Laila Ershad Gharzai is an MPP student at the Jackson School of Global Affairs, focused on using data and storytelling to shed light on global issues including technology policy and refugee rights. She aims to expand her knowledge in the human rights sector and explore the ethical implications of emerging technology, while sharpening her skills in strategic communications, data analytics, and policy research.

Laila previously worked on short-term research projects with organizations that include Mercy Corps and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, as well as government institutions like the Ministry of Economy in Afghanistan’s previous democratic administration. In her role as a communications officer at Refugee Action, she worked closely with refugees to campaign for fairer asylum policies in the UK, placing stories in media outlets and translating key issues in the sector to policymakers using a human-centered approach. Laila has commercial experience as a software engineer and, most recently, conducted independent research at UC Irvine’s Ethics Center, interviewing Afghans exiled in 2021 after the return of the Taliban.

Laila graduated with a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University. She is originally from Afghanistan and is a published fiction writer.