Multi-stakeholder Steering Group Members
(Last Updated 28 Oct 2024)
Iqbal Ahmed
Bangladesh - Member, ISoC Bangladesh Chapter (Civil Society)
Iqbal did his post-graduation from Jahangirnagar University and Executive MBA from American International University, Bangladesh.
He has a strong interest in Fintech activities that include digitization of the financial sector and is actively associated with the Internet Governance Forum under UN supervision and has been working with bdSIG in Bangladesh. He is a fellow of Bangladesh School of Internet Governance (BDSIG), India School of Internet Governance (InSiG) and Asia Pacific School of Internet Governance (APSiG).
Jamil Ahmed
Bangladesh - Registrar and Professor, Royal University (Academia)
Bio of Jamil Ahmed (August, 2022)
Jamil Ahmed obtained his Masters degree in English Language and Linguistics following completion of a BA in English Literature. He has completed MPhil in Local Governance & Public Administration and pursuing PhD. on "Role of Journalism and Media in Disseminating Local Governance Policy Reform Agenda in Bangladesh". He had a advanced training on ‘Civil Society Outreach’ from Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK in 2007 and had a diploma in Journalism from Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB). He received advanced training on Media Advocacy from CARE International, Atlanta, USA in 2008. He was awarded Eisenhower Fellowship (USA) in 2012 on Strategic Leadership Development by US State Department, US Government. Jamil Ahmed has over 25 years of professional experience in Program Development and Management, especially in the areas of program design, develop and implementation, Specialized in relationship building with civil society, Policy advocacy campaign, BCC/IEC materials development and information dissemination, Efficient in training facilitation, moderating and anchoring. Jamil Ahmed worked with renowned National and International agencies including BBC London, The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, Action Aid - UK, Save the Children-USA, USAID funded Governance programs (ARD, RTI, DAI), TIB & CARE-USA. Jamil Ahmed was the Founder Executive Director of Journalism Training and Research Institute of USAID/BRAC University. Currently serving as the Director - PR & Media at North South University (NSU).
Affiliations & Previous Experiences:
a) Director, Policy Advocacy & Media - Water Aid UK, Bangladesh Country Office;
b) Director, Policy Advocacy & Communications - World Vision International;
c) Senior Advisor & Program Director - Save the Children;
d) Director - Media & Public Relations, Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB);
e) Advisor to the Editor - The Daily Prothom Alo;
f) Executive Director - JATRI USAID
Faisal Ahmed Bhubon
Bangladesh - Secretary General, Bangladesh Youth Internet Governance Forum (Technical Community)
I am a passionate advocate for inclusive and accessible internet governance, with over X years of experience driving positive change in my local and regional communities. My journey began with the Bangladesh Youth Internet Governance Forum (BYIGF), where I served as Secretary-General, playing a key role in its growth and impact. This pivotal experience fueled my desire to engage further, leading me to become a fellow of the Bangladesh School of Internet Governance in 2017.
Since then, I have consistently sought opportunities to amplify youth voices and perspectives on the global stage. I actively contribute to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and am a dedicated member of the technical teams for BIGF, YIGF, and bdSIG. My commitment extends beyond national borders, as evidenced by my current roles as:
• Organizing Committee Member of the 2023-2024 Netmission Academy: Leading the charge in organizing this prestigious capacity-building initiative for young internet governance enthusiasts.
• Asia Pacific Youth IGF Steering Committee Member: Shaping the agenda and direction of the region's premier youth-led internet governance forum.
• APIGA Member: Contributing to the Asia Pacific Internet Governance Forum's mission of fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaboration on critical internet issues.
• Global Youth IGF Organizing Committee Member: Bringing together young voices from across the globe to participate in the IGF's inclusive policy discussions.
• Team Leader of Working Group #1 in the upcoming Netmission Academy Training: Guiding and mentoring fellow participants in exploring pressing internet governance challenges and innovative solutions.
• ISOC Youth Standing Group Member: Collaborating with a like-minded network of young leaders to advance the Internet Society's vision of an open, interconnected, and trusted internet for all.
Chinara Aitbaeva
Kyrgyzstan - Director, Nash Vek Public Foundation (Civil Society)
Chinara Aitbaeva is the social activist since 1999. Director of the Public Foundation "Nash Vek" since 2001. In 2012 received a Master's degree in management in non-profit organizations at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (Hanns Seidel Foundation 2010-2012).
She studied management and business at the Academy of Tourism (1995-1999). Also she studied law at the Kyrgyz State Legal Academy under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (2000-2003). She continued her professional education at the School of Political Management of AUCA (2011), at the School of State and Public Policy Consultancy (2010), at the School of Gender (2011), passed professional trainings on the management of natural resources and their incomes, anti-corruption standards of draft laws, and etc.
She was a member of the UNDP Advisory Council, she is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) from civil society, and other international NGO networks on sustainable development. Coordinator of the External Aid Monitoring group. One of the directions of the organization of the Nash Vek Public Foundation is "Promoting sustainable development".
Shamima Akhter
Bangladesh - Chairperson, Bangladesh Women Internet Governance Forum (Civil Society)
Ms. Shamima Akhter, MSS in Government and Politics and LL.B is the Chairperson of Bangladesh Women IGF. She has been involving with Internet Governance since 2010.
He has seen first-hand how rural disadvantage women in Bangladesh are deprived of their basic rights in line with economic power, freedom of expression and are subject to discrimination in many areas of their lives in line with VOICE POVERTY in line with Women’s Social, Political, Cultural Action, Action for Empowerment
and Accountability. facilitate cross stream learning and capacity building.
Nazma Akter
Bangladesh - Headmistress (Primary School), Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Bangladesh (Civil Society)
This is Nazma Akter, Working as a Headmistress of a government primary school, I am passionately working for the education development. Beside that I am involved to an initiative for to build the awareness of safe internet, especially for the rural community peoples. As a teacher I have to work with many students and the gurdians so that I can always trying to cooperate with them for the safe and secure internet using, that awareness help for the academic and technical education enhancement opportunity. I think I can contribute for the IG community also. I am a member of ISOC Dhaka chapter as well as many other social organization as an educator.
Shah Ansari
India - President, Young India (Civil Society)
N. A. Shah Ansari, is a multifaceted figure known for his roles as a Human Rights Activist, Journalist, and Community Media Specialist. With diverse academic achievements, including multiple master's degrees and Ph.D. studies, Ansari demonstrates a commitment to academic excellence.
In his current roles, Ansari serves as the Convenor of CommunityRadio4Change-Asia campaign, overseeing coordination and growth of community radios worldwide. He is also the President of Young India, a significant NGO focusing on youth development, human rights, and societal peace since 1989. As the Chairperson of Radio Namaskar and Editor of Namaskar Community TV, Ansari is a pioneer in community media.
Ansari's leadership has garnered him prestigious accolades such as the National Youth Award, Indira Gandhi NSS Award, and the International Community Participation Award(UK), US Legislative Fellowship, International Youth Fellowship, Japan etc. Notably, he is a prolific author, having written the widely acclaimed book "Community Radio: 100 Answers to Make Waves" and edited two volumes of "Community Radio for Change." His contributions extend to numerous news features, stories, and poems published in popular magazines and newspapers.
Beyond media, Ansari is actively engaged in various campaigns and forums, showcasing his commitment to human rights, youth development, and community empowerment.
As a motivational speaker and development trainer, Ansari has empowered over ten thousand youth volunteers and workers, fostering the establishment of more than three thousand youth clubs across India. He has taught & guided students & media researchers of more than 100 universities of Asian counties.
N. A. Shah Ansari's dynamic contributions have left an indelible mark on India's social and media landscape, standing as a beacon of inspiration for positive change.
Babu Ram Aryal
Nepal - Founder/CEO, Internet Governance Institute (Civil Society)
Babu Ram Aryal, cyber law, cybersecurity, and media law professional, based in Kathmandu. He is the Vice-Chair of Nepal Internet Governance Forum. He is the co-founder and the CEO of Internet Governance Institute (IGI), a dedicated IG grass-root capacity building organization in the Asia Pacific. IGI is established to strengthen IG discourse and capacity at the grass-root level to the Asia Pacific region. He is also the past Vice chair the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum.
Gunela Astbrink
Australia - Chair, Internet Society Accessibility Standing Group (Civil Society)
Gunela Astbrink has been active in disability policy, programs and research for 30 years and brings this experience to Internet governance. Gunela has organised workshops and spoken at national, regional and global IGFs as well as participating in NETmundial in Brazil. She is Chair of the global Internet Society Accessibility Standing Group, completed a term as Vice-Chair of ICANN's APRALO and past member of the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG). Gunela has initiated a disability leadership training program in Internet governance and digital rights with a regional workshop held in Bangladesh and national workshops in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Azmira Aziz
Bangladesh - Teacher, Sir John Wilson School (Academia)
Azmira Aziz is an educator with the passion for outdoors. She is an Economic Graduate from Brac University. Having immense love for teaching she joined Scholastica Ltd right after graduation. Later she joined Sir John Wilson School, one of Dhaka's leading English Medium School as a teacher for Mathematics and Science for Grade 3 and 4 students. She wants the teacher community of Bangladesh to learn and adopt new policies through technological progress and maximum exposure.
Satish Babu
India - Member, ALAC (Civil Society)
Satish Babu is a member of the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) of ICANN, the former Chair of Asia-Pacific School on Internet Governance (APSIG) and a former Chair of APRALO. He is a co-founder of the India School on Internet Governance. He has been engaged with Internet Governance since 2009, and has been a member of the APrIGF MSG.
Mst Zannatul Bakiya
Bangladesh - Special Correspondent, Channel i (Press / Media)
Zannatul Bakiya Keka is an award-winning journalist, writer, and author. Currently, she has been working with electronic media named Channel i as a special correspondent since 2017. She is a graduate of the University of Rajshahi. She also holds a master's degree from the same university.
She started her journalism career in 1999 and over the years worked for different print and electronic media on Health, women, children, and environmental issues as a part of her professional interests.
In her recent position, she produced a report on health and environment, Agriculture, Children and Women's Affairs, National political affairs, and legal and judicial issues.
She regularly writes in different dailies on health, women, children, and environmental issues.
She attended several trainings, including the South Asia Initiative on Women and HIV/AIDS Policymaking, held on December 7–10, 2009, in Washington, DC, USA.
`Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment for Media in Asia and the Pacific. Held on December 12–15 in Bangkok, Thailand.
She visited 14 countries as a journalist to cover major events in Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal, West Temur, Fiji, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Canada.
She won the DRU Media Award in 2015, the Family Planning Media Award in 2011, the UNICEF Meena Media Award in 2010, the UNDP-Bangladesh Disaster Management Media Award in 2009, and the United Nations Population Fund Media Award in 2005.
Shahin Begum
Bangladesh - Vice-Chairperson, Bangladesh Women Internet Governance Forum (BWIGF) (Civil Society)
Shahin Ara Begum (Bangladesh) is working as a Development Consultant and Policy Analyst. She has longstanding (23+ years) expertise on project and programme conceptualization and formulation, policy analysis and advocacy, research and evaluation, report writing, translation and editing, training need assessment, facilitation, designing various capacity building courses, with specialization on social protection, climate justice, child rights, human rights, women and gender, preventing violent conflict and peace building, governance, environment and disaster management. She worked with UNDP, The British Council, Counterpart International/USAID, Save the Children, BSAF, ANTAR, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of Bangladesh, DemocracyWatch, Disaster Management Watch, etc. She has in-depth knowledge on policy analysis and development issues focused on child rights, human rights, women and gender. Very recently she participated in the International Conference on ‘Religious Inclusion and Peacebuilding In the World: The Perspectives of Muslims’ & AMAN Assembly 2023 at Aceh, Indonesia.
Shahin Ara Begum hold two Masters (i. Geography and Environment, ii. Governance and Public Policy) from Dhaka University, and completed professional course on Public Policy Analysis and Strategic Management under Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management (BIGM). She has completed a comprehensive training in Policy Analysis Course from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. She also completed Post Graduations in Development Planning.
