A Fulbright Exchange Program
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
This Year's Fellows
Twelve Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows are spending ten months at the Maxwell School participating in graduate study, professional development and cultural exchange.
The 2025-2026 cohort hails from Armenia, Brazil, Ghana, Kosovo, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Republic of Türkiye, Senegal, South Africa, Uruguay and Uzbekistan
The fellows’ diverse professional experience and academic interests include digital transformation, AI policy, NGO management, public sector innovation, local governance, conflict and collaboration, sustainable development, security studies and data-driven decision-making, among other areas.
Javed Ahmed Daniyal
Javed Ahmed Daniyal is the superintendent of police, police service of Pakistan. He has led the training of two assistant superintendents of police batches and has also commanded divisional and sub-divisional jurisdictions in Punjab and KPK. As a Humphrey Fellow, his areas of interest include policy, governance and management. Upon completion of his fellowship, Daniyal’s goal is to continue serving in the police force. He earned a master of public policy from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.
Syuzanna Avetisyan
Syuzanna Avetisyan is a member of the Political Council of the “Country to Live” party and an elected member of the City Council of Elders in Jermuk, where she plays a key role in shaping local policy, advancing democratic reforms and promoting citizen-centered governance. Syuzanna leads and supports initiatives that foster transparency, accountability and inclusive decision-making, with a strong focus on youth and women’s participation. As a Humphrey Fellow, she aims to deepen her expertise in public policy and local governance reform to become a more effective leader in promoting democratic participation and transparent, accountable institutions. After completing her fellowship, Syuzanna hopes to leverage the knowledge and leadership skills gained to advance democratic governance and participatory decision-making in Armenia. She earned a master of public administration and local self-government and a bachelor’s in pedagogy.
Paula Adelaide Barnard
Paula Adelaide Barnard is CEO of SocialCauses Foundation NPC, where she developed NPGO—a digital marketplace connecting NGOs to resources and enabling donors to manage grant applications and measure their social impact investments. As a Humphrey Fellow, Paula aims to expand her expertise in technology and policy management, focusing on AI, cybersecurity and big data governance. After her fellowship, she plans to launch an AI-powered data platform supporting NPO performance assessment, organizational quality and learning. Her professional focus includes strategic leadership, organizational transformation, NPO governance, digital innovation, financial turnaround, public-private partnership building, risk management and compliance, social entrepreneurship, and women’s leadership. Paula holds an MBA in strategy and innovation, and a bachelor’s in botany and zoology from Northwest University, South Africa.
Muhammad Suleman Khan
Muhammad Suleman Khan is deputy secretary, Ministry of Commerce, where he has contributed to shaping the National Tariff Policy (NTP) 2025-30 of Pakistan, helped develop synergies on bilateral trade with Bangladesh while remaining posted as trade and investment officer (TIO) in Pakistan High Commission Dhaka and was the focal person from Pakistan on its Trade Policy Review (TPR) in WTO, Geneva 2015. As a Humphrey Fellow, Suleman is interested in public policy and administration in order to contribute to integration of Pakistan's economy with the Global Value Chains through sustainable and inclusive economic growth by using the right set of policy tools post-fellowship. He earned an LL.M. in international trade law at University of Sussex, UK; and a master’s in economics, University of Peshawar, Pakistan.
Gündem Kont
Gündem Kont is international trade manager at İzmir Chamber of Commerce and part-time lecturer at İzmir University of Economics. In these positions she leads technology-driven projects to enhance the international competitiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), designs and implements digital transformation initiative of export-oriented businesses and teaches courses on international trade. As a Humphrey Fellow, Gündem is focused on technology policy and management to better understand regulatory frameworks and strategic approaches to support digital transformation, explore emerging tools and systems that drive innovation, investigate AI applications in business, and SME digitalization. Upon competition of her fellowship, Gündem aims to support SME technological advancement in adopting appropriate technologies and bridging the gap between academic research and industry. She earned a bachelor of science in food engineering from the University of the Gaziantep, Republic of Türkiye.
Yuni Lee
Yuni Lee is deputy director and policy director, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Republic of Korea, where she successfully leads policy development to promote AI integration in Korea’s content industry, increasing the national content budget by 18% in 2024. As a Humphrey Fellow, her areas of interest include AI-based content industry development, policymaking for the creative economy, and global approaches to copyright and digital governance. After completing her fellowship, her primary goal is to develop and implement national policies that promote the content industry’s growth through AI innovation, while ensuring fair labor conditions, copyright protection and international cooperation. Yuni earned a B.S. in atmospheric sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul.
