Wajeeha Amir

Wajeeha graduated from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in 2021, with a high distinction in political science and public policy. At LUMS, she was on the dean’s honour list for all 8 semesters and was awarded a merit scholarship throughout her undergraduate, based on her performance each year as one of the top students of her batch. Prior to joining LUMS, she completed most of her education at Peshawar’s Army Public School. During this time, she was also amongst the top position holders of the Federal Board of Pakistan in 2015 and was awarded a scholarship by the Board and the President of Pakistan.

Since graduating, Wajeeha has been working with the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Peshawar, as part of Adam Smith International’s Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED) project, supporting the region’s economic and urban development. She has worked on several initiatives, including establishing Pakistan’s first behavioural insights unit, mobilising climate finance for KP, and leading a clean air alliance in Peshawar.

At Oxford, Wajeeha plans to pursue a postgraduate degree in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation. Her passion for this field stems from her own lived experiences as a woman who grew up in KP during the peak of the War on Terror. She hopes to research on strengthening the social policy regime of Pakistan, focusing on the most vulnerable groups including women. After completing her degree, she hopes to continue supporting the Governments of Pakistan and KP in inclusive policymaking which involves and caters to people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and classes. Having earned several scholarships that gave her the chance to pursue a good education, she now hopes to play her part in creating more space and opportunities for people from marginalised backgrounds to have a better future.