She has quite a few numbers of articles published in various journals, dailies, magazines, newsletters and visited countries in Asia and the Pacific region. She life member of Dhaka University Alumni Association. She works with the Children Watch Foundation (CWF) Bangladesh as Social and Policy Specialist. She is also the Vice-Chairperson of Bangladesh Women Internet Governance Forum.
Melody Bendindang
Australia - Community Engagement Manager at APNIC, APNIC (Technical Community)
Melody leads community engagement initiatives for Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC). She runs the External Relations Program that facilitates APNIC's engagement and impact with the technical community, and wider internet ecosystem within the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Melody brings with her more than a decade of experience working with diverse communities in facilitating positive change and impact.
Vashkar Bhattacharjee
Bangladesh - inclution adviser, YPSA (Civil Society)
Vashkar Bhattacharjee a person with visual disability serving as the national accessibility consultant for the (a2i) program of the government of Bangladesh. He is also working as inclusion advisor for YPSA (Young Power in Social Action). With 18 years of experience, his works promotes inclusive development, humanitarian action, climate change, disaster management and digital accessibility in both public and private sectors, developing several award-winning solutions. As a recognition, his biography is featured in class six life and livelihood textbook
Vashkar, serving as vice president of the internet society accessibility standing group, country representative of G3ict, Focal point of DAISY consortium, Bookshare and (ABC) of WIPO. He has received numerous awards including the UNESCO/ Emir Jaber Prize for digital empowerment (2018/19), Henri Viskardi Achievement award (2017). D-30 Impact list honoree (2021) and was recognized as a successful person with a disability by Bangladesh’s honorable Prime Minister (2016).
Kakoli Chakravarty
Bangladesh - Free Lance Consultant, Individual (Civil Society)
I, Kakoli Chakravarty, am an active member of the Advisory Committee of the Bangladesh Women's Internet Governance Forum (BWIGF), which plays a pivotal role in shaping the digital reform for women in Bangladesh. Working on women empowerment issues across Bangladesh since 2000 with a commitment to advancing gender inclusivity in internet governance. Leverage my expertise to provide strategic insights and recommendations that empower women, especially youth in navigating the online space. Through active engagement with other stakeholders, I am skilled in reviewing and formulating existing policies that address the unique challenges women face in the digital sphere, fostering an environment that encourages active participation ensuring their voices are heard, and raising consciousness in using the internet including shaping the future of the internet in Bangladesh.
Lennon Chang
Australia - A/Prof, Centre for Cyber Resiliuence and Trust/ Deakin University (Academia)
Dr Lennon Yao-Chung Chang is Associate Professor, Cyber Policy and Risks, at Deakin University.. He was a Senior Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University before joining Deakin University. He is Vice-chairman of the Asia Pacific Association of Technology and Society. He is also President of Australasian Taiwan Studies Association which he founded in 2020. Dr Chang’s research interests focus on the intersection of law and technology, cybercrime and cyber security, co-production of cyber security, disinformation campaign and foreign interference, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. He is one of the very few academics and legal researchers to research the intersection of technology and law and cybercrime in the early 2000s. He is the author of Cybercrime in the Greater China Region: Regulatory Responses and Crime Prevention (Edward Elgar, 2012) and his publications are in quality journals. He has been invited by the governments of Canada, Taiwan, Korea, and Hong Kong to discuss his research findings with senior national security, foreign policy and policing staff. He is often invited often invited by TV and news media, including New York Times, Reuters, ABC and BBC, to comment on cybercrime and cyber-attack events.
Joyce Chen
Australia - Senior Advisor - Strategic Engagement, APNIC (Technical Community)
Joyce Chen is APNIC’s Senior Advisor for Strategic Engagement. She is responsible for managing key relationships with stakeholders such as governments, intergovernmental organisations, and the wider Asia Pacific Internet community. Joyce is also involved in expanding APNIC’s capacity development and outreach efforts.
Joyce is active in public policy discussions at the local, regional, and global platforms. She is passionate about Internet access and development, as well as finding opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation and partnerships.
Joyce was appointed by the UN Secretary-General to be a member of the 2021-2023 Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) with the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). She serves on the IGF Support Association (IGFSA) Executive Committee. She is a member of the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) Multistakeholder Steering Group (MSG), the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), and APAC Cyber Policy Network (APCEN).
YingChu Chen
Taiwan - Assistant Research Fellow, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, Individual (Academia)
YingChu Chen is an assistant research fellow at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. She has attended APrIGF since 2016 and UN IGF since 2017. She is interested in researching digital economy development and behavioural economics. Her research has been related to government regulation and technology innovations, digital platforms, data protection and gender equity issues in recent years.
Sunny Chendi
Australia - Senior Advisor Policy and Community Development, APNIC (Technical Community)
Srinivas (Sunny) Chendi is APNIC's Senior Advisor for Policy and Community Development and also Liaison Officer for the South Asia region. He is responsible for supporting the APNIC community in the resource Policy Development Process and enhancing the levels of engagement and participation of the members of the community which APNIC serves. He also manages the South Asia region Liaison role while establishing partnerships with external organizations to encourage latest technical deployments and help the community derive the maximum benefit from developments at APNIC.
yik Chan chin
China - Beijing Normal University, Individual (Academia)
Dr. Chin is Associate Professor at the Beijing Normal University. Prior to this, she worked in the Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and University of Nottingham and University of Oxford’s School of Law. Her areas of research include Internet Governance; Digital policy, Regulation and Law , AI and Big Data ethics and Governance.
She serves as:
- Vice-chair of the Public Media Policies (PMP) Working Group of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR)
- Outreach and Partnership Committee Chair of the Global Network of Internet Governance Academics (Giganet)
- Associate Fellow of the Oxford Global Society
• Member of UN Internet Governance Forum(IGF)‘s Policy Network on Artificial Intelligence (PNAI) and Policy Network on Internet Fragmentation (PNIF)
• NGO representative to the UN’s Open-ended Working Group on developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security (OWEG)
• Member of ICANN’s Asian, Australasian and Pacific Islands Regional At-Large Organization (APRALO)
• Multi-Stakeholder Steering Group (MSG) member of the China Internet Governance Forum (China IGF)
Eun Chang Choi
South Korea - Partner, Impactive AI (Private Sector)
South Korea -Partner, Impactive AI (Private Sector) Mr. Choi is a globally recognised AI policy expert and a scholar of issues at the intersection of machine learning, technology policy, and information law. He provids expert advice for ICT companies and public sector research institutes. His expertise is heavily focused on issues with AI related public policy (ethics of AI systems, managing algorithmic risks, governing AI generated mis/disinformation and cyber attacks, the power of online platforms). Since 2016, he has been representing KrIGF (South Korean IGF) at Regional and National Initiatives (NRIs) managed by the United Nations IGF's Internet Goverance Forum. On the flip side, he founded the Global Poverty Public Awareness Project (Povertyinfo.org), a non-profit that disseminates open knowledge about issues affecting global poverty. More importantly he advocates public policy on ICT4D, digital inclusion in terms of Access to Knowledge, AI democratization, AI for Good, and Open Data Initiatives for sustainable development which makes government data publicly available in accessible formats to spur innovation. He taught about the potential of AI technology at UNESCO UNITWIN's next generation entrepreneurship training program in Rwanda and Indonesia, as well as ITU Centres of Excellence and Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy (APIGA). Previously, he was a fellow of Yale Information Society Project at Yale Law School and holds a certificate from Internet Law Program at Harvard Law School. https://eunchangchoi.github.io/
Amrita Choudhury
India - Director, CCAOI (Civil Society)
Amrita is an active participant in digital and internet governance policy discussions in India and overseas. She is involved in capacity building, outreach and research. Currently she is serving as Director of CCAOI, President ISOC Delhi, Chair AprIGF, Chair APRALO, Chair IGFSA and Coordination committee of India IGF and inSIG. She advises Youth India IGF and curates for GIP. For more details visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amrita-choudhury-b0865511?originalSubdomain=in
Tasmi Chowdhory
Bangladesh - News Presenter, Bangladesh Radio (Press / Media)
I am Tasmi Chowdhury. I have completed my graduation and post-graduation in Philosophy from Eden Mohila College, Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am currently enlisted as a news presenter in Bangladesh Radio, the National Radio of Bangladesh. I am also with Bangladesh Women IGF as Joint Secretary. I have prior interest in Development sector and Cultural sector. I am doing theater drama for last 10 years in Bangladesh. I am a freelance voice artist.
Edmon Chung
Hong Kong - CEO, Dot Asia (Technical Community)
Edmon Chung is serving as the CEO for DotAsia Organisation. He also participates extensively in global and regional Internet related groups and contributes his time and expertise to Internet Governance related issues.
Since 2002, Edmon played a leadership role in the region-wide ‘.Asia’ domain extension initiative. He championed DotAsia Organisation as a not-for-profit organization and its mandate to promote Internet development and adoption in Asia. Since the launch of ‘.Asia’ web presence in 2008, DotAsia has contributed significantly to a variety of community projects in Asia, including for example: Go.Asia, ISIF.Asia, NetMission.Asia, MaD.Asia among others.
Edmon is also an inventor of patents underlying technologies for internationalized domain names (IDN) and was involved in making it possible for the introduction of multilingual domain names and email addresses on the Internet. In 2000, Edmon was selected by Canada’s most prestigious and influential news journal, The Globe and Mail, as one of its ‘Young Canadian Leaders’. In 2001, he won the ‘Most Innovative Award’ in the Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurship Award. Between 2006 and 2010, Edmon served as an elected member on the ICANN GNSO Council and after that he served as an elected member on the ICANN At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) from the Asia Pacific Region.
Shibendu Debbarma
India - Additional Director, STPI (Technical Community)
He is working as Additional Director, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI). He is spreading Internet for every one and its Governance among locality in his area through various activities. He also served as Assistant Professor in Department of Information Technology, Tripura University for 5 years. His teaching and research interests combine data network, IPv6, IoT and Internet Technologies. He has research publications in conference proceedings and in academic journals.
Supul Edirisinghe
Sri Lanka - Undergraduate, University of Peradeniya (Youth / Students)
I am a Computer Science Undergraduate at University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. I was a fellow at APNIC-54. I am very passionate about cybersecurity, networking technologies & bridging the digital divide and working towards a better internet for everyone.
Farhana Akter Fahima
Bangladesh - Educator (Govt. Primary School), Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Bangladesh (Civil Society)
I am a primary school teacher, working for the child education development. Beside my profession I am working for the street children, minority peoples educations, rural community peoples education also. To contribute from myself to spread the internet governance community I engaged with the ISOC Dhaka chapter as well as many other organization where I can exchange my experiences and have opportunity to learn from the internet governance expert.
Farha Mahmud Trina Farha Mahmud Trina
Bangladesh - Chairperson Bangladesh Teacher IGF, Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (Academia)
Ms Farha Mahmud Trina is A Teacher, an Entrepreneur, Business owner, a Philanthropist, a dancer, a choreographer, former News presenter Channel I and announcer of NATIONAL TELEVISION, Public Speaker, and social development contributor. She believes everyone on this planet is uniquely created to reach his or her maximum potential. She has been an avid promoter of all the goodness in girl power & whenever possible despite all odds she extends her support to young women entrepreneurs, mother’s elderly of the society. Born & brought up in a military family Farha spent most of her young life in different military bases of the county. She is a graduate from University of Chittagong. Farha has a long career as an educator where she taught in Scholastica, currently she works in AUSIS. Farha worked for Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum since 2021, her journey started with BIGF (Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum) as Convenor of KIDS and WOMEN IGF. Later she shared her experience as Secretary General Women IGF Bangladesh. From September 2023 with number of very insightful and dedicated Teachers community she conveyed Bangladesh TEACHER IGF for the voice of Teacher fraternity.
She works for the development of entrepreneurship in e-commerce association of Bangladesh-eCAB, the only trade body of Bangladesh. She is also an advisor of Eco-Friendly Entrepreneurship platform ECOCASH GLOBAL TRADE HUB by GLTS as mentor for entrepreneurs of AFRICA.Juggling among her many roles & duties daily she manages time to share her values & experience with anyone who is keen to learn from her. She uses both mainstream & digital media to reach out & connect with Bangladeshi women across different platforms. She is certified Dancer from BAAFA and choreographer.Her Favourite Quote: “I don't waste time thinking or chasing equality, rather I Believe each of us is unique, enhancing respect for uniqueness regardless of gender is my mission”.
