Ashish Aryal

Ashish Aryal headshot
MPS in Global Development, 2021-22
  • Hometown: Syangja, Nepal
  • Colleges attended and degree earned: Pokhara University: Master of Business Administration
What are the big challenges you want to tackle in the world?

I want to work to ensure inclusive and holistic development in the least developed nations by finding creative policy solutions for the reasonable allocation and optimum utilization of limited public resources to enhance social justice, accelerated growth, and productivity.

What were you doing before the MPS program?

I have been working under the Ministry of Finance (MoF) Nepal, which is for prudent fiscal and economic management. I joined MoF in late 2014 and worked in diverse areas like public budgeting, international aid cooperation, taxation, and economic policymaking.

What does global development mean to you?

In my viewpoint, development is a continuous process, the reflection of dynamic contemporary change and progress towards advancement; and global development means development by improving the living standards of citizens using a global network of information, resources, innovative measures, and creative ideas around the globe.

What has been the most memorable or impactful experience of your career so far?

In 2018, I was at South Korea to participate in a seminar on climate change-related projects and programs. I was impressed by South Korea’s “rags-to-riches’” development. South Korea had achieved structural transformation from a subsistence, agrarian economy to modern industrial power in the past three decades. As a development enthusiast, I learned different aspects of successful project implementation modality in the hydropower sector. Accordingly, I compared the distinct segments of some projects, especially in the energy sector with similar projects in Nepal, which helped me to understand the project implementation status in Nepal.

How do you envision the MPS program contributing to your career?

I think the skills and knowledge I will gain through the varied course at Cornell University will help me foster my advocacy skills to argue and promote economic and development policies in Nepal. In addition, it will also provide me the insightful experience to enrich the ability to connect theory with practice to solve contemporary policy challenges in least developed nations.

Do you have any aspirations for what you’d like to focus on in your MPS problem-solving project (capstone)?

I have not decided on any specific project yet; however, I plan to frame my research on leading public or economic policies, successful development projects/plans/programs,  and impact studies.

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