International Fellows Alumni

Mr. Chulak was the former CEO of the Urban Guard where he developed new policy on democratic security to strengthen democracy and the rule of law. He was a political advisor in the Congress of Argentina and also the director of public affairs for the Government of Buenos Aires. Mr. Chulak earned a law degree with a focus in labor law from the University of Buenos Aires, Law School. During his fellowship year at the University of Minnesota, Mr. Chulak will focus on public policy analysis and public administration, particularly new theoretical and practical tools that will help rethink strategies that are being currently applied in Argentina to improve public policy, with a focus on security and crime prevention.

Ms. Jalilova is the Head of the International Unit of the Public Finance Department with the Ministry of Finance. She coordinates foreign aid projects, and programs financed by multilateral entities, including the European Commission, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. She also works with multi-disciplinary teams of international consultants and missions, project managers and project implementation units. She graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Law from Turkmen State University, and holds a master’s degree in banking and finance from the University of Antwerp. As a Humphrey Fellow, Ms. Jalilova plans to get a better understanding of policy issues in the area of public finance management. She believes that the knowledge and skills gained during her fellowship will be valuable for making comprehensive analysis and research in the field of public finance management, and providing policy recommendations to ensure sustainable development in Turkmenistan. Back in her country, she would like to continue doing research work on the effectiveness of public spending in resource-rich countries.

Ms. Karakamceva is the Deputy Head Administrator of the Committees Department at Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia. She coordinates and monitors the work of a legislative sector comprised of 21 committees that operate in different areas. She has also been involved in the International Cooperation activities within the Assembly, especially in the national delegation. She is an economist graduated from the School of Economics at Skopje, and holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the University ofPittsburghwith a concentration in public and international affairs. During her fellowship, she has a particular interest in parliamentary affairs in the U.S. and a non-partisan effective parliamentary administration that contributes to the production of high quality legislation based on sound legal principles. Upon her return to Macedonia, she intends to apply her new knowledge to the Parliamentary work that will strengthen the democratization of her country.

Mr. Kassarate is a Lieutenant in the National Gendarmerie and a Squadron Commander and Instructor at the Military Police Academy in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. As a Squadron Commander, Mr. Kassarate is involved in administrative management and the training and monitoring of new recruits. He instructs recruits on basic laws and law enforcement, as well as criminal investigation techniques. Mr. Kassarate received his Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Abidjan and went on to achieve additional degrees from the National Academy of Officers and the National Academy of the Gendarmerie of Porto Novo (Benin). As a Humphrey Fellow, Mr. Kassarate hopes to enhance his knowledge of human rights standards and use that knowledge to incorporate human rights trainings into his work in the Military Police Academy. More specifically, Mr. Kassarate is interested in increasing military awareness of human rights and creating a stable system of human rights practices in Côte d’Ivoire.

Mr. Rahim B. Khetran is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Educational & Environmental Development (SEED) in Balochistan that he established in 2006 in order to work for deprived and marginalized people of his province. His previous professional experience includes working as Provincial Research Lead with the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), Islamabad. He was also the Field Manager for the Institute for Public Opinion Research, a USAID funded project for the Political Party Development Program (PPDP) that helps political parties of Pakistan to attain democracy both inside and outside the party. He was a member of youth parliament of Pakistan from 2008-09, published several articles in journals, and authored a book about the nature and extent of disaster management in Balochistan. He earned a master’s of Philosophy and a master’s of Science in Anthropology from Quaid-i-Azam University and is currently pursuing a PhD in Anthropology from Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. During his fellowship year, Mr. Khetran will focus on analyzing best practices in public administration and different approaches to develop capacity and empower communities. Back in Pakistan, he wants to work with non-governmental organizations working with marginalized communities in Balochistan.

