Hi there, this is Mujahid - I am raising funds for my dream graduate program in International Development Policy at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy in Washington D.C. The school currently ranks as the 5th best in international global policy and administration. I have received a merit-based half-tuition fee waiver, which speaks to my academic and professional achievements. However, financial constraints threaten to derail my aspirations once again. In the past, I've gotten multiple offers from prestigious institutions like Warwick, SOAS, Sorbonne, UC Louvain, and the Autonomous University of Barcelona, but have not been able to attend due to a lack of funding.

Today, even after a generous fee waiver, my remaining expenses including the tuition fee for the first academic year amount to USD 35,000. I have exhausted all my savings and my family’s finances and loans to cover the fee for the first semester. While I will be able to manage my living expenses while working there, I still need around USD 15,000 to cover my tuition fee. This figure may seem modest in dollars, but its magnitude in Pakistani Rupees is substantial. Your support could bridge this gap and enable me to embark on this transformative journey. Therefore, I request all of you to contribute to this cause and help me follow my dream and make a positive change in Pakistan and beyond.

Please allow me to take you through my educational and professional journey so far:

I graduated from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan in 2020, securing a High Merit in Economics and Mathematics. It is one of Pakistan's premier educational institutions, and my journey there was made possible through a full merit-based scholarship. It would not have been possible without the constant support of my parents who worked very hard throughout their lives. During my undergrad, I also took on roles as both a teaching assistant and research assistant to help cover my living expenses, a testament to my dedication and hard work to attain quality education.

Growing up in a humble, lower-middle-class family in a small agricultural town in Pakistan, and then moving to a big city to pursue higher education, I witnessed widespread inequalities in the living conditions among people. I had originally enrolled in electrical engineering but decided to move to economics because this discipline promised ways to understand and reduce poverty and inequality, which millions of people across the world face today.

Post-graduation, I continued my passion and worked with the Ministry of Health to improve public service delivery, especially to the urban poor who cannot afford these services otherwise. Despite being the youngest member of the team, I proposed and carried out impactful empirical research initiatives that influenced national policy. I owe a debt of gratitude to Dr Adnan Khan, whose mentorship enabled me to publish several groundbreaking studies in high-ranked international journals. After striving to improve health outcomes for more than 2 years, I worked with renowned economists and helped improve public schooling in far-off villages of underdeveloped areas. I intend to continue doing so, though on a larger scale of impact.

I wish to join the Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) program's cohort of Fall 2024. I am very excited about this opportunity as the program is closely aligned with my research aspirations. Most of the faculty is engaged in improving living conditions in the Global South. It offers practical training in contributing to existing development projects as well. I believe that my knowledge of ground realities and future learning from the program will offer an excellent mix to my intellectual process and prepare me for impactful roles in global development.

Throughout my academic and professional endeavors, I've remained committed to offering a helping hand to those around me, either through advice or through practice. With your generosity, I can continue this legacy of mentorship and empowerment, whenever a student like me needs someone to overcome such obstacles.

My mentors believe that I have the potential to make novel contributions to the discipline and a positive impact on the world, and with your donations, I intend to make it true.

Link to the program: https://mccourt.georgetown.edu/master-of-international-development-policy/

If you have any questions, you can reach out to me at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mujahid-abdullah/