Born and raised in Dubai, UAE, with roots in India, Arifa Abbas is a young professional passionate about international development. She has diverse work experience, ranging from political consulting to working with NGOs in developing countries. Ranging from large cooperations to small grass roots businesses, Arifa has worked with an array of clients in the health, military, cybersecurity and economic development space. Arifa recently graduated from Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy with a Master's in Public Policy, focusing on Data Science. She previously earned her Bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Government, Data Science, and Environmental Studies.
Her focus is reducing inequality and promoting inclusive development through evidence-based policy. She has refined her theory and skills through work and taking courses such as advanced regression methods, developmental methods, and comparative studies. Arifa has applied her data skills to projects such as advocating for workers' rights on campus and developing a clean drinking water implementation scheme for children in southern Iraq.
In her free time, Arifa is a painter, photographer, and DJ, creating commissioned paintings, playing music gigs, and doing event photography. She is also an advanced scuba diver as she is inspired by the ocean and marine life.