Hasina Jalal is an Agora Fellow at the Center for Governance and Markets and a PhD candidate at the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in comparative politics and security studies. Her research examines women’s political agency and resistance under authoritarian regimes in Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria, focusing on how women-led movements challenge authoritarian security governance through grassroots mobilization and transnational advocacy.
She previously held senior policy roles in the Government of Afghanistan, including Policy Advisor to the Minister and Director of Program Design at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, and Research Team Lead at the Administrative Office of the President. Hasina has conducted policy-oriented research and fieldwork in Afghanistan, Australia, India, and Uzbekistan, in Persian, English, Turkish, and Hindi/Urdu.
Her academic background includes graduate work at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, an MA in Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of Northern Iowa (Fulbright scholar), an MBA from the American University of Afghanistan (USAID scholar), and a BA in Economics from Jamia Millia Islamia University (ICCR scholar).
Hasina has taught economics, political science, and human rights courses in the U.S. and Afghanistan. She serves as Chair of the International Law and International Affairs Committee at the Afghanistan Law and Political Science Association (ALPA). A long-time advocate for women’s rights and democracy, she brings over a decade of experience in civil society and policy advocacy. In 2014, she was elected by public vote to receive the N-Peace Award from the UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Office and the UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on the University for Peace.
Hasina Jalal
PhD Student
