Summary
Divya is a Senior Policy Specialist at AidData where she conducts research and analysis on diverse projects and fosters connections with the policy community. Passionate about translating research into accessible prose and actionable insights, Divya has conceptualized and operationalized new policy research projects, piloted and scaled new data collection methodologies, and worked to increase the visibility of AidData's work with external policy audiences.
She primarily works on projects examining China's public diplomacy in South and Central Asia and tracking foreign influence of civic space in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. For the latter, she has coordinated inputs to produce 17 country profiles and a regional synthesis report, as well as designing a custom methodology to track and analyze aggressions towards civic space actors.
Education
M.P.P., International Development Policy, College of William & Mary
M.A., English Literature, St. Stephen's College, Delhi University
B.A. (Honors), English Literature, St. Stephen's College, Delhi University
Background
Previously, Divya worked as a Court Research Assistant at the National Center for State Courts, where she quantified and evaluated Online Dispute Resolution Platforms. She has also worked on writing grants and conducting research on Countering Violent Extremism and Youth, Peace and Security with Search for Common Ground. Prior to her MPP, Divya was an Assistant Editor with Dorling Kindersley, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Check out her experiences in writing the newest report, Corridors of Power, and how the MPP program impacted her here.