International Fellows Alumni

Mr. Balato is a Senior Immigration Officer at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration. He formerly served as Chief of the Port Operations Division of the Bureau of Immigration. In that role Mr. Balato supervised the operations of all international air and seaports, as well as border crossings in the country. Mr. Balato has expertise in the detection and prevention of human smuggling and trafficking. He has completed a number of specialized training programs related to that topic, including “Impostor Detection and Facial Image Analysis,” from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship in Canberra and Sydney, Australia in 2009. He obtained his Immigration Management Service certificate from the South Korean Ministry of Justice in 2012. He also finished Interpol’s Capacity Building Program for Counter Terrorism in Asia conducted by the Interpol Integrated Border Management Task Force in Manila, Philippines in 2013. Also in 2013 Mr. Balato was part of an international panel of experts that was consulted in the formulation and drafting of an Issue Paper entitled “Corruption and Smuggling of Migrants” published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria. He was a member of the Philippine team to the ASEAN Experts Working Group that drafted the recently adopted ASEAN Convention on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Mr. Balato is currently a member of the Philippine delegation to the ASEAN Experts Working Group crafting the ASEAN Agreement on Cross Border Transport of Passengers and served as one of a group of experts that drafted the Philippines migrant smuggling bill for deliberation by Congress. For his outstanding performance in international law enforcement cooperation he has received awards and commendations from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Canada Border Services Agency and South Korea Ministry of Justice, among others.  

Mr. Balato holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences from the University of the Philippines, a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Santo Tomas, and a Master in Public Management from Ateneo de Manila University.

Mr. Cuadrado is a social science professional from Ecuador. He has studied social management and development in Ecuador and Spain, as well as democracy in Sweden. For the past eight years Mr. Cuadrado has worked as a teacher and a consultant for Esquel Foundation, an NGO dedicated to sustainable human development.  He has designed and written at least 200 project proposals which have brought in $3 million in international funding to a development area in Ecuador. Mr. Cuadrado has also collaborated on programs looking to strengthen civil society and education. He has a deep interest in human rights promotion, specifically relating to LGBTI, women and youth. Mr. Cuadrado hopes his experience at the Humphrey School will provide him tools, knowledge and good practices to develop better advocacy campaigns, as well as projects for the promotion of human rights in Ecuador.

Mr. Mmeli Dube is a human rights activist with over eight years of experience in organizing rural and urban communities, advocacy and training, project management, public policy analysis, civic education, research and leading nonprofit organizations. Over the course of his career he has led and participated in initiatives that have been instrumental to the increase in youth participation in public life in Zimbabwe, particularly in the areas of local governance elections, constitution making process and campaigns for enhancing accountability among public leaders. Between 2007 and 2013, he contributed to a successful campaign for constitutional reform and inclusion of a provision for devolved governance in Zimbabwe. Mr. Dube has helped lead the formation and strengthening of different nonprofit associations that have amplified the voices of citizens in demanding quality social services and accountability and inclusion in decision making. He is currently a consultant with the Public Policy Research Institute of Zimbabwe.  Mr. Dube holds a Master of Science in development studies from National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe. Upon completing his Fellowship, he intends to continue his human rights advocacy work in Zimbabwe.

Ms. Gál is an anti-trafficking Desk Officer at the Department of European Cooperation in the Hungarian Ministry of Interior. She works in close cooperation with national and international authorities and institutions and non-governmental organizations involved in the fight against human trafficking. As a working group leader from 2013 to 2016, Ms. Gál was responsible for the development of the Hungarian National Strategy against Trafficking in Human Beings. She has served as a contact person for the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Ms. Gál also served as a project manager for the coordination and implementation of an EU-funded anti-trafficking project in cooperation with the Netherlands and Belgium, which aimed to develop a transnational referral mechanism for the victims of trafficking in human beings (http://www.ravot-eur.eu/en/).

