Salma Alokozai worked as Director General of Macroeconomics & Fiscal Policy at the Ministry of Finance of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan prior to the country’s takeover by the Taliban. She pursued her master’s degree in Public Administration at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs and a certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Ohio University in the United States (2015-2017). Salma has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a certificate in Legal Studies from the American University of Afghanistan. She has worked with the Government of Afghanistan for 9 years. Her previous work experience in the Ministry of Finance was as Director of Aid Management, Director of National Priority Programs and Director of Public Investment Management.

Salma also worked as Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant at the Administrative Office of the President and as Advisor to the Minister of Education. Salma was honored with the Maiwand Malala Medal by the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for her work and efforts in the Ministry of Education. Besides, she is a fellow of Afghanistan Young Leaders Initiative by Asia Society, a board member of Chaarmaghz Mobile book library for Afghan children, and Chair of the board of Paiwand-e-Afghanan Association. Salma is an alumna of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and received a United Nations medal from the mentioned institution in 2011. She speaks fluent Pashtu, Dari, and English.

Summer Internship Experience

Office of the Chief Economist for Sub-Saharan Africa at the World Bank- Washington DC

Over the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to complete an internship with the office of the Chief Economist for Sub-Saharan Africa at the World Bank in Washington DC. As part of this internship, I was assigned to work on a research paper on the role of institutional deterioration and conflict on a downward shift in GDP of one-upon-a-time major economies in the African region. I am still working on this paper throughout this semester, and I hope that it will be published by the Bank. An experience as such not only exposed me to the working climate and organizational structure of a major development institute such as the World Bank but also encouraged me to apply the knowledge and skills, I learned in my first year at the Global Human Development Program.

Meanwhile, this internship expanded my knowledge and understanding of the political economy of Africa in general. My colleagues at the Bank were kind enough to provide a handful of data, reports, literature, and explanations by the Lead Economist about all possible contributors like climate change, resource abundance, and neighboring countries' trade policies to the negative growth of the GDP in some countries. In addition, I had the chance to meet new people and look for future job prospects. It gave me more clarity on the career choices I will have to make in the field of development.

Why GHD?

Because GHD upholds the values and teaches skills ideal in an Economic Development Program. GHD is like a family that genuinely cares about how it trains and sends out its children to the world for a positive change.