Erfurt · Germany
Public Policy Researcher
International Development
Bridging rigorous research and real-world policy, with deep MENA expertise and a quantitative-meets-qualitative toolkit.
About
A researcher between worlds
I'm a Public Policy researcher and international development professional based in Erfurt, Germany. I hold a Master of Public Policy from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt, completed with a final grade of 1.5 (Very Good).
My work sits at the intersection of policy research, governance, and evidence-based analysis. It spans think tanks, legal consultancy, government ministries, humanitarian INGOs, and non-profits across Lebanon, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Cyprus.
I specialise in development economics, diaspora engagement policy, remittance flows, MENA regional affairs, and international public policy. My Master's thesis, a mixed-methods empirical study of Diaspora Engagement Policies and remittances across 60 developing countries, was awarded a grade of 1.3, with its core findings later published by the Migration Policy Institute.
I combine quantitative methods (PSM, panel data econometrics) with qualitative depth (country risk analysis, policy memo writing, stakeholder coordination): the bridge between academic rigour and practical policy.
Research areas
Where my work focuses
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Diaspora & Migration Policy
Remittance flows, diaspora engagement, the migration and development nexus, and cross-border capital mobility.
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MENA Regional Affairs
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan: political, security, socio-economic, and legal landscapes for legal and policy audiences.
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AI Governance & Policy
AI equity, environmental impacts of AI development, and policy frameworks for emerging technology in marginalised contexts.
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Development Economics
Foreign direct investment, EU development policy, fragile states, and the effectiveness of international aid interventions.
Selected work
Featured research & publications
From the thesis
Countries with formal Diaspora Engagement Policies see remittance inflows roughly 2.2 percentage points higher than comparable countries without. The effect is context-dependent.
PSM ATT = 2.22% · Mahalanobis matching ATT = 2.13% (60 developing countries, 1996 to 2022).
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Diaspora Engagement Policies and Remittance Inflows in Developing Countries
Mixed-methods empirical study across 60 developing countries combining PSM, Mahalanobis matching, OLS and random-effects panel regression. Awarded grade 1.3.
Willy Brandt School, University of Erfurt
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Government Efforts to Boost Diaspora Remittances Earn Mixed Results
Policy-facing piece drawing on the thesis, examining the evidence base for government diaspora engagement programmes.
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Addressing Marginality in the Global AI Race
How developing and marginalised nations risk being systematically excluded from AI's benefits, and what global AI governance owes them.
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Decoupling AI Development from Environmental Marginalization
The environmental costs of AI infrastructure and their disproportionate impact on already-marginalised communities: a case for linking AI governance to environmental justice.
Experience
Eight roles, four countries
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Aug 2025 to Present
Non-Resident Junior Scholar Consultant (Policy)
Strategy International Think Tank · Cyprus (remote)
Authors policy briefings and research notes on governance, AI policy, and diaspora and remittance issues for senior consultants and external publication.
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Feb 2026 to Present
Project Support (Projektmitarbeiterin)
Muslimisches Bildungswerk für Demokratie · Erfurt, Germany
Coordinates programme activities and prepares research-related documentation in a multicultural civic-education non-profit.
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Jul 2024 to Feb 2026
Research Consultant
Middle East Consultancy Services (MECS) · London (remote)
Produced country expert reports and nationality assessments on fragile and conflict-affected MENA contexts (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan) for legal and government audiences.
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Nov 2024 to Apr 2025
Policy Researcher & Team Lead
Thüringer Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft & Digitale Gesellschaft · Erfurt
Led a project group developing a partnership concept paper with the Thuringian Ministry; primary liaison to ministerial counterparts.
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Apr 2024 to Jun 2024
Research Intern (MPP Practical Training II)
Middle East Consultancy Services (MECS) · London (remote)
Security situation assessments, asylum-seeker investigation reports, and document authentication across the MENA region. 9 ECTS · grade 1.7.
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Jul 2021 to Aug 2023
Recruiter & HR Officer
CARE International · Beirut, Lebanon
End-to-end recruitment for a humanitarian INGO operating in a complex emergency. HR documentation, policy compliance, cross-functional coordination.
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Aug 2020 to Aug 2021
Policy Evaluation / Research Assistant (Freelance)
Lebanon
Literature review and impact evaluation of EU interventions in Lebanon's national waste management crisis using theory-of-change frameworks and BAE methodology.
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Jun 2019 to Oct 2019
MEAL Intern
CARE International · Lebanon
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning support: data collection tools, FGD facilitation, field reporting.
Education
Where I trained
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2023 to 2025
Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.)
Willy Brandt School of Public Policy · University of Erfurt, Germany
Final grade 1.5 (Very Good / Excellent) · 120 ECTS · full-time. Distinctions in Advanced Methods (1.0) and Ethics in the Public Sector (1.0). Master's thesis: Diaspora Engagement Policies and Remittance Inflows in Developing Countries (1.3).
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2017 to 2020
B.A. in Political, Law & Administrative Science
Lebanese University · Tripoli, Lebanon
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Sep to Oct 2020
Short Programme in International Development
University of Cambridge
Writing
Full list of publications & papers
Published
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Government Efforts to Boost Diaspora Remittances Earn Mixed Results
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Addressing Marginality in the Global AI Race
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Decoupling AI Development from Environmental Marginalization
Master's thesis
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Diaspora Engagement Policies and Remittance Inflows in Developing Countries
Academic writings
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Comparative Study on Educational Policies in Rwanda and Uganda
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The Case Against Extreme Wealth
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Foreign Direct Investment
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Addressing Leadership Failures in Brazil's COVID-19 Response
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Management and Leadership
Contact
Let's talk
Based in
Erfurt · Germany
Open to
Research collaborations, consulting briefs, speaking invitations.