Ms. Gál holds a Bachelor degree in international studies and Master degree in translation and interpretation in English and German from the University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary. She is a recipient of the Hungarian Public Administration Scholarship Program.

Mr. Gyi has over 10 years of experience in development to promote democratic reform and social economic growth by integrating aid activities strategically into the larger development and policy plans of Myanmar.  He currently serves as Field Director for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the Rakhine and Southern Chin provinces. Mr. Gyi’s role at IRC includes providing oversight on programming and strategic planning, human resources and security operations, and liaising with government agencies, nongovernment and community-based organizations, and other development and relief actors in the area.  Mr. Gyi holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Public Administration from Yangon University. As a Humphrey Fellow Mr. Gyi plans to focus on policy and management of public programs to learn how partnerships with diverse actors have led to positive results. He looks forward to exchanging experiences with U.S. government and nonprofit agencies.

Ms. Hussein is a former Program Manager at Welfare Association, a leading Palestinian non-governmental development organization that strives to make a distinguished contribution toward furthering the progress of Palestinians, preserving their heritage and identity, supporting their living culture and building civil society.  Prior to working with Welfare Association Ms. Hussein worked as a Program Manager with Palestine Education for Employment Foundation (PEFE), a nonprofit organization. At PEFE, she oversaw the fundraising, design, implementation and evaluation of youth programming.  She was recently nominated for the Michigan Professional Fellows Impact Award for her volunteer work creating Career Centers at universities in Ramallah. In addition to this she has mentored youth in her community, spoken on issues related to youth employment and continues to help young people gain the tools necessary to reach their goals.  Ms. Hussein holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Birzeit University in the West Bank and a Master of Science degree in international development from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.  During her Humphrey Fellowship year, she intends to expand her knowledge of advocacy, economic development and strategic management and governance of nonprofits.

Mr. Omer Khan is a civil servant from Pakistan with more than seven years of experience in policy development, disaster risk management, development and governance reforms, donor relations, communications and capacity building. He has in-depth knowledge and experience at the federal and provincial levels, working in crisis-affected areas and situations. Mr. Khan is passionate about strengthening Pakistan’s image internally and externally through his involvement in large-scale and grassroots development projects. He also has a keen interest in sustainable development and governance reform. Currently he is posted to the Federal Ministry of Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage, where he is responsible for the training of civil servants in public relations and media management.

Mr. Khan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history and a Master of Arts degree in English literature and linguistics. He considers the Fellowship as an opportunity to learn and experience the best international theory and practice in the domain of public policy. Through courses at the University of Minnesota and the applied portion of the Fellowship, he hopes to enhance his understanding and appreciation of this important aspect of governance.

Ms. Li is currently the Program and Operations Manager in the Beijing office of The Global Network for Public Interest Law (PILnet). She is responsible for organizing and implementing PILnet’s projects, including an annual domestic and international fellowship program, capacity-building training for grassroots NGOs, and conferences and workshops for public interest and commercial lawyers, legal NGO workers, law professors and students.  Ms. Li also helps promote pro bono work in China and helps organize the PILnet Asia and European Pro Bono Forum. She is PILnet’s primary liaison with government and top private sector donors, 10 peer INGOs and 50 local project partners.

Ms. Li earned her Bachelor of Arts in economics from Hebei University; she then studied sociology at Peking University and received a Master of Laws degree. She visited the United States previously as an exchange fellow for the National Committee on US-China Relations.

Ms. Lukudu is an Operations Analyst for the World Bank in South Sudan. Her responsibilities include co-leading a three-year World Bank strategy for South Sudan and spearheading a “Lessons Learning Review” analysis of the World Bank’s work in the country. Prior to that she worked with various institutions including the United Nations Development Fund, Academy for Educational Development (AED) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Ms. Lukudu worked in development, humanitarian and emergency operations and support programs/projects in various parts of South Sudan. Her major achievements include implementing a successful public administration system at the state level with AED and spearheading the successful implementation, evaluation and closure of the largest humanitarian donor fund in South Sudan, the Multi-Donor Trust Fund. Christine earned her Master of Business Administration from the University of Central Lancashire (United Kingdom) and a Bachelor of Science in information technology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Kenya). During her Humphrey Fellowship she will focus on public policy analysis to advance development in South Sudan.

