Nishat will lead the organisation’s girls’ education efforts in the country.
Malala Fund is excited to welcome Nishat Riaz Khan as Chief Executive in Pakistan to lead its work to strengthen girls’ right to secondary education and increase resources for education systems in the country. The new role will serve as part of the organisation’s executive leadership team.
Prior to joining Malala Fund, Nishat served as the Global Head of Higher Education and Internationalisation at the British Council, overseeing a budget of £20 million to support partnerships between universities in more than 100 countries. She was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) honour in 2017 in recognition of her services to U.K.-Pakistan cultural relations and education, and recognised as a Premier Chevening Scholar from Pakistan in 2003.
“Welcoming Nishat to the team is an exciting new chapter for our efforts in Pakistan,” says Lena Alfi, Chief Executive Officer at Malala Fund. “She brings deep knowledge about education systems and increasing accessibility for so many students, and her lifetime of experience in Pakistan will be critical to advancing girls’ access to 12 years of education.”
Since 2013, Malala Fund has invested more than $14.6 million in education advocates and civil society organisations in Pakistan working to ensure girls can attend and complete 12 years of school. Alongside its grantee partners, Malala Fund Pakistan has advocated for quality education, improved school infrastructure in rural regions and wider digital inclusion for learning. Nishat will build on this impactful work by deepening the country team’s advocacy, overseeing grantmaking and developing strong relationships with partners and policymakers.
“The ability to access education changes lives. That is something that has driven me throughout my professional life,” says Nishat. “There is still so much work to be done around girls’ education in Pakistan. I am thrilled to be leading this effort through Malala Fund and working alongside our dynamic partners in the country to advance this goal.”
