Mr. Shakirov has been a public servant in the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Tatarstan since 2005. He holds a diploma in law from Kazan State University and holds a certificate in human rights from the St. Petersburg branch of the State University—High School of Economics. Mr. Shakirov would like to seek partnerships with non-governmental organizations and governmental and law enforcement agencies working in combating human trafficking. He has worked with numerous regional NGOs providing support for victims of trafficking as well as training and establishing a regional network to combat tracking of persons from the Republic of Tatarstan. During his fellowship year, Mr. Shakirov will research the theme of effective law enforcement and prosecution of perpetrators of human trafficking, as well as support services for trafficked victims in the United States.