ISLAMABAD – Dr. Farhat Asif, a distinguished scholar, peace advocate, and President of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS), has added another feather to her cap with her appointment as the Regional Director for the United States Institute for Diplomacy and Human Rights (USIDHR) for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
Dr. Asif shared the news on her LinkedIn page a day ago, stating, “Honoured to share that I have been appointed as the Honorary Regional Director for the USIDHR for Islamabad Capital Territory.”
This latest appointment follows a series of high-profile achievements for Dr. Asif. In 2023, she made history as the first Pakistani woman to be selected for the prestigious 2023-2024 International Women’s Forum (IWF) Leadership Fellows class, a testament to her exceptional commitment to women’s leadership, diplomacy, and peacebuilding.
With a career spanning over 15 years in diplomacy, foreign policy, and diplomatic studies, Dr. Asif has also received the N-Peace Award in 2017 and the esteemed “Public Diplomat” Award from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Uzbekistan.
She holds a Ph.D. in Public Diplomacy from Quaid-I-Azam University and recently launched ‘Global Women Insight,’ a digital platform spotlighting the contributions of women globally.
Her role at USIDHR for Islamabad is expected to strengthen the institute’s mission in the region, focusing on human rights and diplomacy education.
The Law Today Pakistan has learnt that the USIDHR, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a top-rated, non-profit think tank recognized globally as “The Global Authority In Diplomacy And Human Rights Education.” The institute’s fundamental mission is to democratize education for all, empowering people across the globe—where it maintains a presence in over 135 countries and a network of 18,000+ consultants – with a deeper comprehension of human rights and diplomacy. It achieves this through a multi-pronged approach that includes offering professional certification courses in vital areas like human rights, human trafficking prevention, and disability rights; operating the humanitarian mission “EduforEveryChild” to provide underprivileged children with education resources; and leading empowerment initiatives such as ‘Let Her Lead’ to protect women and girls from gender-based violence and trafficking.