Uzair Farooqi
Pakistan - Network Performance Analyst, Jazz / Internet Society Islamabad Chapter (Private Sector)
As a network performance analyst at a prominent telecommunications company/Internet Service Provider (ISP), my main focus is on advancing internet access and reliability for all users. My aim is to enhance the accessibility of the internet across all regions of Pakistan as well as other Asia Pacific regions and to ensure that it is affordable for everyone. As a member of the Internet Society Islamabad chapter, I am passionate about advocating for these causes and engaging in constructive dialogues about internet governance, with the goal of creating a fair and inclusive online environment in the region. I am an APNIC fellow and also served on different committees for APNIC, APrIGF and APSIG.
Ananda Gautam
Nepal - Program & Policy Officer/ Chair, Internet Governance Institute/ youth IGF Nepal (Civil Society)
Ananda Gautam is a passionate youth advocate for Internet governance and civic technologies, with a track record of over five years actively addressing Internet governance issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Serving as the Director of the Digital Freedom Coalition in Nepal, a consortium dedicated to digital freedom, cybersecurity, digital resilience, and Internet governance, he is also among the founding members and currently chairs the youth IGF Nepal. An ardent supporter of access and empowerment, community networks, data-driven policymaking, youth empowerment, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies,
Mr. Gautam plays a pivotal role in capacity building for youths and contributes actively to the Global Youth Summit at UN IGF. His commitment extends to writing about emerging Internet governance issues, highlighting his dedication to shaping the future of the internet.
Bea Guevarra
Philippines - Digital Content Lead, NetMission DotAsia (Civil Society)
Bea S. Guevarra graduated from Southville International School and Colleges with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. She also pursued her Master's Degree in Information Technology at the same institution, with the Latin Honor Award of Bene Meritus of Class 2022. Bea has always been dedicated to raising awareness on Internet Governance, especially among the youth. She believes that the youth should not be afraid to speak up and that their voices should be heard. Bea has been an active member of NetMission DotAsia since 2020, continuing to be a part of the global community and an innovator of change.
Maynul Haque
Bangladesh - GM, Project Management, bKash Ltd. (Technical Community)
Graduated followed by post graduation in Computer Science from University of Pune, Maharashtra, India. 20 years of working experiences in the technical field of Telecommunication and Fintech. I have got technical project management experience in Afghanistan.
Trchnology is my passion and field of work. Enthusiastic of modern science and technology.
Saima Israil Haque
Bangladesh - Managing Director, Arpon Communication Limited (Private Sector)
Hello I am Saima Israil Haque. I am managing director of Arpon communication Ltd, Internet service provider in Bangladesh. Beside my work I am also the executive member of Bangladesh Women IGF. I have been actively engaged with BIGF (Bangladesh Internet governance forum) since 2019. I have attended youth, kids and BIGF's many events and workshop. In 2021 I have worked as steering committee member of BWIGF and in 2022 I have appointed as the Vice chairperson of Bangladesh women IGF.
Mohammad Abdul Haque Anu
Bangladesh - Secretary General, Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (Civil Society)
Mohammad Abdul Haque Anu has spent 32 years of his career playing as a leading role as the Social & Industry evangelist for ICT Journalist, Internet Governance, e-Commerce, e-Development, Telecommunication, ICT for Development (ICT4D), Internet Service Provider, Business Development and ICT Consultancy. He has unique quality of experience and contribution in an inclusive manner in multi-stakeholders of Private Sector, NGO & Civil Society, Public Sector, Policy Makers, Academia and Media. He is known as Transformational Leader, Strategic Visionary, Elite Communicator and Change Agent.
Mr. Anu is the Executive Editor of the monthly Computer Jagat, the first ICT magazine in Bangladesh since 1991. He served as the co-founder and President of Bangladesh ICT Journalist Forum (BIJF) and was awarded the National ICT journalist award in 2016.
He is presently working as founding Secretary General of Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) in conjunction with United Nation Internet Governance Forum created by UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action plan from 2006. He is also a member of Multi Stakeholder Group (MSG) of Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF). He has been associated with ISOC as a member since 2009. An active participant in policy discussions, both at domestic and international platforms, he is also involved in capacity building, outreach and research in Internet Governance. Mr. Anu is also serving as the National School of Internet Governance (SIG) Coordinator in Bangladesh. He popularized the Bangladesh School of Internet Governance (bdSIG) as a community driven initiative to build capacity of the local community. bdSIG a product of long discussions with Asia Pacific School of Internet Governance (APSIG).
Waqas Hassan
Pakistan - Lead, International Affairs, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) (Government)
Waqas is a public policy and stakeholder engagement expert, leading the international collaborations and partnerships for the telecom & internet regulator in Pakistan. He has extensive knowledge and experience of the internet governance landscape in the APAC region, having volunteered in leadership positions at various internet platforms. He is well recognized in the national and international IG community as an active volunteer, having worked for universal access, inclusion and digital rights of women and Persons with Disabilities. Waqas has worked with leading stakeholders of telecom and ICT such as ITU, APT, APNIC, GSMA, UNICEF, GDIP, CLDP, ISOC, ICANN, SATRC, regulators and civil society by virtue of his professional and internet governance expertise. He has contributed at major telecom and internet forums as a speaker and moderator, ranging from IGF, APrIGF, APSIG, GSMA Mobile World Congress, ITU and APT Meetings, APSIG, SANOG in addition to organizing numerous national and regional events. He believes in an open, secure, and all-inclusive Internet. Waqas is based in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Maureen Hilyard
Cook Islands - Consultant, Cook Islands Internet Action Group (CIIAG) (Civil Society)
Ms. Maureen HILYARD Cook Islands - Development Consultant, CIIAG (Civil Society) ISOC member since 2006. I represent the interests of Internet end-users of small island developing states (SIDS) in the Pacific as well as wider Asia-Pacific organisations. Co-founder and co-chair of DC-SIDS, former ALAC Chair (ICANN) and current member and former Chair of the Dot Asia Board. Former member of the PIR Advisory Committee and DNS Abuse Institute. Currrently member of the ICANN Nominating Committee (NomCom). Member of APRIGF since Tokyo meeting in 2012 and attended most of the APRIGF meetings since then, including virtual. Have paticipated on the Fellowship, Elections, Programme, and Complaints committees over the years.
Jahangir Hossain
Bangladesh - Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustee, Internet Society Bangladesh Dhaka (Technical Community)
Mr. Hossain is a founding member and currently Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustee Internet Society (ISOC) Bangladesh. Also Founding Executive Committee member of Bangladesh Network Operators Group(bdNOG).
He has been related to the Information Technology industry for more than 16 years and has expertise in Information Systems Analyst, Solution architect, Infrastructure Security Architect, and Technology Business Management, especially for Internet Service Providers (ISP), IP Transit Providers, Telecommunication, and Corporate sector.
He is also a fellow alumni member of SANOG, ISOC, APrIGF, APSIG, APNIC, ICANN, UNIGF, and an active member of the IG community and expertise in the analysis of Critical Internet Resources, Internet Governance Principle, CyberSecurity, Industry 4.0 and Community empowerment.
At present, He is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh where professionally works as a Chief Information Security Officer, ICT of Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC.
For more; http://bd.linkedin.com/in/jrjahangir
Tayyaba Iftikhar
Pakistan - Assistant Director, PTA (Government)
An experienced strategic communications professional, Tayyaba is involved in communications, planning and impact, supporting engagement with stakeholders on matters related to the public such as online safety, access, connectivity, gender and lCTs. She holds an MSc. from London School of Economics (LSE) and is currently studying law at the University of London.
Aris Ignacio
Philippines - Dean, College of Information Technology and Engineering, Southville International School and Colleges (Academia)
Aris Ignacio is currently the Dean of the College of Information Technology and Engineering at Southville International School and Colleges in the Philippines and the one of the Vice Chairs for APrIGF. He serves as a Board Member and current Chair at ISOC Philippines Chapter. Aris is also the Vice Chair for APRALO at At-Large in ICANN. An advocate for the youth being a major stakeholder group in Internet Governance discussions has led to facilitating the involvement of university/college students in local, regional and global Internet governance awareness and discussion, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
Fahad Iqbal
Pakistan - Chief Executive Officer, Codeline LLP (Private Sector)
Fahad Iqbal is a professional Information Security Researcher at CodeLine LLP. Actively engaged with NetMission Academy and the SDGs Academy of Pakistan, he focuses on promoting peace, justice, and internet human rights. As a dedicated member of the Internet Society Islamabad Chapter, Fahad contributes to the advancement of cybersecurity and ethical practices in the digital realm. His commitment to fostering a secure and inclusive digital environment is evident in his multifaceted roles within these esteemed organizations.
MAINUL ISLAM
Bangladesh - PS to Hon'ble Chairman of Standing Committee, Bangladesh Parliament (Government)
I am a Bangladesh Civil Service government Officer. Currently I am doing my job at Bangladesh Parliament. I had obtained my MS and Honours degree from the Department of Physics, Dhaka University.
Nazrul ISLAM
Bangladesh - Director ( Training ), National Institute of Mass Communication (Academia)
I have been working at the National Institute of Mass Communication ( NIMC) under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting from August 2001 to till now. As you know, NIMC is the apex training centre for media professionals in Bangladesh. I am working at the NIMC as a trainer for both government and non-government media professionals. As a trainer, I've to provide training regularly. As a trainer, I have received many media related training at home and abroad. I have successfully completed two short-term diplomas from the United States Telecommunication Training Institute, Washington DC, USA. I have successfully done Train The Trainer's course, which was conducted by AIBD and DW ( Jointly). I have done my M. Sc. in Physics from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh. I have received NIS ( National Integrity Strategy) reward from my office.
Sharmin Israil
Bangladesh - Joint Secretary, Bangladesh Women Internet Governance Forum (Youth / Students)
Introducing myself Sharmin Israil, HR professional with an experience of more than seven years and executive member of Bangladesh women IGF.
I have done MBA, majoring in Management Information Systems (MIS) from the renowned University of Dhaka. This was complemented by a bachelor's degree in business administration (BBA) with a major in Human Resource Management (HRM) from the United International University. I had completed my internship at Standard Chartered Bnagladesh Bank in 2014. My duties were bond encashment and assigned responsibilities by manager. I had started my professional journey with a Japanese software company in Dhaka. Joining as an HR Executive in 2015, swiftly became an integral part of the talent acquisition process. responsibilities encompassed screening, shortlisting, and recruiting top-tier talent. Elevated to the role of Senior Human Resource Officer in 2018, beyond recruitment I have undertook the responsibility of InCharge monthly office accessories procurement, salary adjustment, ensuring compliance with company policies, leave management, fund management, employee engagement and fostering positive employee experiences and much more. I have completed the Human Resource Management Competencies (HRMC) program at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in 2016. In 2021 I had moved to a local IT firm, my responsibilities aligned with talent acquisition, administration and corporate affairs. In 2016 I had started attending events and workshop of BIGF and in 2018 I got a fellowship of Bangladesh School of governance. In 2022, I was appointed as the Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Women IGF.
Zainab Israil Aliza
Bangladesh - Student, Brac University (Youth / Students)
My name is Zainab Israil Aliza and I'm a current student of English department in Brac University. My hobbies are reading books and watching movies and documentaries. Moreover, for my extra curriculum I am looking forward to this organization. I really very hope to learn and experience something good from here.
Priyatosh Jana
India - Assistant Professor, Haldia Institute of Technology (Academia)
Assistant Professor of Computer Science & Engineering(Cyber Security), India and Vice President of membership at ISOC India Kolkata Chapter. His physical participation was in the APrIGF, APSIG, IETF, inSIG, NASIG and IGF Ambassador. He is a member of ALAC to a different Subcommittee WG at ICANN and a past ICANN fellow. His motivation to become a facilitator on IG and Tech based events locally, regionally, globally, particularly in Asia-Pacific. https://icannwiki.org/Priyatosh_Jana.