Mr. Alexey Khlebnikov most recently worked as a consultant for the Executive Office of the Russian President in Nizhni Novgorod. He was previously the assistant to the Foreign Languages Chair in the International Relations department at Nizhni Novgorod State University. He earned his master and bachelor degrees in International Relations from the Lobachevsky State University of Nizni Novgorod in Russia. His area of interest and research is Middle Eastern politics and great power policies towards this region. During his studies, Mr. Khlebnikov interned in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Consulate Department, and made several research stays and internships in the Middle East (Syria, Israel, Egypt). He is doing his PhD, which is focused on Egyptian and Syrian foreign policy.

Mr. Yoon-Taik Kim currently works at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, as a human rights officer that investigates discriminatory practices and complaints, and handles international
cooperation with foreign human rights institutions. Previous to this, he worked for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of Korea, formulating policies and programs to support (marriage) immigrant’s families' sustainable adaptation and inclusion in the community. During the fellowship year, he will focus on human rights issues related to immigrants, business, and pursue a master degree in public administration.

Ms. Kimani is the Regional Policy, Liaison and Reporting Officer at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya. Prior to that, Ms. Kimani worked as a Counter Trafficking Program Officer in the IOM offices in Kenya and Tanzania and was also instrumental in providing support to several initiatives in the region, notably in Uganda, Rwanda, and Somalia. Through her work at IOM, she has worked directly with victims and provided training and education about human trafficking to community members, government officials, journalists, civil society organizations, and foreign diplomats. In collaboration with other members of the National Task Force on Human Trafficking in Kenya, her role at IOM was instrumental in pushing for the enactment of the first comprehensive legislation addressing human trafficking. Ms. Kimani is a graduate of Kenyatta University with a Master’s in Education and is an alumni of the Refugee Service Centre in the Department of International Development, at the University of Oxford, England. During her Humphrey year, she hopes to expand her knowledge on the protection of victims and develop new tactics of combatting human trafficking by addressing demand factors.

Mr Sanjeev Kumar is a member of the Indian Administrative Service. He is currently posted as Additional Secretary (Budget) for the State Government of Gujarat, India. His key responsibility areas are budget preparation with a focus on sectoral allocation and setting strategic priorities of the State Government for comprehensive & inclusive development. Along   with, he manages the cash flows of the State Government, Market borrowings and ensuring fiscal stability of the State. During his 15 years career in public service, he has worked in different capacities as head of  district administration, implementation of developmental schemes, infrastructure projects, social welfare schemes, management of land revenue, natural resources, conduct of elections and as magisterial functions for maintenance of law & order. He earned his Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. During his fellowship year, Mr Kumar will pursue a Master of Public Affairs degree.

Ms. Sarah Kyei is the Program Manager of Alliance for African Women Initiative in Accra, Ghana. Her role is to manage several donor funded projects including the Kids Fund, Women in Oil Industry, Livelihoods Project for Women, Youth Development Project and Strengthening Community Care and Support for Orphan and Vulnerable Children (SCASO), working in close partnership with World Vision International with funding from United States Agency for International Development. She earned a Masters in Social Science in Public and Community Service from the University of East London, United Kingdom. Her past professional experience includes working with women’s organizations and in the future she would like to deepen her work by empowering young women through the creation of a vocational training model that leads to their employment and job creation. During her fellowship, she intends to combine academic courses on public policy formulation, gender and development, and experiential learning in fundraising, networking and visits a variety of vocational institutions.

Mr. Kanwar Sameer Lather is currently working as Director in the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India. He belongs to the Indian Defence Accounts Service and possesses a Graduate degree in Science from Delhi University in New Delhi, India. During his sixteen year long career in public service, he has handled assignments related to administration, accounting and financial management under the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India. He was part of the Indian contingent for a year-long assignment with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, Golan Heights. During his tenure with the Ministry of Culture, he has handled assignments related to commemoration of anniversaries of important personalities and events in India’s history, preservation and promotion of various art forms which constitute the intangible cultural heritage of India as also the administration and funding of various national level cultural organizations. During his fellowship year, Mr. Lather will pursue a Master of Public Affairs degree with focus on public policy formulation & analysis, and human resources management.

