Nyima Dorjee Bhotia

Nyima Dorjee Bhotia holds a master’s in anthropology from Tribhuvan University, a graduate diploma in social sciences from the Nepā School of Social Sciences and Humanities, and a bachelor’s in history (honors) from Hans Raj College, University of Delhi. His academic and life experiences across different cities and regions have shaped a cross-border perspective, while grounding him in the specificities of Himalayan regions of Nepal.

Bhotia’s research focuses on Himalayan communities, with particular attention to questions of trans-Himalayan trade, border citizenship, connectivity, migration and mobility, disaster, and infrastructure. Over the years, he has worked with institutions such as Social Science Baha and the Nepā School, contributing to research projects, conferences and edited volumes. His work often weaves together ethnographic fieldwork, oral histories, and close attention to the textures of everyday life. He has also mentored multiple PhD students conducting research in the Himalayan region and collaborated on several research projects, including Highland Asia and Sajag-Nepal.

In addition to academic research, he has been involved in creative and collaborative projects that explore Himalayan geographies through art, archives, materiality and exhibitions. He was one of the contributors to Highland Flotsam: An Archaeology of the Contemporary (Köşk Gallery, Munich), and his project Where the Fox Settles was exhibited at the Kathmandu Triennale 2022. His co-authored research has appeared in journals such as HIMALAYA, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, and Disaster Prevention and Management. He is fluent in Walung, Nepali, English, Hindi, and Tibetan.