Aysha Labiba
Bangladesh - Coordinator, Bangladesh Kids Internet Governance Forum (Youth / Students)
Aysha Labiba, I am the Coordinator of Bangladesh Kids Internet Governance Forum and a member of multiple IGF communities since 2016. My goal is to make the Internet accessible and affordable for Children. Making the internet safer and stating the rights of the internet is my key to achievement I believe.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr
Australia - REFUSED, Internet Australia; NetThing (auIGF) (Civil Society)
See https://about.me/cheryl.LangdonOrr and https://community.icann.org/display/~cheryl.langdon-orr/Home - Company Director of Internet Australia, a Not For Profit Australian Registered Company, and the Australian ISOC Chapter; Current Chair of ISOC's Chapters Advisory Council Steering Committee; and Founding Member of the Australian NRI, 'NetThing' currently active in its MOC, for Internet Australia / NetThing (the Australian IGF) is the administrative home of NetThing. I was a founding committee member of APrIGF and have continued to be actively involved (including in various roles in Working Groups and Event Organizing Sub-Committees) since its inception.
Esmatulla Lucky
Bangladesh - Member, Advocate Hasan and Associates (Private Sector)
Esmatulla Lucky is a Member of Advocate Hasan and Associates. She has spent 7 years of his career playing a leading role as the Social Industry evangelist for Kids, Women's and Men's development and progress. Esmatulla Lucky is working on ICT development in Bangladesh. She has unique quality of experience and contribution in an inclusive manner in multi-stakeholders of Private Sector, Civil Society, Policy Makers and Media. Esmatulla Lucky is deeply interested in Internet governance from a scholarly point of view.
Rajesh maharjan
Nepal - Police Inspector, Nepal Police Organization (Government)
Name: Rajesh Maharjan
Profession: Nepal Police Inspector
Education: Masters in Engineering from Saratov State Technical University, Saratov, Russia
Career Highlights:
Working in the field of IT since 2005
Currently responsible for managing the IT section and IT enable crime and cyber crime Investigation
Provides and suggests technical support for police investigations
Expertise in cybercrime investigation and IT-enabled crimes
Sharmin Binta Mahmud
Bangladesh - Student, National University Bangladesh (Youth / Students)
This is SHARMIN BINTA MAHMUD, I completed advance Computer Training From National Youth Development organigation and attend many online courses which is organized by ICANN and other learning platform. I am Also work Women E-Commerce Platform Bangladesh. I get fellowship from Bangladesh Women IGF. I have a keen interest in working with the APrIGF and other IG community initiative.
NAZMUL HASAN MAJUMDER
Bangladesh - Vice Chair, Bangladesh School of Internet Governance (bdSIG) (Technical Community)
Nazmul Hasan Majumder, A Computer Engineer Tech Evangelist in Bangladesh, article contributor of ‘An Asia Internet History’ Fourth Decade (2011-2020) book edited by Professor Kilnam Chon and contributing to bdSIG (Bangladesh School of Internet Governance) from the beginning of its establishment in 2017 as founding member, and I am also the Vice-Chair National SIG Co-Coordinator of Bangladesh School of Internet Governance which is affiliated with Asia Pacific School on Internet Governance (APSIG). Besides this, I worked for e-CAB(e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh) from its starting journey in 2014 to expand the e-Commerce sector in Bangladesh and implementing its first training program and curriculum in 2016 as one of the teacher and curriculum committee members for entrepreneurs of the e-commerce sector of Bangladesh under the LICT project, ICT division of ICT Ministry, Bangladesh, collaboration with University of Dhaka. Alongside, I am feature writer of ‘Computer Jagat’, the first ICT magazine of Bangladesh since 1991. I am also a fellow of APSIG (Asia Pacific School on Internet Governance) 2020, fellow of inSIG (India School on Internet Governance) 2022. I am the founding member of the Youth IGF Bangladesh as a Co-Chair in 2021 to enhance expand the youth activities for the youths of country.
Abdullah Mamun
Bangladesh - CEO, Maryam IT Solution (Private Sector)
I am an experienced STEM educator, Microsoft Certified Trainer, and EdTech consultant, Passionate about bridging the digital divide and integrating technology into education. With a master's degree in computer science from Bahria University Islamabad, I currently serve as an Instructor in the Computer Science department at Virtual University (VU). In this role, I handle undergraduate CS courses, mentor students in a distance learning environment, and supervise undergraduate final-year projects. My research interests include the Cloud, the Internet, STEM Education, Tech4good, and innovative Technology.
I am committed to the social and academic growth of every individual through technology integration. As an active member of ISOC Islamabad since 2016, I served as the general secretary of the Islamabad chapter from 2019-2022. I am a proud fellow for PKSIG 2016, 2017, 2018, SANOG29, APSIG 2022, and the ISOC fundamental community network Program 2020 and ICANN75. Through my work and involvement in these organizations, I aim to bridge the gap between industry and academia and make a positive impact on the field of education.
Muhammed Abdullah Al Mamun
Bangladesh - VP & Head of Information Security Division, United Commercial Bank PLC (Technical Community)
Presently I am leading the Information Security Division for United Commercial Bank Limited which is one of the largest & almost 39 years old first generation bank in Bangladesh. I have over 17 year’s experiences in Information Technology field including more than 13 years hands-on experiences in Information and Cyber Security. I was one of the key member of Information Security Team in different organizations and successfully implemented several security solutions such as SOC (Security Operation Center), DLP (Data Leak/Leakage Prevention), SIEM (Security Information & Event Management), User Behavior Analysis, PAM (Privilege Account Manager), Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing tool, etc. I also developed real-time threat monitoring system, vulnerability assessment tool for mobile applications, phishing simulation tool for user awareness, email log analysis tool, etc. Also having incident management, digital forensic & investigation experiences including conducted IT/Cyber Security awareness training for more than 4000 people in different organizations.
I am also a Certified in Cybersecurity (CC), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information System Auditor (CISA), Certified ISO 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS) Lead Auditor, Certified Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Implementer, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified ITIL® Foundation Certificate v3 in IT Service Management, etc. along with several Information & Cyber Security product related certifications. Also the fellow of bdSIG 2020, 2022, 2023 & inSIG 2022, member ISOC (Internet Society) Dhaka Chapter in Accessibility Standing Group & Affordable Internet Access SIG, BIGF (Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum), APrIGF (Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum), life member of Bangladesh Computer Society (BCS) and Member, Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB)
Shankar Kumar Mondol
Bangladesh - Assistant Teacher, Ideal School and College (Academia)
I'm Shankar Kumar Mondol an assistant teacher of Ideal School and College, Motijheel Dhaka from 2013 to till now where more than 27 thousands students are studying. I'm the Secretary of Bangladesh School of Internet Governance and I have got 5th, 6th and 7th fellowship of bdSIG. I am also the organizing member of of Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF).
I have got Indian School of Internet Governance (inSIG) fellowship in 2023 which was held in Gowahati, Assam, India.
As I'm a school teacher, so under my supervision many students and teachers from my school and others schools participate in various programmes like BIGF, bdSIG, Bangladesh Youth IGF, Kids IGF, And Teachers IGF.
I have received a two months scholarship on IT and English in 2015 in Delhi under ITEC /SCAAP by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
My hobby is to play guitar (Bangladesh Betar Radio listed Artist in 2009), flute and singing song. Reading books and travelling are also my extreme interest.
My favourite sports are Chess and Badminton.
Haq Nawaz Nehru
India - State Chairman JAmmu Kashmir Chapter, AIRA International Reporter's Association India (Press / Media)
Started career in journalism since 1999. I worked for Jammu based and Kashmir based news papers as reporter.
On 15th August, 1999 I stared my own urdu weekly news paper which became voice of Chenab Valley.
Presently I am working for Kashmir based News Gathering Agency CNS ( Current News Service) Besides I am also running Facebook Group News Sada e Kohsar Chenab Valley Doda.
Jessie Nguyen
Vietnam - Freelance Researcher, Individual (Academia)
A highly determined, disciplined, and upbeat person with a strong passion for feminism, education, and migration matters. Being recognized over time for consistently delivering excellent performance and making a positive impact on community development and sustainability through NGO projects in Vietnam's most rural regions.
Saima Nisar
Malaysia - Lecturer, Xiamen University Malaysia (Academia)
I hold the position of Lecturer at Xiamen University Malaysia, having earned a Ph.D. in Information Technology from Universiti Utara Malaysia. My ongoing research focuses on technology adoption, consumer behavior, information security, digital health, and data and IoT. I have contributed to scholarly literature through the publication of several papers and a book.
Nusrat chowdhury chowa Nusrat
Bangladesh - Student, University of asia pasific (Youth / Students)
Myself Nusrat Chowdhury Chowa, and I am very glad to let you know that I hope to serve as an active member of the IGF, which is a very prestigious organization all over the world. I want to learn from the IGF's advanced Internet policy. By contributing to discussions and interacting with stakeholders from government, business, the technical community, and civil society from around the world,.
Raymond Palatino
Philippines - Freelance writer, Individual (Press / Media)
Mong Palatino is a Filipino blogger and former legislator. He is the Philippines’s first elected youth representative from 2009 to 2013. He joined the citizen media community of Global Voices in 2006 and became its Southeast Asia editor in 2008. As a blogger, his writings have been published by The Diplomat, Bulatlat, Pinoy Weekly, Tinig.com, UPI Asia, and IFEX. He was a fellow of the APrIGF in 2022.
Rohana Palliyaguru
Sri Lanka - Executive Director, CySec Consulting (Pvt) Ltd (Private Sector)
I am the founder of CySec Consulting (Pvt) Ltd and working as its Executive Director. CySec Consulting is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka catering the emerging demand for modern information and communication technology and cybersecurity sector-based services in local and international organizations.
Before establishing CySec Consulting in 2022, I worked as the Chief Operating Officer of Sri Lanka CERT|CC, as a founding member having joined the team at its very inception in 2006.
Hiren Pandit
Bangladesh - Research Fellow, Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) (Civil Society)
Hiren Pandit is a writer and columnist in Bangladesh. He is a media development professional and program planner. He writes regular columns and articles on various issues such as national, international, politics, development, women empowerment, economics, ICT & 4IR.
Ashrafur Rahman Piaus
Bangladesh - Secretary General, Bangladesh School of Internet Governance (bdSIG) (Civil Society)
This is Ashrafur Rahman Piaus, fellow of inSIG, bdSIG, GhanaSIG & Mentor of Bangladesh YIGF.
I had opportunity to mentored UNIGF Youth Ambassador Program 2022, Ethiopia.
Now I am serving as a Secretary General of Bangladesh SIG. Beside that I am a active member of ISOC Dhaka Chapter as well as APSIG & APrIGF.
Passionately I am trying to working for the youth community development to make bridge with their skill enhancement and the Global IGF platform. Especially me and my team try to minimise the urban and rural community gap.
Habiba Rocksana Pinky
Bangladesh - Chairperson, Bangladesh Media Internet Governance Forum (Press / Media)
Habiba Rocksana Pinky is a Chairperson of Bangladesh Media Internet Governance Forum. She has spent 7 years of his career playing a leading role as the Social Industry evangelist for Kids, Women's and Men's development and progress. Habiba Rocksana Pinky is working on ICT development in Bangladesh. She has unique quality of experience and contribution in an inclusive manner in multi-stakeholders of Private Sector, Civil Society, Policy Makers and Media.
Abdullah Qamar
Pakistan - CS Tutor/Teacher, Virtual university of Pakistan (Academia)
An ISOC member and closely active with the ISOC Bangladesh Dhaka chapter. I was a fellow of the bdSIG1 in the year 2017 and bdSIG2 in the year 2018. I am also a volunteer with Google, contributing on Google Maps especially updating Accessibility issues.
I am working in the ICT field, a privately owned hardware and software supplier company in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I have completed my Bachelor's Degree (BSc. in Computer Science Engineering) from Dhaka International University and my Master's Degree (MSc. in Wireless Communication Systems Engineering) from the University of Greenwich.
AHM Sakkhar Rahman
Bangladesh - Member, Bangladesh Youth Internet Governance Forum (Youth / Students)
AHM Sakkhar Rahman
Member, Bangladesh Youth Internet Governance Forum(BYIGF)
Fellow and Graduate, Bangladesh School of Internet Governance.