Mr. Nawarathne Marasinghe is a Senior State Counsel in the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka, as well as an attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. As a Senior Public Prosecutor, he is responsible for the prosecution of major crimes, such as all forms of child abuse, rape, murder, offences related to narcotics and dangerous drugs, and white collar crimes. He also provides legal advice to the State, mainly to the police and the Criminal Investigation Department of Sri Lanka. Mr. Marasinghe received his LL.B. and LL.M. degrees with concentrations on Human Rights from the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka. He has completed multiple human rights fellowships locally and abroad. He has published many articles on children’s rights, women’s rights, and general human rights topics, as well as presented papers at various national and international conferences related to law and human rights. As a Humphrey Fellow, Mr. Marasinghe hopes to learn effective practices for the prosecution of crimes against children. He then hopes to implement more effective and child-friendly protection mechanisms for child crime victims in the Sri Lankan justice system.

Ms. Suzana Miljevic currently works as an Adviser for the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism. She is responsible for drafting project flow, capacity building, human resources and strategic communications. Ms. Miljevic earned a master’s of Performance Management Systems in Economics from the University of Montenegro; a Certificate in Regional Policy from the University of Hiroshima, and a Certificate in Human Capabilities from the Institute of Applied Manpower Research in India. As a Humphrey Fellow, Ms. Miljevic will focus on strategic planning and organizational culture, strategic communication, project monitoring and evaluation. Back in Montenegro, her wish is to make a contribution by creating a new strategy for maximum output with minimum resources, improving policy, organizational structure and project management in public-private partnerships focusing on inclusive public policy dialogue.

Mr. Mfundo Mlilo is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), an amalgamation of residents’ associations in the capital city of Zimbawe, Harara. CHRA is a vocal and proactive association that holds elected city officials accountable for their actions. As the team leader and ex-officio member of the CHRA board, Mr. Mlilo designs and leads the implementation of the association advocacy strategy and conveys Harare residents’ demands. He earned a master’s of Public Policy and Governance from Africa University; a Social Accountability Certificate from Rhodes University, and a B.A. in Development Studies from the University of South Africa. During his fellowship year, Mr. Mlilo will focus on practices that address an inclusive public policy dialogue and promote partnership and public participation in decision-making. After completing the fellowship, he wants to plan and implement a summer and winter public policy training for civil society activists, in particular with the leadership of residents’ associations.

Mr. Nguyen is currently the National Project Coordinator for the Viet Nam Office of the United Nations Inter-agency Project on Counter Human Trafficking. He serves as the Secretariat to the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative on Human Trafficking (COMMIT), engages with various government ministries, UN agencies, NGOs, and other stake holders to implement counter trafficking interventions, and manages the counter-trafficking network. Prior to that, he served as a practitioner, designer, and activist in child safety, child protection, and children’s rights. Mr. Nguyen received his undergraduate degrees in English and Sociology from the Viet Nam National University. He then went on to obtain a Master’s in Social Administration from the School of Social Work and Social Policy, the University of Queensland in Australia. During his Humphrey year, Mr. Nguyen wishes to improve his leadership and management skills and to expand his knowledge of anti-trafficking efforts, including good practices to address labor trafficking and forced labor. Ultimately, he hopes to duplicate and expand these practices to end labor trafficking and forced labor in Viet Nam.