Mr. Mukhtar is the Superintendent of Police (Operations) at Capital City Police in Lahore, Pakistan. He previously served as the police detective responsible for supervising and coordinating the investigation of criminal cases and ensuring that procedures were conducted in accordance with laws and regulations. Mr. Mukhtar has extensive experience with the policing of areas targeted by militant groups, having been previously posted to the most fragile and volatile region of Pakistan. Over the course of his career he has been involved in initiatives promoting community policing, establishment of women complaint centers, employment of modern investigation techniques and the setup of mobile forensics labs.  Mr. Mukhtar holds a Bachelor degree in computer science, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Upon completion of his Humphrey Fellowship he hopes to be better equipped with new skills, theoretical understanding and relevant practical experience to improve security and the rule of law in Pakistan.

Ms. Odinaeva is a Project Assistant for the International Organization for Migration in Tajikistan. Her responsibilities include implementing counter human trafficking programs, coordinating activities with ministries and other local actors, maintaining contracts, reporting, monitoring and evaluation. Ms. Odinaeva has spent the last decade improving interagency communication regarding human trafficking cases and incorporating civil society in the process to combat trafficking in the most challenging regions in Tajikistan.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) University in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and a Master of Business Administration from Bahodur Institute of Management Sciences in India. During her Fellowship year, Ms. Odinaeva will focus on U.S. officials’ responses to human trafficking, improved methods of identification, victims’ referral and psychosocial assistance to human trafficking victims. In the long-term Ms. Odinaeva intends to facilitate conduction of campaigns in rural areas to raise awareness about human trafficking and to guarantee the safety of witnesses and victims during the investigation and prosecution process. She also wants to improve the collection of data to better inform policies that seek to protect victims.

Ms. Ofori-Amanfo is an activist with a passion to educate women and girls on their legal rights. She joined the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in May 2009 and now serves as Assistant Registrar in voluntary services. In 2012 she worked as a temporary voluntary employee for the Waddow Hall Girl Guiding Centre in Clitheroe, United Kingdom. Ms. Ofori-Amanfo has also worked as a part-time tutor at the Wesleyan Center for Continuing Education under Methodist University College, Ghana, where most of her students were young single mothers. She has dedicated her career to advocating for socioeconomic advancement and the rights of girls and women.  Ms. Ofori-Amanfo holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. As a Humphrey Fellow, she plans to focus on gender mainstreaming in development, and more effective enforcement of women’s human rights.

Ms. Tillat formerly worked for the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) Post Crisis Need Assessment (PCNA) as a social sector specialist. Her position involved designing and implementing policy and governance reform initiatives for the Planning and Development Department FATA, to provide a platform for improved public administration. Ms. Tillat was the recipient of an Australian Development Scholarship for a Master in Development Studies from Melbourne University, Australia (2011-2012) and holds a Master degree in psychology. Her work experience with donors like the World Bank, USAID, European Union and UNICEF; government departments such as the FATA Secretariat, educational institutions like Melbourne University and Institute of Management Sciences; and INGOs like International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and Oxfam Australia spans over 10 years. During her Fellowship year she intends to learn skills in policy analyses and implementation in the United States.

Ms. Turza is a leading advocate for disability rights in Romania, with more than 10 years of experience in strategic communication, human rights, advocacy, strategic litigation and project management. She currently serves as the president of the European Centre for the Rights of Children with Disabilities (www.cedcd.ro), a nongovernmental organization based in Romania. Ms. Turza has wide experience managing national advocacy projects, a proven ability to foster grassroots support for public policy reforms, and has served as a spokeswoman for disability rights in the media. She is the author of the first national academic research on the special education system in Romania, Isolated Among Us (2015), and has written several academic articles on the right to inclusive education of children with disabilities.