Graduated from the University of Dhaka. School of Social Sciences.
°Have been volunteering for Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum programs since 2017
° Engaging the youth and youth related organizations
° An active person with a keen interest on event schedule and participation.
Anisur Rahman
Bangladesh - Fellow & Organizing Committee Member, Bangladesh Youth IGF (Youth / Students)
This is MD ANISUR RAHMAN, I completed PGD in ICT and attend many online courses which is organized by ICANN and other learning platform. I am working last couple of years actively in the IG community. I had opportunity worked as an event committee of Bangladesh IGF. I get fellowship from Bangladesh Youth IGF and Bangladesh SIG, as well as I am active member of ISOC Dhaka chapter from 2023. Right now I am trying to contribute for the local and regional IG community development.
Anjum Rahman
New Zealand - Council member (governance), Ipurangi Aotearoa (InternetNZ) (Technical Community)
Please see bio at https://internetnz.nz/governance-and-reports/council/council/ Anjum has worked for 30 years as a chartered accountant and has used these skills to improve financial systems in organisations. She is a member trustee of Trust Waitkato and a member of th Finance and Audit Risk Committee of the Trust. Anjum's past and current governance roles with community organisations (including Islamic Women’s Council, Free FM, Shama Ethnic Women’s Centre, Waikato Interfaith Council) have kept her in touch with the concerns and needs of grassroots organisations. In governance roles, she has run strategic planning days, undertaken performance reviews of the CE, recruited staff, developed and informed organisational policies, and provided training for other board members. In her international work, she is co-chair of the Christchurch Call Advisory Network and vice-chair of the Independent Advisory Committee of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, both of which relate to dealing with terrorist and violent extremist content online.
DR. MD ASHIKUR RAHMAN
Bangladesh - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science & Technology University (HSTU) (Youth / Students)
Dr.R.Gnanjeyaraman, B.E., M.E., Ph.D, Professor of the Department of Applied Machine Learning, Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Holding vice President of ISOC Chennai India chapter. And also Life Member of ISTE chapter and ACEEE,IDEAS, UACEE, Global Member – Internet Society. I have 20+ years of teaching experience in UG PG Engineering courses and also published 35 papers in well reputed international journals, 18 papers in international conferences and 12 papers in national conferences. My current research interests are Network Security, Cryptography Blockchain and AI Machine Learning.
Mili Rahman
Bangladesh - Associate Professor, Dhaka International University (Academia)
Mili Rahman is an Associate Professor of Dhaka International University (DIU) since 2007. Her academic focus revolves around the dynamic evolution of English literature and advanced linguistic studies. By creating over 25 impactful papers, she has shown a deep prowess in English language and literature. It is also mentionable that she was the Chairperson of the Department of English for almost three years. Currently pursuing a PhD at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) where she looks forward to contributing to applied linguistics and pedagogical techniques. An expert in academic publication, Mrs. Rahman serves as Executive Editor for three journals, including the International Journal of Business, Arts and Scientific Study, the Journal of Sustainable Learning & Development, and the International Journal of Advanced Research and Higher Studies. Her influential contributions extend further as an editorial board member for the Journal of Law and Human Rights. In addition to her academic hobbies, Mrs. Rahman plays connected roles in a few professional organizations, proving her commitment to scholarly communities. She contributes actively as a member of the e-CAB Research & amp; Publication Standing Committee, an Executive Member & Assistant Secretary of Itihas Academy Dhaka, an intelligent Consultant Trainer at Progress Consultancy Ltd., and chairs as the President of the Rotary Club of Dhaka Rising Stars. Additionally, she holds the respected position of Chairman at the Bangladesh Centre for Research & Planning (BCRP). https://profile.diu.ac/ms.mili.rahman
Mizanur Rahman
Bangladesh - Independent Verification Consultant (IVC), PKSF (Government)
I’ve obtained a Master in development studies along with above18 years of working experience in the following areas: WASH, DRR and Humanitarian response, resilient livelihood etc in National and International organizations as the leading position.
K Mohan Raidu
India - President - ISOC India Hyderabad Chapter, Telangana (Technical Community)
K Mohan Raidu, is the Director at Informatics India, an established Software Development Company at Hyderabad, India. He is the President of ISOC India Hyderabad Chapter. Chair of ICT Committee at FTCCI - Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Chair eGov WG at CCICI - Cloud Computing Innovation Council of India. MSG Member at APrIGF and SG Member at IIGF - India Internet Governance Forum. Steering Group Member of inSIG – India School of Internet Governance. ALS Member of APRALO, ICANN.
Mohan is actively associated with the Digital Economy Commission @ ICC - International Chamber of Commerce and EC member of ICC India. He has four decades of experience in enterprise systems design, consulting, software development, methodology, and deployment. His starting was with the IBM-370 era. He has introduced Computerization in several government organizations, with the best part of his services in eGov projects across the Country. Mr. Mohan has led and managed very big Software Teams. He pursues the Philosophy of Technology and believes that any technology that is designed will have an impact, not only functional, but they help to shape the way, people live their lives. He has specialized in Ontology Engineering practices in his system implementations.
He is an MBA(OU), and an MA (Philosophy OU). He has taken IT courses from RR Labs - Hyderabad, CMC Hyderabad, IBM Bangalore, and the University of Genoa, Italy. He has been the Captain of Cricket Teams during his College education. During his Graduation time, he established and managed “Forum of Mirrors to the Social Realism”.
He has organized inSIG2022 – India School on Internet Governance in September 2022 and the All India Knowledge Sharing Summit of eGovernance Projects from CSI, as its Coordinator. As the Chair of the ICT Committee at FTCCI, he has organized National Seminars on 5G, Blockchain, and AI Technologies. He is a member of spt-USA.
Dr Gnanajeyaraman Rajaram
India - Professor, Saveetha school of Engineering (Academia)
I am Chiranjibi Adhikari from an active member of the IT Community of Nepal. Managing Director at One Cover Pvt. Ltd. (Information Security Company From Nepal)
Former Chief Information Security Officer at Nepal Electronic Payment System
Former CEO at Biz Serve IT Pvt. Ltd. (Information Security Company From Nepal)
Former Chief Operating Officer at Nepal Certifying Company (Certifying Authority, Digital Signature)
Founder at ICT Frame Magazine Pvt. Ltd.
https://onecovernepal.com/cybersecurity-awareness/our_speaker/2296/
https://csrinepal.org/team/chiranjibi-adhikari/
Rehan Raju
Bangladesh - Consultant, Individual (Civil Society)
Rehan Uddin Ahmed Raju
He has more than 20 years of experiences in health and nutrition sector leadership and project management, training and organizational capacity building. He has expertise on nutrition, MNCH, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and WASH. He has implemented a USAID -INCA project on nutrition improvement in 11 subdistricts of three costal district in southern part of Bangladesh as Project Director (COP) with Caritas Bangladesh. He implemented another USAID funded project on ASRH and Nutrition as the Project Director titled ‘Advancing Adolescent Health (A2H) Activity” implemented by Plan International in Rangpur district. He managed two USAID funded projects as Project Director/Chief of Party. Mr. Raju has worked closely with government, especially Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) at the national, district, and upazila levels in implementing health projects. He worked with the MOHFW including DGHS, DGFP, BHE, IEM, EPI and NASP in implementing different programs such as family planning, immunization, AIDS/STD, adolescent reproductive health program, integrated nutrition and MNCH program and the Smiling Sun Clinic program, to name a few.
Training expertise included TNA, designing curriculum, developing training materials, delivery and management of training, and training evaluation. Conducted training needs assessment (TNA), developed curriculum and training manuals, analyzed organizational development issues and provided technical assistance for organizational capacity building. Conducted number of training of trainers (TOT) for senior managers, and used cascade-training approaches to train large number of healthcare providers around the country using modern participatory training methods including audio-visual aid, simulation game, microteaching and individual assignment. Organized a number of trainings on Adolescent Health (ASRH), SRHR, SBCC, Nutrition, HIV and AIDS.
Umera Asmat Rana
Pakistan - Assistant Director (Enforcement & Compliance), PTA, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (Government)
I am Radio Frequency Consultant (RF) and technology am expert in 2G/3G/4G/5G and fixedline technologies with 10+ year of experience, currently working as lead in Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) – Pakistan Telecom Regulator in Enforcement and Compliance Division. I am part of core committee to organize the Pakistan School on Internet Governance (pkSIG) and member of the ISOC Islamabad Chapter. Previously, I have also worked in Huawei GTAC support as Level-4 technical Expert.
Shreedeep Rayamajhi
Nepal - Ict4D lead, Rayznews (Civil Society)
I am a policy researcher, communication and advocacy professional with more than 18 years of professional experience and an exceptional track record in stakeholder engagement, public policy, and strategic planning digital communications and operation. I have worked across the globe with global organizations like Asia Pacific School of Internet Governance(APSIG), Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum(APrIGF), Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), APC , and The Internet Society at the community and engagement level.
https://icannwiki.org/Shreedeep_Rayamajhi
Currently, I work as an Editor and Lead for ICT4D for Rayznews and have been conducting various research projects related to governance and standardization in the internet
Sayda Kamrun Jahan Ripa
Bangladesh - Chair, Youth IGF Bangladesh (Technical Community)
Sayda Kamrun Jahan Ripa is the Chairperson of Bangladesh Youth IGF. She is leading Bangladesh Youth IGF since 2020 and she is a very active contributor to Internet Governance in the Asia Pacific Region. By profession, she is working as Assistant Manager in the Department of Network Operation Center at Bangladesh's biggest Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) Service Provider Company and serving the Telco industry of Bangladesh last 10 years. She is serving in Internet Governance Forum since 2019. She has good engagement in developing Bangladeshi Youth in IGF and enhancing the levels of engagement and participation of the youth in IGF. She is also contributing her experience in the global IGF platform. She is a core committee member of Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) and also contributes as a Fellowship Committee member iof Bangladesh School of Internet Governance (bdSIG). She is APrIGF 2020 (Virtual edition) fellow. Sayda is also an alumnus of the fellowship program at SANOG, APNIC, APSIG, inSIG & bdSIG. Additionally, she participated in 2023 as a Co-convenor of the Stakeholder Engagement Committee (SEC) and also an active MSG member of APrIGF.
Winston Roberts
New Zealand - Consultant, Individual / IFLA (Civil Society)
Winston Roberts has been for many years an Affiliate of IFLA (the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), the civil society peak body for the global library and information services sector. Until 2023 he was Chair of the Asia-Oceania Regional Division of IFLA; and was also an Advisor at the National Library of New Zealand 2001-2023.
He was the lead official delegate from New Zealand to the WSIS in Geneva 2003 and to WSIS II in Tunis (2005) which established the multistakeholder processes for Internet governance. He has attended various post-WSIS forums, and has been active in APrIGF since 2013, as a workshop convenor and a member of the MSG involved in various committees.
He is now an independent advisor to IFLA on Internet Governance questions, and a member of Internet New Zealand.
Samar Roy
Bangladesh - Director, Media Professionals Group (Press / Media)
I , Samar Roy, Proprietor as well as Director of Media Professionals Group, with my experience in media, business relationship building, business journalism, media advocacy, media research, media capacity building and communication for more than three decades, am at the core of planning and monitoring of the activities of this organization. I maintain day to day relationship with Media houses and Practitioners both in national, regional and international levels, Government Offices, Financial Institutions and Business Houses. I was one of the consultants of a JTERO-IDE (Japanese External Trade Organization- Institute of Developing Economics, Japan) study Project in association MCCI in Bangladesh on ‘Business Potentials of Bangladesh’, which was published by JETRO-IDE in Japanese language for Japanese Businessmen. I was the coordinator of an impact-oriented USAID funded project on local Government issues. I dealt with projects funded by different agencies such as UNDP, World Bank, USAID, DANIDA, SIDA, SDC, JICA etc. I was associated with JICA Governance Projects for identifying Success Stories, Content Development, Publication of those stories in every fortnight and publish a compilation of selected success stories both in Bangla and English.