Mr. Pérez is currently a Police Officer with the National Police of Colombia. He is an adviser to the General Director of the Police, focusing on the management of the police information system. Mr. Pérez received a degree in business administration from EAN University, a degree in police management from National Police Academy "General Santander" in Bogotá, and a master’s in Management with specialization in organizations research from Université Pierre Mendès in Grenoble, France.  His main duties include designing strategic planning methodologies to monitor the performance of public safety policy, and guidelines for transparency and accountability for each one of the decentralized units in the country.  As a Humphrey Fellow, Mr. Pérez wants to reflect about best practices in his field in the U.S., compare them with those in his country, develop leadership skills to bring change in the implementation of strategies to anticipate crime occurrence using new emerging technologies, and strengthen relationships with U.S. institutions.  Upon his return to Colombia, Mr. Pérez purpose is to make an impact in higher education and research, in order to train new analysts inside the National Police and other public institutions.

Ms. Sabbagh is an attorney with the Levant Law Practice in Beirut, Lebanon. Her responsibilities include serving on the legal team that represents victims before the Special Tribunal of Lebanon and working on cases related to international arbitration and trade. Ms. Sabbagh graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Private Law from the University of Holy Spirit in Lebanon, and went on to receive her DEA in Public Law from the same institution. She is a member of the Beirut Bar Association and has organized numerous training sessions and workshops on topics such as human trafficking and cases of sexual and gender-based violence. As a Humphrey Fellow, Ms. Sabbagh hopes to gain an in-depth knowledge of international human rights law, international business transactions, drafting contracts, and mergers and acquisitions. Upon returning to Lebanon, she plans to establish legal clinics for refugees, migrant workers, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

Ms. Sitoula is a Program Coordinator at the Center for Legal Research and Resource Development, a national level NGO in Kathmandu, Nepal. Her responsibilities include providing capacity building training to human trafficking protection actors and encouraging stakeholders to adopt a victim-centered approach to trafficking cases. She conducts research on trafficking issues, trains organizational field staff and other concerned stakeholders, and supervises Trafficking in Person (TIP) cases. Ms. Sitoula received her LL.B in Jurisprudence and Human Rights Law from the Kathmandu School of Law and went on to receive a Master of Laws in Human Rights and Gender Justice from the same institution. She is an Executive Member of the Human Rights Committee of the Kathmandu District Court Bar Association. As a Humphrey Fellow, Ms. Sitoula hopes to explore best practices for combatting human trafficking with particular attention to the areas of advocacy, law enforcement, and prosecution, as well as strategies and mechanisms for victim and witness protection.

Ms. Sreedharan is currently a Program Officer on the Anti-Trafficking Team at the non-governmental organization, Tenaganita, in Selangor, Malaysia. Her primary area of work is managing a hotline for trafficked victims, rescuing victims who have been trafficked for sex work, domestic work, and the fishing industry, and facilitating legal aid for survivors of trafficking. Ms. Sreedharan received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Mass Communication from Upper Iowa University and then went on to obtain her Master’s degree in Criminology and Forensic Psychology from Middlesex University in London. She was selected to present a paper on Cultural Cleansing of the Baha’i Community in Iran at the International Critical Criminology Conference in 2009. As a Humphrey Fellow, Ms. Sreedharan hopes to design a multi-dimensional program to advocate for policy changes at the national and regional levels to prevent the trafficking of persons, as well as to protect the rights of those who have been trafficked.

Mr. Tariq is a member of Pakistan Administrative Service, the elite Group of Civil Service of Pakistan. Until recently, he was the Deputy Commissioner of Gilgit, where his main role was to implement policy decisions of the government and provide input for public policy making. In that capacity he supervised the work of all government departments including health, education, environment protection, women rights, physical infrastructure and police. Currently Mr. Tariq is working as Deputy Director in Health Sector Reforms Program of the Government of Punjab. He is responsible for introducing new health initiatives for improving health care system. Mr. Tariq graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Statistics from Government College University, Lahore. He holds a master’s in Business Administration from Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad. He believes the Humphrey fellowship will provide him with an opportunity to enhance his skills in the field of public administration with focus on decentralization and results based management; combining both professional development training and exposure to diverse U.S. organizations. This, he thinks, will be helpful in overcoming some of the socioeconomic problems currently faced by Pakistan.