Bruno Martinello Lima
Bruno Martinello Lima was most recently secretary of external control of public accounts of Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts. In this role, he was responsible for leading the control strategy and supervising the audit units that cover the Brazilian federal government’s fiscal policy and tax administration, social security, welfare benefits, public banks and financial audits. He is interested in developing leadership skills and deepening his knowledge of policy and infrastructure regulation, including cost-benefit analysis, financial feasibility and transparency. After the fellowship, Bruno hopes to contribute to Brazil’s socioeconomic development by improving the governance of infrastructure investment selection and prioritization, enhancing regulation in the transport sector, and increasing the efficiency of logistics in the country. He earned a postgraduate specialization in government auditing, Gama Filho University, Rio de Janeiro; and a bachelor’s in communication network engineering, University of Brasilia.
Oyatillo Nuraliyev
Oyatillo Nuraliyev is chief inspector at the Department of Analysis, HR Policies and Strategies of the Agency for the Development of Public Service under the presidential administration. In this role, he focuses on improving HR policies and practices within government organizations, recently drafting the Public Civil Service Development Strategy until 2030, defining its strategic objectives, priorities and implementation mechanisms. As a Humphrey Fellow, Oyatillo is interested in the design and implementation of public civil service systems and seeks to explore how advanced data tools and cross-sector collaboration can improve decision-making and long-term planning. On return to Uzbekistan, he aims to advance strategic reforms in the public civil service system. He earned an MPA from the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and an MBA at Lincoln University College in Malaysia.
Meliza Qorraj
Meliza Qorraj is head of Division for International Agreements and Treaties, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora where she leads the coordination, negotiation and legal review of international agreements and treaties to ensure compliance with national legislation and international standards. Prior to this, Meliza worked as head of Division for International Agreements the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Meliza is interested in security, diplomacy, migration policy and governance, international law and treaty negotiations, and rule of law and human rights. Her primary goal after completing her fellowship is to apply the advanced knowledge, comparative insights and international networks gained through the program to strengthen Kosovo’s legal and institutional frameworks in the areas of security and international cooperation. Meliza aims to lead evidence-based legal reforms that align national policies with international standards, enhance institutional accountability, and promote Kosovo’s integration into global and European structures. She earned a master of laws (LL.M.) in public international law from Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; and a bachelor of laws from University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo.
Maria Jose Santos Russi
Maria Jose Santos Russi currently serves as director of the Large Taxpayer Division at the Uruguayan Tax Administration. In this capacity, she has led, implemented and evaluated key initiatives related to tax collection, while holding various roles focused on taxpayer investigations and the adoption of international standards. She also represents Uruguay as a delegate to the OECD’s Working Party 6, which addresses the taxation of multinational enterprises, ensuring alignment with global tax principles and tackling challenges in the international economy. Before joining the tax administration, Maria was director of tax and legal services at PwC Uruguay, where she advised clients on complex tax matters and regulatory compliance. As a Humphrey Fellow, Maria aims to deepen her understanding of the policymaking process and examine how policy decisions affect individuals and communities worldwide. Her research interests include dispute resolution, collaborative governance, and international cooperation and conflicts. Upon returning to Uruguay, she intends to advance a more inclusive and collaborative international tax framework; strengthen partnerships among governments, businesses and civil society; and promote effective models of good governance. Maria holds a master’s degree in tax law and a postgraduate degree in international taxation from the University of Montevideo. She is a certified accountant with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Universidad de la República (UDELAR) in Uruguay.
Mohammed Tijani
Mohammed Tijani is currently information technology officer and cyber security team lead for Ghana Armed Forces. Among his responsibilities are leading cybersecurity implementation and policy reviews, conducting cybersecurity education and training, managing information technology initiatives and projects, and providing military leadership and national security operations. As a Humphrey Fellow, Tijani is focusing on IT policy and management, cybersecurity governance, AI, data analytics and digital transformation. His goal after his fellowship is to support Ghana's government digitalization efforts, advance Ghana Armed Forces cybersecurity infrastructure and cyber resilience capabilities, expand community-based STEM programs for youth, and contribute to national IT and cybersecurity policy implementation based on global best practices. Tijani earned a postgraduate diploma in security and security studies, Ghana Institute of Management and Professional Studies; an MBA in management information systems, University of Ghana; and a B.S. in computer science at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Ramatoulaye Touré
Ramatoulaye Touré is gender mainstreaming division lead where she, as a junior specialist in gender and development, has five years of experience in public policy, international cooperation and inclusive project management. As a Humphrey Fellow, she wishes to expand her expertise in public policy, sustainable development, digital technologies/transformation and diplomacy. Upon return to Senegal, Ramatoulaye’s goals include contributing to transformative development initiatives in her country. She earned a master’s in international studies at Ewha Women's University, South Korea; and a bachelor of arts in English language and literature at Ibn Zohr University, Morocco.
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