Programs
Nonresident Policy Fellowship
The Non-Resident Policy Fellowship is one of the initiatives of the Andiana Foundation, bringing together subject matter experts, researchers, and analysts to collaborate on researching thematic issues and developing analytical pieces. The initiative undergoes a shift in thematic focus every two years.
The Andiana Foundation Welcomes 2026-2027 Non-Resident Policy Fellows
Washington, DC
The Andiana Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of its 2026-2027 Non-Resident Policy Fellows on Afghanistan and its Regional Landscape. The policy fellows’ work bolsters the Andiana’s Foundation’s research agenda to provide rigorous analysis and a diverse range of perspectives on Afghanistan and its neighboring region. This year’s cohort will focus on critical issues such as forums on regional stability, the role of emerging technologies and non-state actors, interstate conflict, gender security, terrorism spillover, and water insecurity.
Non-Resident Policy Fellows
Ali Y. Alidi
Ali Y. Adili is a Non-Resident Fellow at both the Andiana Foundation and NYU’s Center on International Cooperation. He previously served as the country director for the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) in Kabul and as a project coordinator at New America.
A multi-lingual scholar and co-editor of Afghanistan and International Relations, he holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.
Mustafa Aryan
Mustafa Aryan is an international security professional and current President of the Canadian International Council (Toronto Branch). He previously served as Director of International Affairs for Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation.
A Salzburg Global Fellow with a master’s in International Security from the University of Reading, he has completed executive training at Harvard and the US National Defense University.
Fawzia Ehsani
Fawzia Ehsani is a fourth-year PhD candidate at the University of York, specializing in post-conflict governance and capacity development in Afghanistan. She previously worked as a Research Assistant with the Beyond Compliance Consortium, where she contributed to research on the impact of military operations on civilians, with a focus on Somalia, South Sudan, and Myanmar.
She brings extensive professional experience in public administration, having held senior leadership roles within Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, including Director of Foreign Relations and Legal Affairs and Deputy Minister.
Nazila Jamshidi
Nazila Jamshidi is a human rights and governance professional specializing in the intersection of gender and political transformation in conflict-affected regions. Her extensive field experience includes managing democratization and women's inclusion programs across 27 Afghan provinces. Jamshidi, whose work has appeared in the BBC and The Diplomat, holds degrees from Georgetown University and a master’s in Human Rights from Columbia University.
Dr. Najibullah Loodin
Dr. Najibullah Loodin is an expert in water management and hydrological science with a PhD from Texas A&M University. His research focuses on hydro-politics and the role of trust in decision-making for shared water basins, such as the Helmand River.
He has published seventeen peer-reviewed articles covering water conflict and cooperation across Central and South Asia.
Laleh Rahimi
Laleh Rahimi is a regional security and human rights scholar currently serving as the South Asia Researcher for ACLED, where she monitors political violence in Afghanistan. With over a decade of experience, she has held positions with the United Nations, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. A former fellow of the Ban Ki-moon Centre, she holds a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy from HEIP Paris.
About the Andiana Foundation
Andiana Foundation is a 501(c)(3)-tax exempt nonprofit, public policy and research organization. We are an independent think tank with a mission to educate and connect through in-depth research and analysis, specialized training, and strategically exchange ideas.
Afghan Policy Professionals (APP) on Regional Dialogue
In 2024-2025, The program underscores the significance of a regional political process for Afghanistan and its region through dialogue on the drivers of peace and security. More specifically, it conducts research on issues related to the crisis between Afghanistan and its neighbors, organizes interstate people’s dialogues and regional consultations, and produces policy papers to enhance national understanding of regional peace and security.
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The group will undertake research and writing projects to map existing issues related to Afghanistan and its region. The research findings will be developed as working papers and policy briefs and disseminated widely by convening policy briefing sessions involving small focus groups from the international community, education, and policy institutions.
Past Fellows
Dr. Ahmad Farid Tookhy
Dr. Ahmad Farid Tookhy has professional experience in governance, election, and conflict management. Dr. Tookhy’s research and intellectual interests include modernity, the modern state, international politics, political sociology, and Middle Eastern history and politics. Previously, he served with the United Nations in Afghanistan, Sudan, and South Sudan on electoral and political affairs. He holds a PhD in politics from Georgetown University and has taught at Georgetown and the University of Ottawa.
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Dr. Tookhy’s study examines the geopolitics of crisis management in Afghanistan. His work will assess the role of geopolitics in shaping interstate cooperation concerning the situation in Afghanistan.
Dr. Hafiza Yazdani
Dr. Hafiza Yazdani is a scholar, women and peace activist with more than 10 years of experience working with international organizations such as the World Bank, UN Women, USAID, and the Swedish Embassy in Afghanistan. She has remarkably contributed to program implementation for promoting human rights, gender equality and peace in Afghanistan. Dr. Yazdani has written research articles on Education in Afghanistan, and Peace Education, as well as about Gender & Peace education that were published in a scientific journal. She has a PhD from the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago in New Zealand.
