Dr Bharat Raj Poudel, a Research Fellow at AIFAR, is an accomplished professional specializing in media and disaster management. With a PhD from QUT, Brisbane, Australia, his expertise encompasses disaster management, social dimensions of disasters, media framing of disaster events, crisis and risk communications, and more. He is also an insightful analyst, offering his expertise on subjects such as politics, economy, culture, and social development.
Dr. Poudel is affiliated with esteemed institutions and organizations including Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Federation of Nepalese Community Association of Australia (FeNCAA), Non-Resident Nepalese Association Australia (NRNA), Pacific Training Group-Australia, Queensford College Brisbane, and has collaborated with international agencies like UNDP, Nepal Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM), Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), as well as various community and private media platforms in Australia and Nepal.
Dr. Poudel's notable research for his PhD focused on "Developing a disaster management model for news production in Nepal: A study on Nepalese media portrayal of disaster events using news frames and PPRR cycle of disaster management." Prior to his doctoral studies, he gained valuable experience in the media sector in Nepal and served as Editor-at-Large at southasia.com.au, an online news portal catering to the global Nepalese diaspora. He has also volunteered at esteemed media organizations such as Radio SKID Row Sydney-NSW, CMS Radio Canberra-ACT, and MNTV-Australia.
Recognized for his outstanding academic achievements, Dr. Poudel received a Dean's Commendation for his Masters of Community Development (MCD) from Southern Cross University (SCU), Australia. He holds a Master's degree in Anthropology (MA) and a Bachelor's degree in Plant Science (BSc) from T.U, Kathmandu, Nepal. Throughout his academic journey, he has been honored with fellowships, grants, and awards from institutions in Nepal and Australia, supporting his research and project works.
Dr. Poudel has also acquired qualifications and training in Leadership and Management, Community Services, Project Management, Teaching Advantage, and Media and Journalism from prestigious institutions in Australia and Nepal. His expertise in teaching, research, community engagement, writing, public speaking, media commentary, and leadership has contributed to his reputation in media and academic circles, establishing his presence in the public domain.
Engaged in multicultural and community activities in Australia, Dr. Poudel actively participates in discussions on community safety, media and communication, development issues, and skill/knowledge/innovation-related initiatives. He has co-authored a book titled "Dissecting the Pandemic Covid-19: Through the facades of science and global socio-economic impact" and has written numerous articles and book chapters. Dr. Poudel serves as the Coordinator of Disaster, Emergency, Crisis Management Taskforce (DECMT) of NRNA-Non-Resident Nepalese Association, Australia, and is a Media and Research Team Member at the Federation of Nepalese Community Association Australia.