Mubashir Sargana
Pakistan - Consultant, Individual (Civil Society)
A cybersecurity professional having more than a decade of professional experience. Internet Public Policy is an addition to his skill set. He has got sufficient knowledge and grip on local & cross-border Cyber Security matters, including those involving privacy violations & data breaches. He is having experience of leading local and international capacity building initiatives.
Maruf Sarkar
Bangladesh - General Manager, FR Trading Corporation (Technical Community)
With a solid background in business development and strategic consulting, I am Maruf Sarkar—a seasoned professional dedicated to driving organizational success. Currently serving as the General Manager at FR Trading Corporation, An IT Infrastructure solution provider company in Bangladesh. I excel in devising innovative sales strategies, managing projects, and fostering client relationships. My expertise extends to market analysis, team coordination, and effective implementation of plans. Previously, as an Associate Consultant and Sr. Business Analyst at MTI Consulting, I led diverse projects, conducted industry research, and developed strategic plans. Armed with a Bachelor's in Business Administration, dual-majoring in Finance and Marketing, I have successfully completed 20 projects across seven industries. Known for analytical thinking, problem-solving, and strong leadership, I am committed to contribute my time, knowledge and experience in Internet governance and policy and also learn.
Tapan Kanti Sarkar
Bangladesh - CTO Forum Bangladesh, President (Technical Community)
CURRICULUM VITAE
Tapan Kanti Sarkar
Founder & President, CTO Forum Bangladesh
Mobile: [REDACTED] (WhatsApp)
Email: [REDACTED
http://tksarkar.com
fb.com/tks446
• Awarded “Best CTO Award 2014” by ICT Ministry.
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Career Highlights
Awarded “International Excellence Award 2022” by Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, India
40+ years of experience in strategic alignment of Business and Information Technology by applying most effective & innovative techniques.
Working Experience:
Immediate Position: Founder & President, CTO Forum Bangladesh (2007 to present)
President, Information Security Alliance (2019 to present)
Previous Position: Project Consultant, UNDP- A2i Project, Developing “Digital Public Goods (DPG) for Digital Livelihood for People on the Move” (Oct, 2021- Jan, 2022)
Previous Position: Project Consultant, World Bank-LICT Project, ICT Division (Jun, 2020- Dec, 2020)
Previous Position: Digital Skill Consultant in High Tech Park -World Bank Project. (Jan, 2020- April, 2020)
Previous Position: Managing Director, ADN EduService, (Jan 2016- Dec, 2019)
Previous Position: Senior Executive Vice President & CIO, NCC Bank (July, 2007- Oct, 2015)
Previous Position: Senior Vice President & Head of IT, IFIC Bank (Feb, 2001-June, 2007)
Previous Position: Executive Director, Flora system Ltd. (Jan, 1998- Feb, 2001)
Previous Position: MIS Manager, Beximco Group (Dec, 1987- Dec, 1997)
Previous Positions: Assistant Manager, Systems, Squibb of Bangladesh Ltd. (1978- Nov, 1987)
(An American Pharmaceuticals Company)
Major Achievements
A. Project Consultant, World Bank-LICT Project:
The objectives of the Leveraging Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Governance, Growth, and Employment Project are to catalyze the growth of Bangladesh's IT and IT-Enabled Services (IT/ITES) industry for employment creation and export diversification; and establish basic e-government foundations to support public sector modernization.
Muhammad Shabbir
Pakistan - Chief Executive Officer, Path Finder Solutions (Private) Limited (Private Sector)
Dr. Muhammad Shabbir is policy Specialist, reearcher and a rights activist. He holds PhD degree in International Relations. His international and national level work in different capacities includes organizations and forums as ISOC, ICANN, ITU, IGF as well as APSIG, MEAC-SIG and PKSIG. He is the founder of digital accesibility company Path Finder Solutions (Private) Limited. He aims to help make the Internet more accessible and inclusive for all particularly for persons with disabilities so that they can use and take advantage from its benefits equally, at the same time and without extra cost to them. Connect at Twitter @MShabbirPhD
Khundkar Ayesha Shahriyar
Bangladesh - Convenor, Bangladesh Kids Internet Governance Forum (Academia)
Khundkar Ayesha Shahriyar is a Convener of Bangladesh Kids IGF. She has spent 4 years of his career playing as a leading role as the Social Industry evangelist for Kids, development and progress. Khundkar Ayesha Shahriyar is working on Child Law, Human Rights, Cyber Law, Cyber Security in Bangladesh. She has unique quality of experience and contribution in an inclusive manner in multi-stakeholders of Private Sector, Civil Society, Public Sector, Policy Makers, Academia and Media. Khundkar Ayesha Shahriyar is known as Kids Change Maker.
Khundkar Hasan Shahriyar
Bangladesh - Convener, Bangladesh Lawyers Internet Governance Forum (Civil Society)
Khundkar Hasan Shahriyar is a Convener of Bangladesh Lawyers Internet Governance Forum and also a famous Advocate of Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He is the founder of Advocate Hasan & Associates, a reputed law firm trademarked by the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. He has also spent 25 years of his career playing as a leading role as the Social Industry evangelist for Lawyers, ICT Journalist, IG, e-Commerce, Telecommunication, ISP and ICT Consultancy. Khundkar Hasan Shahriyar is working on Cyber Law, Cyber Security in Bangladesh. He has unique quality of experience and contribution in an inclusive manner in multi-stakeholders of Private Sector, Civil Society, Public Sector, Policy Makers, Academia and Media. Khundkar Hasan Shahriyar is known as Transformational Leader, Motivational Speaker, Strategic Visionary, Elite Communicator and Change Maker.
Lokendra Sharma
India - PhD Candidate, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru (Academia)
Lokendra is a PhD candidate at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru. His current research is on cyberspace and internet governance. He is fascinated by the Internet, a complex socio-technical system that is ingenious as well as chaotic. Usually, he is excited to know about socio-political aspects of any technical system or development.
Santosh Sigdel
Nepal - Executive Director, Digital Rights Nepal (Civil Society)
Santosh Sigdel is a rights activist engaged in promotion and protection of human rights since the last 15 years. He holds master’s degree in international human rights from the Central European University, Hungary and master’s degree in international commercial law from the Tribhuvan university. Santosh has extensive work experiences on freedom of expression, transitional justice, right to information and has worked with national and international organizations such as UNDP, International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) Article19, CARE Nepal. While serving for more than 8 years in the board of Internet Society Nepal, including as a chair, he led many policy discourse, research and activities on a number of digital rights related issues. Currently he is Executive Director of Digital Rights Nepal (www.digitalrightsnepal.org)
Bibek Silwal
Nepal - Founder Member, Youth igf Nepal (Youth / Students)
Mr. Silwal is currently pursuing MicroMasters® in Data Science and Statistics from One League in collaboration with the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. He has been actively contributing to National and Regional Internet Governance Fora emphasizing bringing more youths as stakeholders to the multi-stakeholder model of Internet Governance. He seeks to contribute and advocate for the field of data-driven Internet governance frameworks.
Sadichchha Silwal
Nepal - LLM scholars, Nepal Law Campus (Academia)
Ms. Sadichchha Silwal is a highly accomplished legal professional with a strong focus on legal expertise and digital rights advocacy. Holding an Advocate License since 2023, she is a current LLM student at Nepal Law Campus, specializing in Criminal Law and Corporate Law.
Her dedication to professional growth is evident through her swift progression at Digital Rights Nepal. She joined as a Program Assistant in January 2022 and rapidly advanced to the role of Program Officer by January 2023, reflecting her commitment to excellence. She supplemented her practical experience with internships at Patan High Court, allowing her to refine her legal skills and deepen her understanding of the field.
A staunch advocate for digital rights, Sadichchha's research pursuits are notable. She authored a dissertation on "Nepalese Legal Perspective on Right to Privacy in Cyberspace" and contributed to seminars, presentations, and publications on various legal topics. Her paper on "ICT Policies and Implications on Digital Rights" was published in July 2023, showcasing her profound insights into contemporary legal issues.
Beyond her academic and professional achievements, Sadichchha's proficiency extends to research, report writing, policy briefs, translation, transcription, and newsletter development. She exhibits technical prowess with tools like Microsoft Word, Canva, and Mailchimp. Fluent in Nepali and English, with communicative proficiency in Hindi, she possesses strong linguistic skills.
In summary, Ms. Sadichchha Silwal stands as a paragon of professional dedication in the legal realm. Her academic achievements, swift career progression, and impactful research underscore her commitment to the legal profession and digital rights advocacy. Her multifaceted skills, linguistic proficiency, and active engagement in various organizations exemplify her unwavering commitment to professional excellence.
Rajnesh SINGH
Australia - CEO, APNIC Foundation (Technical Community)
Raj is CEO of the APNIC Foundation, and is a seasoned technology industry executive, serial entrepreneur and thought leader with extensive experience in the Asia-Pacific. He has played founding and leading roles in several technology and private equity investment firms, and has led business management and strategy development across multiple industries. He has worked on policy, regulatory reform, and development issues around the region, and has held several leadership roles in the Internet community including Past Chair of APrIGF and Founding Chair of APRALO.
Dr. Moonmoon Jahan Sumi
Bangladesh - Chairperson, Bangladesh Doctors Internet Governance Forum (Civil Society)
Dr. Moonmoon Jahan Sumi is a famous Physician of Bangladesh and Chairperson of Bangladesh Doctors Internet Governance Forum. She has spent 10 years of his career playing a leading role as the Social Industry evangelist for Kids, Women's and Men's development and progress. Dr. Moonmoon Jahan Sumi is working on ICT development in Bangladesh. She has unique quality of experience and contribution in an inclusive manner in multi-stakeholders of Private Sector, Civil Society, Policy Makers, Academia and Media.
Yien Chyn Tan
Singapore - Stakeholder Engagement Sr. Manager, APAC, ICANN (Technical Community)
Yien Chyn is currently a Stakeholder Engagement Sr. Manager at ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). She engages with the community in the Asia Pacific region and facilitates their participation in ICANN’s multistakeholder Internet governance discussions.
Ashirwad Tripathy
Nepal - President, Educating Nepal (Civil Society)
Ashirwad Tripathy is co-founder and President of Educating Nepal, an accredited ALS, working to bridge socio-economic and digital divides by empowering underprivileged communities to fulfill sustainable development goals through grassroot project and policy advocacy. He is also the chair of Internet Society's Special Interest Group on Internet for Education and executive committee member of IEEE SA Industry Connections Program on Digital Resilience. He was ICANN72 fellow and APSIG Srilanka 2021 fellow.
Mohammad Kawsar Uddin
Bangladesh - President, Technology Media Guild Bangladesh (Press / Media)
Mr. Kawsar has been in the ICT industry since 1999 and well known in Bangladesh as an Technology journalist. He is one of the founding members of the Internet Society Bangladesh Chapter. He is the President of Technology Media Guild Bangladesh (TMGB) and Board of Trustee member of Bangladesh Network Operators Group (bdNOG). Also the Member of Wikimedia Bangladesh and Fellow of IGF Academy. Though he is a Technology Journalist, he actively involved in the Internet Community of Bangladesh.
Nirosha Wedasinghe
Sri Lanka - Senior Lecturer cum Director Center for Gender Equity and Equality, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (Academia)
Dr. Nirosha Wedasinghe had been acquired her first degree in Computing and Information Systems from London Metropolitan University in UK in 2005, and her masters from Charles Sturt University Australia in 2008. Dr. Wedasinghe has obtained her PhD in Information Systems from General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University.
At present Dr. Wedasinghe is Sen Lecturer of Faculty of Computing and Director of Gender equality and Equity center in General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University.
Currently She is an Executive member of the CSSL 2023 and the program chair for CSSL GenZ Chapter and the Special interest group of Women in ICT. Currently She is a Senior Member of IEEE, MSG Member and the Chairperson for Fellowship Committee in Asia pacific Reagon Internet Governance Forum 2022 and 2023.
She has held many administrative positions in General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University including the Research Cordinater of the Faculty, the Faculty Student Counselor, and the Program cordinater for MBA in E-Governance program and Information systems Degree program and the Chairperson of curriculum development committee of Faculty of Computing.
