Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies

The Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies (ANHS) is the United States' oldest academic organization dedicated to the study of Nepal and the greater Himalayan region.

The following mission statement guides ANHS:

The objective of the Association is to support research, teaching, and outreach initiatives to improve awareness of the Himalayas and nearby mountain regions, as well as scholarly exchanges between Americans and citizens of the region.

Faculty, scholars, students, universities, colleges, libraries, and development organizations specializing in Nepal and the Himalayas are all members of the ANHS.

The Nepal Studies Association was founded in 1971 when a group of scholars working on research projects in Nepal came together at an Association of Asian Studies meeting to form the Nepal Studies Association (NSA).

The Ford Foundation awarded NSA a grant in 1972, which helped the group get off the ground. NSA had gathered around 200 members by 1973. A newsletter was quickly published to distribute information about NSA activities, discuss research, and link Nepalese researchers. In 1980, the NSA replaced its Newsletter with a new magazine, the Himalayan Research Bulletin, an academic periodical that reflected the organization's expanded focus on the entire Himalayan region (HRB).

The Dor Bahadur Bista Prize for Best Graduate Student Paper and the James Fisher Prize for the Best First Book on the Himalayan Region is given out by ANHS each year.

ANHS has steadily increased its ability to meet its founders' original goals: to promote all forms of study on Nepal and the Himalayas, to support Nepalese and Himalayan researchers, and to facilitate student learning about Nepal and the Himalayan region.

ANHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization controlled by the ANHS Constitution, which is registered with the State of Oregon. Faculty, scholars, students, universities, colleges, libraries, and development organizations with a focus on Nepal and the Himalaya are among the members.