Subash Koirala

PhD Candidate in Cultural Anthropology

Subash.koirala@vuw.ac.nz

Supervisors. Dr. Paola Tine and Dr. Amir Sayadabdi

Investigating the Role of Digital Technology Adoption in Employment, Education, and Social Belonging Among the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese Community in New Zealand

I completed a Master of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Development Studies at the Central Department of Conflict, Peace and Development Studies, Tribhuvan University. The programme provided interdisciplinary training in conflict analysis, peacebuilding, and development, with a strong emphasis on qualitative research, critical theory, and field-based inquiry. Through advanced coursework, seminars, and independent research, I developed analytical and methodological skills to examine conflict dynamics, social cohesion, governance, human rights, and development processes across diverse contexts. This academic training has informed my doctoral research interests and strengthened my capacity for rigorous, ethically grounded research in peace and development studies.

My research interests focus on issues of conflict, peace, and development, particularly in relation to refugee integration and social cohesion. I am interested in how digital technologies are used in everyday life by refugee communities, and how these technologies influence social connections, access to support, and experiences of settlement.

Before beginning postgraduate study, my background was shaped largely by personal and community-based exposure to issues of displacement and migration. Growing up in Nepal, I had limited awareness of the experiences of Bhutanese refugees until later in my schooling, when one of my teachers came from a refugee background. This early connection prompted questions about forced migration and long-term displacement that stayed with me.

In 2019, I visited the Beldangi refugee camp, where I had the opportunity to listen to refugees describe their experiences of separation from family members following third-country resettlement. Many spoke about the difficulty of sustaining social and emotional ties across borders, as well as the psychosocial challenges they continued to face after resettlement. Witnessing these realities firsthand deepened my interest in the social consequences of displacement beyond immediate humanitarian concerns.

These personal experiences motivated my decision to pursue postgraduate study in Conflict, Peace and Development Studies, where I could engage critically with issues of migration, conflict, and social cohesion from an academic perspective. Over time, this background has continued to shape my research interests and has led directly to my current doctoral focus on refugee integration and social cohesion, particularly in relation to everyday social connections in resettlement contexts such as Aotearoa New Zealand.

My thesis, titled "Investigating the Role of Digital Technology Adoption in Employment, Education, and Social Belonging Among the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese Community in New Zealand," is about exploring how this refugee community uses digital tools (like Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and YouTube) to navigate their resettlement.

In short, the project investigates if and how digital technology facilitates successful integration outcomes, specifically concerning getting jobs, accessing learning opportunities, and achieving a deep, durable sense of social belonging in New Zealand.

The study focuses on the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community across Palmerston North, Christchurch, and Auckland, who face challenges with digital literacy and new technologies after years of limited exposure in refugee camps. I examine how digital engagement acts as a "means" for securing employment and education, and as the "connective tissue" that helps them build social bonds, bridges, and links necessary for feeling fully accepted in the host society.

Ultimately, the research aims to provide evidence-based recommendations to develop culturally responsive policies and digital literacy programs, enhancing the long-term inclusion of this community in New Zealand.