Dr Phanchung is the Director of the Department of Research and External Relations of the Royal University of Bhutan.  He is responsible for the promotion and conduct of research activities in the university. He has a PhD degree from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He has experience of public service in various institutions in the Royal Government of Bhutan as an academic, administrator, planning and a rural development agent. He was the first ICIMOD Mountain Chair for 2017-2019, an honorary title conferred upon a prominent scholar working on mountain issues in the Hindu Kush Himalaya to promote Himalayan University Consortium. Dr. Phanchung is the Managing Editor of the Bhutan Journal of Research and Development and serves as the Board Member of the Climate Change Coordination Committee of Royal Government of Bhutan. He has published papers in the journals, drafted policy and plan documents, organized international conferences and dialogue series, and reviewed several policy documents.