​Honourary Fellows and Associates

Dr Sadaf Rizvi
Honou​​rary Senior Research Associate

Dr Rizvi has joined the IED family and is working with Drs Sadrudin Pardhan and Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta​, to publish edited books and journal articles based on research projects and other scholarly work.​​

She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from University of Oxford and has nearly 3 decades worth of rich experience. Her specific areas of interest are anthropology of education, childhood ethnography, faith schools and social cohesion, and Muslims in the West.​ She began her career with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in Islamabad, and worked with AKU-IED prior to her move to the United Kingdom.

Dr Ri​zvi is the editor of two books, ‘Multidisciplinary approaches to educational research: Case studies from Europe and the developing world’ (Routledge, 2012) and Making sense of the global: Anthropological Perspec​tives on interconnections and processes. (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010).​

Sabina Khatri
Honorary Senior Teaching Fellow

Ms Khatri has recently joined us to offer a series of short courses/workshops to promote the awareness of trauma education and child safeguarding. ​

She is the Founder and Chairperson of Kiran Foundation – a non-profit organization that works in Lyari, with the vision to build a compassionate society by providing holistic and transformational education for a mother and her child, rich in humanitarian values, mental health awareness and wellbeing for all.​

Her efforts have garnered her several recognitions and awards, including the Sitara-e Imtiaz in 2020. She was also ​selected as one of POND’s Miracle Women, and received the I AM Karachi PRIDE Award in 2016. Furthermore, Ms Khatri was one of the six central characters of Ho Yaqeen, a documentary series by Oscar-winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy.


Romeena Kureishy
Honorary Research Associate

Ms Kureishy has joined the team to promote the teaching and learning of Urdu via short courses, seminars, and other programmes​. Her experience and expertise aligns with IED’s move into developing teacher education programmes in the arts and humanities, of which Urdu pedagogy will be a central part.

Ms. Kureishy holds a Master’s degree in Urdu Language and Literature and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Karachi University. She currently serves as the Lead Instructor atNew York University’s Hindi-Urdu Teacher Training Institute.  Over her career, she has been affiliated with STARTALK Urdu Programmes for over a decade serving in various roles with University of Pennsylvania, New York University and Kean University.  

She also has extensive experience in curriculum design for Urdu heritage and non-heritage learners and provides professional development for Urdu teacher education programmes.