KATHMANDU, July 31: Nepali journalist and author Ghanshyam Khadka has been shortlisted as a finalist for the prestigious Global Alumni Award presented by the British Council.
The award recognises international alumni of UK institutions who have made outstanding contributions to their professions and communities. It celebrates the global impact of individuals who studied in the UK and have gone on to drive positive change in their home countries.
Khadka was selected as a finalist for his pioneering principle, Right to Happiness, which is grounded in the philosophy that true joy and fulfilment can only be achieved through both the realisation of human rights and personal awareness.
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Every year, thousands of nominations are received from around the world and finalists are chosen in three categories: Professional Achievement and Social Impact, Business and Innovation and Culture and Creativity.
A Chevening Scholar, Khadka earned an LLM in International and European Human Rights Law from the University of Leeds in 2016. He has been shortlisted in the Culture and Creativity category. In addition to his Right to Happiness principle, his work in human rights journalism, authorship and the Mindful Living campaign were key factors in his selection, according to the University of Leeds.
"Social structures can help guarantee human rights and provide essential services, but that alone does not ensure happiness," Khadka explains. "Otherwise, societies with strong human rights records would be free of anxiety, depression or suicide. True happiness requires personal awakening—it cannot be delivered solely through external systems."
Khadka argues that while state-provided rights and services create the conditions for well-being, a mindful and conscious approach to life is essential for true happiness. His Right to Happiness theory presents human rights and individual awareness as mutually reinforcing.
Khadka, who is also the author of the acclaimed novel Nirvana, explores the inner dimensions of his theory in his latest book Ananda Sanhita, which focuses on the practice of mindful living. The British Council noted that his conceptual innovation and impactful writing were key reasons for his selection as a finalist.
He is the only Nepali to reach the final stage of this year’s Global Alumni Awards.
The University of Leeds has expressed pride in his selection and extended congratulations in an official letter sent to Khadka on Wednesday. The British Council is scheduled to host the Global Alumni Awards ceremony later this year, where winners will be formally announced.
