Aarya Nijat leads CIPE’s programs in South Asia. In this role, she oversees the overall program design, partnership development and program management throughout the region, with a thematic focus on democratic governance, enterprise eco systems, anti-corruption and business advocacy. Nijat’s portfolio includes projects that are mostly implemented through partnering with business associations, civil society organizations and think tanks. These projects aim to diagnose and implement homegrown, private sector solutions to local challenges, and to strengthen the role of the private sector and non-governmental organizations in constructive policy reform in South Asia.
Nijat is a skilled international development professional with two decades of experience in developing national policies and conceiving, implementing, and monitoring programs in South Asia. Previously, Nijat was the Executive Director for the University of California San Diego, where she provided technical assistance to financial digitization reform in the civil service sector. Nijat is a published policy author on governance and women’s leadership and has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, a Master’s degree in International Relations from Quaid-i-Azam University and double bachelors in Law and Political Science from Punjab University.