Hasina Jalal
I am a PhD student in Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. My research examines women’s political agency under authoritarian rule, with particular attention to authoritarian governance, repression, and transnational political networks. My current work focuses on Afghanistan and Iran and draws on comparative perspectives from other conflict-affected and authoritarian contexts.
My research is informed by experience in government, policy, and civil society. Before beginning my doctoral studies, I worked in the Afghan government in research, policy, program design, donor coordination, and electoral administration. I have also worked with civil society organizations and transnational advocacy networks focused on women’s rights and political participation. These experiences inform my interest in how political institutions, security practices, and grassroots actors interact under conditions of authoritarianism and conflict.
Education
I am pursuing a PhD in Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Previously, I studied at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and earned an MBA from the American University of Afghanistan as a USAID merit scholar and an MA in Women’s Studies from the University of Northern Iowa as a Fulbright scholar. I earned my undergraduate degree in Economics, with a minor in Political Science, from Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi as an ICCR scholar. This interdisciplinary training in political science, economics, gender studies, and public policy informs my approach to comparative political research.
Research and Teaching
My doctoral research examines how women’s political networks form, adapt, and mobilize under authoritarian repression. I use qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, including elite and grassroots interviews, archival and policy analysis, survey experiments, and computational approaches to the study of political networks and digital activism.
Alongside my research, I have taught courses in political science, economics, human rights, and international affairs at universities in Afghanistan and the United States. I have worked with students from diverse academic and professional backgrounds and am particularly interested in teaching courses on comparative politics, human rights, gender and politics, authoritarianism, security studies, and international affairs.
I have held fellowships and academic appointments including the Agora Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, the Elinor Ostrom Fellowship, and a fellowship at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. I am also affiliated with the New University in Exile Consortium and the Pittsburgh Network for Threatened Scholars.
Policy and Public Service
Before entering academia, I worked in several public-sector roles in Afghanistan. I served as Research Team Lead and Policy Expert at the Presidential Palace of Afghanistan; Policy Advisor and Director of Program Design and Donor Coordination at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum; and Election Coordinator at the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan. These experiences provided practical exposure to governance, institutional reform, policy implementation, and political institutions in a conflict-affected setting and continue to shape my research interests.
Civil Society and Advocacy
My work also includes sustained engagement with civil society and transnational advocacy on women’s rights and political participation. I have worked with and contributed to organizations and networks in Afghanistan and across South Asia and helped establish initiatives focused on women’s rights, civil society, and regional feminist advocacy.
My advocacy work has been recognized through several awards, including the 2014 N-Peace Award from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Asia-Pacific Regional Office alongside the UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor on the University for Peace, the Iconic Women Creating a Better World for All Award, and the Global Women Leadership Award. In 2021, I was also recognized through a public vote among the 45 Most Influential Afghan Women.
Fieldwork
My research draws on fieldwork and interviews with Afghan communities in Afghanistan, as well as policy research conducted in India, Uzbekistan, and Australia throughout my academic and professional career. I speak Persian, Pashto, English, Turkish, and Hindi/Urdu, with additional proficiency in Punjabi, Dutch, Arabic, and Uzbek. These linguistic and research experiences inform my academic work.
[Full CV available upon request.]