Dr. Yazdani examines the relationship between Madrassas education and regional security, with a particular focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Hosna Jalil
Hosna Jalil is a security practitioner. She currently serves as a Senior Analyst for a U.S. private company, drawing on her extensive experience in governmental roles in Afghanistan. Prior to her ministerial appointments, she held the position of Director for Policy at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.
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Jalil study investigates how Afghanistan’s neighboring countries and regional actors perceive and respond to the security implications arising from the nexus between the Taliban and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Marzia Hussaini
Marzia Hussaini is an expert on water management. She is a media executive and journalist at Afghanistan International Television and currently undertaking a Ph.D. in Water Diplomacy. Her academic focus centres on the political management of shared waters between Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, a subject she has explored in-depth during both her master's and doctoral studies. Marzia served as a "Advisor to the Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan" in the field of Water Diplomacy. She served as a lecturer at Kateb University in Kabul.
Hussaini's study explores how hydro-diplomacy could enhance economic interdependence between Afghanistan and its neighbors, ultimately contributing to regional stability.
Moheb Jabarkhail
Moheb Jabarkhail is a policy analyst, advisor, researcher, and commentator on Afghanistan’s policy matters based in the United States. His recent publication is “Afghanistan and the Way Forward: Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Policymaking” published in the Global Policy Journal outlines post-western withdrawal developments from Afghanistan and related policy recommendations. Previously, Moheb has also researched and published extensively policy briefs, newspaper articles, and opinion posts on democracy, regional cooperation, human security, and development matters of Afghanistan.
Jabarkhail’s study focuses on examining the potential opportunities for regional economic integration involving Afghanistan. It delves into how regional economic integration is seen as a collaborative necessity by both Afghanistan and its neighbors.
Sara Hakimi
Sara Hakimi is a former Afghan diplomat, and a former fellow and representative at NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy. She has immense experience in the field of international affairs and diplomacy, having worked with practitioners and scholars all across the world. Sara specializes in research and policy analysis, with a particular emphasis on the Middle East and South Asia regions. Additionally, she possesses expertise in counter-terrorism and extremism initiatives, including a deep understanding of the political and military dynamics involving non-state actors. Sara holds a master’s in security studies from Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS), Georgetown University.
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Hakimi examines the intricate web of drug production, trafficking, and consumption, seeking to illuminate the multifaceted impact of this phenomenon on Afghanistan as well as its neighboring countries.
Dr. Sarajuddin Isar
Dr. Sarajuddin Isar is a Political Economy researcher with extensive overseas experience in taxation and state-building, aid, conflict, and development. He holds a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, with his doctoral focus centered on the political economy of taxation and state-building in Afghanistan. He is a Radboud Excellent Fellow at the Centre for International Conflict-Analysis and Management (CICAM), Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Dr Isar worked as a senior researcher at the International Accounting Bulletin and was engaged with several academic institutions including the Open University, the University of Edinburgh, The International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD), and Oxford Policy Management (OPM) in the UK. Dr Isar is a published academic author and contributor to a number of academic journals, media outlets, and research think tanks.
Dr. Isar’s work offers new insights into the role of taxing transit trade within the context of economic integration in Afghanistan.
Dr. Weeda Mehran
Dr. Weeda Mehran, PhD (Cambridge), MSc (Oxford) is a faculty member at the Department of Politics & the Co-Director of the Centre for Advanced International Studies (CAIS) at the University of Exeter. Dr Mehran's research has been published in journals such as Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Small Wars and Insurgencies, Behavioural Science of Terrorism and Political Violence, Central Asian Survey, and Journal of Peacebuilding and Development among others.
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She has published opinion pieces in The Conversation, The Guardian, and the Telegraph. Dr Mehran has provided TV and radio commentaries for news organizations such as BBC, CNN, CBC, Sky News, France24, CTV, and Financial Times amongst others.
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Dr. Mehran investigates Afghanistan’s new security landscape and emerging security threats.
Zekria Barakzai
Zekria Barakzai is a former Afghan diplomat and has more than 30 years of experience working with the private sector, international organizations, NGOs and government of Afghanistan. Mr. Barakzai is a PhD researcher of International Affairs at Altinbas University Istanbul, Turkey. He is an experienced professional in the fields of diplomacy, international affairs, elections, human rights and good governance. His current research focus is on Afghanistan Transboundary Water issues and Water Diplomacy.
Barakzai explores Afghanistan's transboundary waters and water diplomacy through an analysis of Amu Darya hydro-politics. It will investigate the impact of the construction of the Qosh Tepa Canal on Central Asia.