Kasun Tharaka Wickramasuriya
Sri Lanka - Senior Manager - Capacity Building, Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) (Government)
Kasun Tharaka Wickramasuriya is a Senior Manager, Capacity Building at the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), Founding Chairman of the Lanka School on Internet Governance (LKSIG), and the former Secretary of the Internet Society Sri Lanka Chapter. He is a highly competent ICT professional, transformation strategist, and community development expert with extensive experience in the ICT sector. He is having over 12 years of experience working with corporate and public sectors and diverse communities and has proven skills in Capacity Building, Digital Transformation, Digital Adoption and Inclusion, Internet Governance, Digital Economic Development, Community Development, Change Management, and Policy Development. He is one of the Co-Founder of Lanka School on Internet Governance (LKSIG) and a member of CSSL, IMSL, HISSL, ISOC, and Sakura Science Club Japan.
For more details visit : https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasun-tw/
APrIGF MSG Observers
Tanka Aryal
Nepal - Chairperson, Digital Rights Nepal (Civil Society)
Tanka Raj Aryal is from Nepal, he has an LLM in International Human Rights Law from Central European University and he is a practicing lawyer at the Supreme Court of Nepal. At present, he serves as the Chairperson of Digital Rights Nepal, a non-profit organization dedicated to championing digital rights, encompassing privacy, data protection, online freedom of expression, digital security, and internet governance.
For over a decade, he engaged in the realms of internet governance and digital rights advocacy. His journey includes active involvement as a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) member of both the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) and the Nepal Internet Governance Forum (Nepal IGF). Additionally, he has held significant roles within the Internet Society of Nepal Chapter and continuously contributed to the Internet Rights and Principles Coalition (IPRC).
Mr. Aryal has worked as a consultant and staff with different national international organizations including Winrock International, FHI 360, International Center for Not-for-profit Law (ICNL), UNESCO, World Bank, ARTICLE 19, UNDP, UNDESA/DPADM. Mr. Aryal led a right information campaign throughout the country for more than 4 years as the Executive Director of the Citizens’ Campaign for Right to Information.
Riad Hasan Badsha
Bangladesh - Vice-Chair, Bangladesh Youth IGF (Technical Community)
I am Riad Hasan Badsha, a computer network engineer who is involved in internet-based business. Since 2019, I have been involved with the Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum Community, and I have received bdSIG Fellowship, Netmission Youth Embassador 2023, and APrIGF drafting committee member 2023.
Binod Basnet
Nepal - Director, Empowering Asia (Academia)
Binod Basnet- Charter President and now the Director of Educating Nepal and Empowering Asia. Researcher in the field of early childhood development, disability, inclusive education, blended learning and skills for future workforce. MPhil graduate from KU (2018) in development studies (Education), APrIGF fellow (2017) and Australia Awards Alumni since 2018 upon completion of a short course on inclusive education in policies and practice from QUT Australia.
Hasib Chowdhury
Bangladesh - Associate Lawyer, Azad & Company ( A Law Firm) (Private Sector)
This is Md. Hasib Chowdhury. I graduated from East West University with a LLB degree and currently working as an associate lawyer in Azad & Company, one of the top law firms in Bangladesh. I have handled various property documents and drafting legal documentation by providing legal opinion. I have also gained experience and interest in development sector through volunteering as well as an employee. I have worked on project related human rights, research on genocide, gender equality and education in Bangladesh. I have prior experience of working in this sector as I worked as program assistant in Center for the Study of Genocide and Justice, a research wing of Liberation War Museum.
I am passionate about using my legal expertise and development knowledge to create positive change in the world. I aspire to become a leader and innovator in both sectors.
Mohammad Shah Alam CHOWDHURY
Bangladesh - Professor, Dhaka International University (Academia)
Professor of Dhaka International University
President, Global Educational Research Association
President of Entrepreneurs Club of Bangladesh Ltd.
Founder of Bangladesh Center for Research and Planning
Charter President, RC Dhaka Rising Stars
Sarai Faleupolu Tevita
Samoa - ICT Director, National University of Samoa (Academia)
As todate 5th Jan 2024 in to my 2nd term as ICT director for National University of Samoa that oversees the infrastructure of technical operations, manage a team of IT people, track technology in order to minimize security risks, increase user satisfaction and achieve operations and business goals. I accomplished and diversely experienced information technology professional with extensive experience in network infrastructure, cybersecurity, information management, hardware and software systems and project management. I got re-selected as the first female President for the Samoa IT Association for the second time to lead the organization of IT Professions in Samoa as one of the nonprofit organizations that mutually provide ICT advise as a public voice of the ICT profession and the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the ICT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of ICT. I became a Chair for the PICISOC Board in 2023. I led the PICISOC in administering and co-hosting the PacIGF2023 at Brisbane and it was one of the successful events in the Pacific for the Internet chapter. Also let the research team in conducting the survey in Pacific Digital Gender Scorecard for Samoa by the World Wide Web Foundation.
Mahedi MH Hasan
Bangladesh - Marketing Promotion Coordinator, Fiber@Home Limited (Private Sector)
Hey there, Glad to share my short biography! It's MH Masum (though some people know me as Md. Mahedi Hasan, Officially recognized Name).
I hail from Dhaka, Bangladesh, where I carved my way through Southeast University, snagging a B.Sc. in Computer Science Engineering along the way. Not one to rest on laurels, I'm currently adding an MBA from Brac University to my toolkit.
While numbers and code make my brain sing, I crave human connection. That's why I found a working station home at Fiber at Home Limited, a renowned name in Bangladesh's telecommunications industry. As a Marketing Promotion Coordinator, I get to bridge the gap between tech and people, crafting stories that resonate and connect.
But my soul truly takes flight when I volunteer. The global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is my playground, where I'm an active member and even a fellow of organizations like ICANN, APrIGF, APSIG, and APIGA. Through these communities, I'm soaking up knowledge like a sponge, eager to ensure that the Asia Pacific region benefits from an inclusive, resilient, and enlightened internet.
So, whether you're a tech junkie, a marketing maverick, or simply a fellow human being, come say hi! I'm always up for a good conversation, a shared laugh, and building a better internet, one byte at a time.
Rakibul Hoque
Bangladesh - Professor, University of Dhaka (Academia)
Md. Rakibul Hoque is Professor of Management Information Systems at University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is also Visiting Scholar, School of Business, Emporia State University, USA. His research interests include mHealth, technology adoption, E-Commerce, Data Analytics and ICT4D. Mr. Rakibul has published number of research articles in peer-reviewed academic journals and has presented papers in international conferences. He had the opportunity to work in a number of research projects in Bangladesh, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, China and Saudi Arabia. In google citation search, he has 4286 citations
(https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3AwQ-8kAAAAJ&hl=en) with 30 h-index and 55 i10-index respectively. Dr. Hoque is the member of Association for Information Systems (AIS), Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), Asia eHealth Information Network, Fulbright Alumni Association of Bangladesh, SAP University Alliance, Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), IEEE, ACM SIGMIS and Internet Society.
Akbar Hossain
Bangladesh - Founder and Chairman, Akbar Hossain Foundation (Civil Society)
Md. Akbar Hossain is a Founder and Chairman of Akbar Hossain Foundation. He has spent 20 years of his career playing a leading role as the Social Industry evangelist for Kids, Women's and Men's development and progress. Md. Akbar Hossain is working on ICT development in Bangladesh. He has unique quality of experience and contribution in an inclusive manner in multi-stakeholders of Private Sector, Civil Society, Policy Makers, Academia and Media.
Safaet Hossain
Bangladesh - Director, IQAC, UITS (Academia)
I have been serving as a co-organizer at the following International Conference:
i) Dr. D. Y. Patil B-School,Pune, India for the 2nd International Conference on “Fostering a Resilient Business Ecosystems and Economic Growth: Towards the Next Normal”.
ii) UniMAP University Malaysia Perlis for the 6th International Conference on Electronic Design (ICED) 2022 with the theme of “Versatility of Electronic Design for Future Intelligence''.
iii) Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) for International Visualization, Informatics & Technology Conference (IVIT2022)
iv) 9th International Conference on Computing and Informatics (ICOCI 2023) "Nurturing an inclusive digital society for a sustainable nation" 13-14 September 2023 | Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA.
v) 1st 2023 Software & Technologies, Visual Informatics & Applications (SOTVIA). SOTVIA 2023 will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on September 25, 2023. This conference organized by the Society of Visual Informatics.
I have served as a Jury board member at the 7th INNOVATIVE RESEARCH, INVENTION AND APPLICATION EXHIBITION (IRIA 2022) (i-ria.my). organized by School of Computing, UUM College of Arts and Sciences, Universiti Utara Malaysia. It is a platform for young inventors from Primary School to university students to showcase their innovations. Here is a presentation at the World Congress on Innovation & Technology 2022 (WCIT 2022) Connecting and Transforming the World Penang, Malaysia held on 13 – 15 September 2022. My presentation topic "Fourth Industrial Revolution and Beyond – Safeet Hossein, Additional Director, IQAC and Head, Department of CSE City University, Bangladesh. -- https://youtu.be/6xeaCh3Oa6A . I also have served as a local hub co-organizer of the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APRIGF 2022). The 13th APrIGF is a Hybrid Event will be held in Singapore on 12-14 September, 2022.
Hiro Hotta
Japan - Board Member & Senior EVP, JPRS (Technical Community)
Hiro Hotta is a Board Member and also Senior Executive Vice President of JPRS, which runs .jp ccTLD. He has over 20 years of experience in domain name industry and is currently responsible for business planning and stakeholder communication of JPRS.
He has been actively participated and lead discussions in ICANN. He was among the first DNSO Names Councilors of ICANN in 1999. After he joined JPRS, he served as a ccNSO Councilor for 16 years until 2020. He is currently an alternate member of the Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC) representing M-Root DNS server operator.
In 2017, he received ICANN Multistakeholder Ethos Award, especially by being acknowledged for his contribution to IDN development and deployment.
Jan Jacob Glenn Jansalin
Philippines - IT Security Compliance Officer, University of the Philippines Los Banos (Academia)
Jan Jacob is a decade-long networking practitioner with 5 years spent on cybersecurity roles regarding GRC and CERT operations. He's currently helping in lobbying for equitable connectivity and IT-skills building in his country. About 7 years involved in internet rights and internet governance dialogue, he had experience in local, national, and regional spaces.
Vasundhra Kaul
India - Trainer, researcher, Individual (Civil Society)
Vasundhra is interested in exploring ways the law interacts with vulnerable communities— including incarcerated persons, queer and LGBTQIA+ individuals and groups, and religious minorities. They are cautiously optimistic about what the future of the internet will be. They have previously worked on internet shutdowns, effective access to the internet, and open science.
Samik Kharel
Nepal - Executive Director, Digital Errands (Civil Society)
Samik Kharel is a researcher based in Kathmandu, Nepal. His works revolves around digital technologies and its implications on society. Kharel is also fond of technology ethics and philosophy. At present, Kharel is busy working on research on Artificial Intelligence and its possible impacts on developing countries specially in the global south.
Sanjina Kshetri
Nepal - N/A, Individual (Youth / Students)
Sanjina is a licensed lawyer based in Nepal, holding a degree in Bachelor of Arts -Bachelor of Legislative Law (B.A.LL.B.). She is deeply passionate about advocating for digital rights and is committed to promoting evidence-based policymaking. Through her work, she endeavors to foster a fair and rights-centric digital environment.
Yong Liu
China - Associate Research Fellow, Hebei Academy of Social Sciences (Academia)
I am an Associate Research Fellow at the Hebei Academy of Social Sciences(河北省社会科学院) in China. I received my Ph.D. in Law from the China University of Political Science and Law(中国政法大学) in 2014. My current research interests focus on internet law, internet governance and intellectual property. I have published several books and papers in the field of internet law and copyright law. I am interviewed regularly by local and national media outlets to provide legal perspective on current events.
Kanchan K Malik
India - Professor, University of Hyderabad (Academia)
Dr. Kanchan K. Malik is a (full) Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Hyderabad (UoH), where she also served as Head. She is a Faculty Fellow with the UNESCO chair on Community Media and Editor of the e-newsletter CR News. A media academic and a community radio enthusiast, she has expertise in qualitative research, has worked on national and international research projects, and has published scholarly papers on community media, participatory evaluation of media interventions at the grassroots, and women in community communications.
