so it can become an economically prosperous country.

While the hydropower building team will be involved in constructing the hydropower station for long-term sustainability, NIC has built a working space and research lab in Kathmandu and has started providing support to innovative and creative people working on small scale innovation and research.

Let us remind the famous Chinese proverb - “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Your contribution to NIC will work exactly the same way for Nepal. NIC will teach Nepali innovators and inventors how to “fish” with the goal of helping Nepal become a prosperous nation. On behalf of the young generation of Nepal, we appreciate very much your involvement and support in making this dream come true.

For contribution and other information, please visit our website: http://www.nicnepal.org

Contact Information:
• Dr. Mahabir Pun (Email:nicnepal.mahabir@gmail.com, Mobile: +977 9841592361
Chairman, National Innovation Center, Nepal
• Mr. Nimesh Ghimire (E-mail: ghimirenimesh@gmail.com)
Global Public Relation Coordinator
• Dr. Tulsi Dharel, (E-mail: tulsidharel@gmail.com)
Coordinator, Canada
• Mr. Saurav Dhakal: Email: saurav@storycycle.com
Communication Coordinator

National Innovation Center
In order to make Nepal a developed country, the common country, devotees and Nepalese people living abroad and abroad, as well as Nepal government, give the following things a very high priority. Use the maximum of their talents given special encouragement to creative and talented human capital and resources in the country. In order to develop scientific and innovative technologies as far as possible in Nepal, we should provide high and special priority to the talent of brilliant Nepali. Let us maximize export-oriented industries to strengthen the system of Nepal. Provide necessary support for it and create a friendly environment. The purpose of citing the above mentioned words is to establish the "National Invention Center". If we all collabarate and develop science and technology in the country, we can be sure to make Nepal a developed country in 30 years. And Nepalese people do not have to pay abroad to seek employment. It is also not to be humiliated and to suffer and to lose life.

- Mahabir Pun( You can call me at 9841592361 (Nepal) 5714327038 (USA until October 4) or mail me at nicnepal.mahabir@gmail.com )

Shivabhakta Marg 304, Lazimpat, Kathmandu Nepal
Write email to Dr. Mahabir Pun for further information: nicnepal.mahabir@gmail.com

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