We caught up with Khadeeja Hamid, who completed her Master of Development Practice (MDP) degree in December 2020.
Tell us about your background.
I am from the island state of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. My experiences living, working, and studying in four vastly different countries (the United States, India, China, and the Maldives), musing over the similarities that I was seeing everywhere in terms of the human condition and aspiration and the many pathways for achieving those aspirations, shaped my motivation to join the Humphrey School and continue to shape my journey as a student and a professional.
What have you been doing since graduation?
I am currently working for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Maldives Accelerator Lab as its Head of Solutions Mapping. I started in this position last September while I was still a student in the MDP program. I was in Minnesota and working remotely for UNDP Maldives while still taking classes. I returned home in January 2021, and still continue to work for UNDP.
What are your longer-term goals?
I see really exciting conversations and work happening in the development space about the need to rethink and reimagine development. This implies a reimagining of what it means to live a good life, and reconfiguring how we organize ourselves as markets, communities, and beyond to better serve everyone and the planet. I’m not sure where exactly I will be in a year’s time and what I’ll be doing, but I see this being central to whatever I do – as an individual, a student and a professional.
Why did you choose to attend the Humphrey School?
I guess I actually chose the MDP. The Humphrey School is not the only school that offers the MDP. I came to really understand and appreciate the value of completing my MDP at the Humphrey, only after I came here. Engaging in a multidisciplinary development program while being nested in one of the top 10 policy schools in the country affords you an amazing opportunity to gather knowledge, build skills, and establish lasting connections. The MDP at the Humphrey School helps you to build yourself up, not only as a doer but also a thought leader who is able to speak across disciplines and connect actions on the ground to policy and vice versa.
What were your best experiences from your time at the Humphrey School?
Some of my best experiences were doing an extensive independent study with David Wilsey and Aparna Katre exploring the water, energy, and food nexus; a class that I took with Professor Greta Friedemann-Sánchez on gender and sustainability (all of us who were in the class still keep in touch); and adventures and summer hikes with the MDP cohort of 2021.
