Established in 2002, Social Science Baha (SSB) is an independent, non-profit organization with the objective of promoting and enhancing research in the social sciences in Nepal. SSB is deeply committed to facilitating the production of knowledge through a variety of academic and public-facing activities, first through the founding of its one-of-a-kind social science library and later through lectures, conferences, workshops, and research. Efficiently managed, accessible, and well-stocked, Social Science Baha Library boasts a collection of over 35,000 publications in a wide variety of media, including access to digital journals. SSB also organizes workshops, lectures, and discussions on a wide variety of topical issues, such as the Mahesh Chandra Regmi Lecture, which attracts luminaries in their field, and the newly-established Nanda R. and Pamela L. Shrestha Lecture Series, which since 2019 has sought to highlight emerging works by Nepali researchers.

Collaboration and open access to knowledge are both cornerstones of Social Science Baha’s philosophy. By co-organizing the Annual Kathmandu Conference on Nepal and the Himalaya (first held in 2012), SSB has created an international platform for the exchange and distribution of new research in the social sciences in Nepal and beyond. Since 2007, SSB has been involved in both large-scale collaborative research projects and contract-based research for groups in Nepal or abroad, such as its interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility (CESLAM), which seeks to understand the intersection of labour and mobility and spark change through public debate and policy reform. Additionally, the SSB itself publishes books, reports, articles, and policy briefs, many of which are open-access.

The Heritage as Placemaking research team at Social Science Baha includes principal investigator Sabin Ninglekhu, research fellow Monalisa Maharjan, and research assistant Binita Magaiya.