Ms. Turza has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science (English curriculum) from the University of Bucharest, Romania, and a Master of Laws in international humanitarian law, as well as several post-university specialty training courses in disability law, European anti-discrimination law and communication.

Ms. Volcheska is a Senior Inspector at the Directorate of Personal Data Protection in the Republic of Macedonia. In this position she serves as a legal expert and consultant to state institutions and private companies, performing audits and making recommendations to ensure compliance with privacy regulations. Ms. Volcheska has conducted research into the right to privacy and data protection in the EU, completing a comparative study between the EU’s standards and regulations and Macedonia’s. She holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje and has completed her studies in Euro-integration. During her time as a Humphrey Fellow Ms. Volcheska would like to explore policy issues related to human rights with a special focus on privacy and personal data protection.

Ms. Zangmo is Deputy Chief Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Officer working with the Government to Citizen Office under the Cabinet Secretariat in Bhutan and is involved with improving public service delivery initiatives. She is driven by her professional interest in project management, having worked with IT projects related to democratic governance.  Ms. Zangmo holds a Bachelor of Science and Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology, India and a Master of Health Informatics from the University of Wollongong in Australia. Upon her return to Bhutan she plans to address current shortfalls in the country’s public service delivery system, such as setting standards for all public services, designing policies and strategies to strengthen ICT governance models, compliance indicators and regulations.

Mr. Agrawal is Director/Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Telecom Communication Government of India, and has over 15 years of experience in public administration. He began his career as a mechanical engineer in the private sector; however, he wanted to make a difference in society which motivated him to quit his corporate job and joined the Indian Civil Service in 2000. As the Director/Deputy Secretary of Telecom, he has facilitated approval of the national telecommunications policy, which offers now affordable telecommunication services across the country. He also oversees the implementation of e-governance projects, resource mobilization, framing of legislation and regulations and financial management for the Ministry. During his study at the Humphrey School, he plans to enhance his knowledge of policy analyses and public administration.

Mr. Ahmad is the Chief of the Peshawar City Police. As the administrative head of the police department, he manages over 10,000 officers and staff. His work fo­cuses on counter-terrorism, planning and implementing development and welfare programs, and ensuring ob­servance of human rights standards in police work. Mr. Ahmad holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Politi­cal Science from Islamia College, a Master’s in English Literature from the University of Peshawar, and an LL.M. in Human Rights Law from the University of Warwick. During his Humphrey Fellowship, he plans to focus on law and human rights, specifically on the processes by which U.S. police de­partments seek to protect human rights.

Mr. Aluiz served as Deputy Director at the Ministry of the Economy and Finance. He was responsible for monitoring the operational policies of the General Treasury of the Kingdom of Morocco, with four divisions under him which included controlling and executing public spending, collecting local taxes, managing local authorities' finance, supervising the Treasury's banking operations. Mr. Aluiz has initiated and completed many major and highly challenging projects, which have led to in-depth modernization and significant improvement of Morocco’s General Treasury. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the National School of Mines in Rabat and a Masters of Public Administration from The National school of Administration (ENA) in Paris.

Mr. Arthur is a Police Inspector with the Trinidad and To­bago National Police Service. As a member of the Criti­cal Thinking and Organizational Development Team, he worked to formulate and implement a triennial Strategic Plan for the Police Service. Mr. Arthur received his As­sociate’s degree from Cipriani College of Labour Stud­ies, his Master of Science in Human Resource Man­agement from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, and his Master of Science in Criminal Justice Policy from the London School of Economics and Politi­cal Science. As a Humphrey Fellow, Mr. Arthur plans to focus on anti-trafficking program management and policy. He looks forward to exchanging experiences with U.S. law enforcement officials.