Biography

I have grown up in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi but spent most of my childhood moving around to different cities and countries. These experiences heightened my awareness of how identity markers shift in salience and function in different socio-cultural contexts. I explored these issues with a broad liberal arts bachelor’s degree at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), and then received the Fulbright Master’s scholarship to pursue further studies in psychology at Columbia University. I continued exploring the interplay of culture, identity and intergroup relations by researching about these topics in my courses; by becoming a resident of International House; and by interning at the UN with the American Psychological Association. Over the last three years, I have been teaching undergraduates in Lahore at Forman Christian College (A Chartered University) and LUMS. I’ve taught, researched, presented on, and discussed with students and colleagues the complex interaction of Pakistani identities and intergroup conflict. I am honoured and excited by this opportunity provided by the prestigious Gates scholarship to research how our identities interact with interpersonal and socio-political events and conflicts. At Cambridge, I will pursue my M.Phil. in social anthropology. Thereafter, I plan to continue to work for a doctorate. My major motivation is to use my knowledge to promote identity processes that reduce inter-group bias and conflict.

Previous Education

Lahore University of Management Sciences
Columbia University Teachers College