With a dual master’s in economics and mass communication, she worked as a journalist with The Economic Times before settling for an academic career. Her PhD focused on community radio and its role, especially in the global South. Dr. Kanchan teaches Print Journalism, Media Ethics, Communication Research Methods, and Community Media & the Public Sphere at UoH. She works with PhD scholars on Community Media, Environmental Communication, Women’s Social Movement Media, Fake News and Misinformation, and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Kanchan was awarded the 2022-2023 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowship to visit the University of Texas at Austin. She has co-authored (with Prof. Vinod Pavarala) the much-cited book Other Voices: The Struggle for Community Radio in India (Sage: 2007). Her recent co-edited book is Community Radio in South Asia: Reclaiming the Airwaves (Routledge: 2020). She has published a manual titled Strengthening Gender-Sensitive Practices and Programming in Community Radio (UNESCO: 2021).
Ananda Niraula
Nepal - Cyber Crime Investigator and Digital Forensics Examiner, Nepal Police (Government)
I am government officer and my area of intrest is Information/Network Security. I have done Masters in Computer Application (MCA) from Purbanchal University, Nepal. I am actively working as Cyber Crime Awareness Trainer for collages and school. Working as Digital Forensics Examiner and Analyst. I am working in IT related filed since 17 years. I have attended APRIGF, APSIG, NPSIG, etc physically.
Shradha Pandey
India - Board Member, Youth Standing Group, Internet Society (Youth / Students)
Shradha is a GC- ASP youth envoy, currently working as a policy and advocacy lawyer after graduating from at National Law University, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. She is primarily interested in studying the inter-relation of Sustainable Development Goals and their promotion of Rural development. She likes to research on the effect of policies on rural communities. She has worked with various organisations Like Student Energy, ITU, Swaraj India, InSIG etc. to understand the implications of national policies in the field of Energy, Education, internet governance on rural people. She likes to work towards making internet affordable and promoting universal acceptance in the field of internet governance. Shradha was the Internet Society, Internet Governance Forum Youth Ambassador in 2020 and is the Board Memeber of the Youth Special Interest Group of the Internet Soceity. She is a YIGF India 2020 fellow and APNIC 52 Fellowship awardee. She also was selected for APIGA 2021 as well as ApRIGF 2023 in Brisbane this year, she is a passionate advocate of liberty who seeks to educate, develop and empower the people at grassroots to be agents of change in their communities. In her future, Shradha aims to work in the field of policy-making and research to make the internet a free, safe and empowering place.
Niranjan Patel
Nepal - Managing Director, Take Care Health Care (Private Sector)
I am a Digital Marketing specialist Working with the world's Top Marketing Companies, Advertising Companies, Digital Publisher, Affiliate Marketing Companies as well as CPA Marketing Companies in collaboration with top Digital Media Agency.
Ashikur Rahman
Bangladesh - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science & Technology University (HSTU) (Youth / Students)
This is DR. ASHIKUR RAHMAN, professionally I am a veterinary medicine doctor. Besides that, I am serving at ‘Teaching & Training Pet Hospital and Research Center’ and Research Assistant at BioPC - A Bioinformatics Lab of Research and Training. As a youth community member working for Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science & Technology University (HSTU) Team, Dinajpur & Model United Nations Association-HSTU Team. I am an active member of ISOC Dhaka Chapter. As a youth internet governance activist, I have a keen interest in working with the APrIGF and other IG community initiative.
Mizanur Rahman
Bangladesh - Independent Verification Consultant (IVC), PKSF (Government)
Md. Minhaz Uddin joined the department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Jagannath University, Dhaka as a Lecturer in 2015. He received first class in Honours and Master’s degrees in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Dhaka. He was also awarded a postgraduate diploma with GPA: 3.50 in Genocide Studies from the center for genocide studies, University of Dhaka in 2018. Before as a faculty, he was a professional broadcast journalist for long time. He worked for Jamuna tv, ATN Bangla, Channel One and CSB news also. Now, he is also working as a part-time news presenter in Channel 24. He got the `Liberation War Museum Award` in 2013 from liberation war museum for outstanding reporting on liberation war of Bangladesh.
He is also working as a resource person in Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) to conduct classes on basics of reporting and different issues. Minhaz has interest on Fake News, Misinformation and Disinformation. He is conducting sessions on this issue in National Mass Media Institute (NIMC) too. He also worked with USAID, INTERNEWS, BNNRC, MOVE Foundation as a mass media and communication consultant.
He published several books on communication, journalism, media literacy and history of Bangladesh in Bangla, three of those books are based on in-depth interviews. He also authored several journal articles on topics related to genocide, media literacy, community radios of Bangladesh. He writes regularly in newspapers in different issues.
Yohani Ranasinghe
Malaysia - Lecturere, University of Colombo School of Computing (Academia)
I am Yohani from Sri Lanka, working as a lecturer at the University of Colombo School of Computing. I started my Internet Governance journey in 2017 and am very much interested in building inclusive Internet for all. Currently, I am pursuing my Ph.D. at Monash University. Specifically, I would like to work on digital education.
Trisha Ray
India - Associate Director and Resident Fellow, Atlantic Council (Civil Society)
Trisha Ray is an associate director and resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center. Her research interests lie in geopolitical and security trends in relation to emerging technologies. Ray is a member of UNESCO’s Information Accessibility Working Group, a Pacific Forum young leader, and a 2022 Schmidt Futures International Strategy Forum Asia fellow.
Prior to this, Ray was a fellow at the Center for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation in India, where she led projects, researched, and wrote on artificial intelligence governance, India’s technology policies, data protection, platform governance, and cybersecurity. She was also chair of Observer Research Foundation’s flagship technology conference, CyFy.
Ray completed her MA in security studies from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a BA (honors) in journalism from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University.
Unggul Sagena
Indonesia - Head of Internet Access Division, Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) (Civil Society)
Unggul is an activist, policy researcher, and educator. His current role within civil society networks is leading the Internet Access division, Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet), and an adviser to the Indonesian ICT Volunteers organization (RTIK). His expertise is in Digital Technology Governance and Policy and the intersection between Technology and Society. Member of Jakarta Legal Aid Community Paralegal as well as researcher and lecturer on IT for No-IT Students, Vocational School, University of Indonesia.
Bikram Shrestha
Nepal - President, Nepal Internet Foundation (Civil Society)
Mr. Bikram Shrestha has more than twenty years of experience in the ICT industry. He established a startup ISP when he was just nineteen and has been dedicating himself to the community since then. Mr. Shrestha is the founding treasurer of the Internet Society Nepal. Currently, he holds the positions of President of Nepal Internet Foundation, Past President of ISOC Nepal, Co-Chair of Cooperation SIG of APNIC, Vice Chair of Nepal IGF, and Treasurer of Oshodhara Nepal.
Professionally, he is working as Head of Digital Banking at Sanima Bank Ltd. Mr. Shrestha is a well-known banking professional with extensive experience in managing and leading major functions like ICT and banking systems, as well as cards and e-banking systems, in leading commercial banks in Nepal. Mr. Shrestha has been contributing to the growth of the ICT sector in Nepal through various policy advocacy and capacity-building programs.
The first Nepal IGF and npSIG were successful programs that were conducted under his leadership. He has been closely working with various national, regional, and global organizations, including npNOG, NPiX, CAN Federation, Lions Clubs, Nepal Jaycees, and the Nepal Government at the national level, as well as the Internet Society, APrIGF, APSIG, APRALO, APRICOT, ITU, UN, World Bank, ICANN, and IGF at the regional and global level. He has attended the fellowship programs at INET Sri Lanka and Global INET in Geneva, Switzerland. He was also an ICANN fellow and alumni. He also served as a jury member for the national ICT Award for its inception and the mBillionth Award 2017, organized by the ICT Foundation and the Digital Empower Foundation India.
Mr. Shrestha energizes himself by engaging in music and traveling to new destinations. He has traveled to more than 50 countries. He has released two music albums as a singer and composer.
Hempal Shrestha
Nepal - Researcher, Individual (Civil Society)
Hempal Shrestha is an Interdisciplinary Consulting Researcher with over 20 years of experience specializing in IT strategy, business process facilitation, knowledge management, and laws related to intellectual property rights (IPR). Currently, he is consulting with multiple organizations at national and international levels across different verticals, including IT products, software, and service sector; research and academic institutions; and government and non-governmental organizations.
He has extensively consulted on comprehensive issues of ICTs associated with technology, innovation, and development (ICT4D); training and capacity development; people, process and change management; and legal and policy formulation. Hempal holds Bachelor's degrees in Science (BSc.), Law (LLB), and Masters in Computer Applications (MCA).
Mamta Siwakoti
Nepal - Director, Digital law and policy center (Private Sector)
Ms. Mamta Siwakoti is a licensed advocate and co founder in The Digital Law and Policy Centre. Apart from her professional practice of law, she runs a legal literacy campaign via social media in Kathmandu. She completed her BALLB (Bachelors’ in Art and Bachelors’ in Law) from Kathmandu School of Law and Masters in International Relations and Diplomacy from Tribhuvan University. She has also completed a Masters Level Program on Human Rights from University of Oslo.
Ms. Mamta’s primary area of focus is law, international affairs and gender justice and she has also worked with UNICEF, ICRC Asia Pacific, Kathmandu School of Law and other national and international organizations to address such policies. She has also worked as Lecturer and Students’ Affair Coordinator at National Law College and Research Assistant in Kathmandu School of Law where she worked with law students in co and extra curricular activities.
Apart from regular profession, she has a project of Digital Legal Awareness under the channel “The Digital Lawyer” since 2020 where she posts videos to educate people on their rights and laws of Nepal, specifically on issues of GBV, Rights of child and general civil and criminal provisions of Nepal. Her digital campaign has been recognized in various national newspapers, podcasts, videos and has 120k followers on Tiktok, 12k followers on Instagram and YouTube cumulatively.
Ms. Mamta has previously worked on UPR reports, policy briefs and research on legal status of child rights in Nepal, including Kumari, climate change, injury prevention, laws on torture among others.
She is also the recipient of Jyoti Bidusi Award for Academic excellence from Nepal Bar Association.
Prabesh Subedi
Nepal - Director, Digital Media Foundation (Civil Society)
Prabesh Subedi is a New Media Journalist, Researcher and Internet Freedom Activist from Nepal. He is the president of Digital Media Foundation, a not-for-profit organization based in Kathmandu. He also leads Media Chautari as a director. His expertise includes freedom of expression on the Internet, online journalism and social media. In 2017, he was one of the signatories to initiate national IGF in Nepal. Since than he has been contributing IGF events in national, regional and global level.
Jin Tanaka
Japan - Branch manager, UNISC International (Civil Society)
Jin Tanaka is a co-researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), where he is introducing and evaluating the social implementation of the Kankyo Cafe, an interactive social dialogue, and exploring linkages between the research community and the youth and citizen sectors. He is also involved in tree-planting and soil restoration activities and is promoting the transformation of sustainable social infrastructure through resilience capacity building in the Asia-Pacific region. He has been working in a wide variety of fields in the Asia-Pacific region, including environmental conservation, such as water resource conservation, climate adaptation, and disaster prevention; human rights protection, such as human rights education and immigration support; and economic development, such as energy conversion and the training of civil engineers through the expansion of environmental education. In the course of his activities, he is a member of the UNESCO SDG 4 Youth Network, UNESCO Groundwater Youth Network, UNEP CYMG, YOUNGO, World Youth Parliament for Water, UNESCO i-WSSM, UNCCD Youth Caucus, and many other diverse international networks. He also works by gathering real local information to develop solid and concrete proposals that are comprehensive, replicable, economically rational, and feasible by promoting partnerships with the civil sector, and the scientific community.
Mohamad Afiq Ammar Tulos
Malaysia - Deputy Director, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (Government)
Mohamad Afiq Ammar Tulos is a Deputy Director at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Responsible for policy and regulatory matters over electronic addresses in Malaysia, he has been involved with ICANN since 2019 and is currently the Advisor of GAC Malaysia. He was selected as one of the fellows for the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) in 2021 and a member of the APrIGF Fellowship Committee in 2022 and 2023.