Summary

Ms. Sahar Gul is Director Benazir Bhutto (SMBB) Chair, a research and development think tank at University of Karachi, Sindh. She is twice Masters (in Philosophy from Pakistan, & Anthropology of Development from the UK) with 18-year long experience of working as an academician, researcher relief/aid worker and development consultant. Her academic, intellectual and research interests encompass a wide range of areas including pure Literature, Philosophy, Anthropology, Gender, Political Feminism, Islam, Radical Religious Politics in South Asia and Cosmopolitan Nationalism in Post-Colonial Societies—the latter is her PhD research.

Besides teaching at two universities and several institutions of Pakistan, she has experience of working as social development consultant and Evaluator with reputed national/international relief/social development organization including Oxfam GB, Terre Des Hommes, Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), Concern Worldwide, ActionAid Pakistan, Plan International, World Vision, Save the Children, and World-Wide Fund, etc. She has also worked in conflict-affected areas of Pakistan—conducted a number research studies on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

She has hosted many talk shows for television. Besides that, she has written a novel on Buddhism and its Philosophy. She also has completed a dialogue on Greek Philosophy, both books are under process of printing. Apart from English, she knows six Eastern languages including Arabic and Persian.

Projects

Gender Advisor, USAID-CHEMONICs

Experience

Company Logo
Director (Head of the Institution)
Benazir Bhutto Chair, Karachi University, Karachi, Sindh.
Jun 2015 - Present | Karachi, Pakistan

Description of Duties
Benazir Bhutto (SMBB) Chair, University of Karachi is an academic, research/ think tank that promotes the vision and mission of SMBB vis-à-vis Democracy, Regional Peace/Policy and Reconciliation. Initiated three Program:
I. “Gender Empowerment & Justice (GEJ)
II. “Prospects of the New Social Contract in Pakistan (PNSCP)”,
III. “Envisaging Universal Reconciliation among States (EURaS)”

Company Logo
Consultant (Gender Advisor)
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Mar 2015 - Apr 2015 | Karachi, Pakistan

RECENT PAST WORK
Gender Advisor, USAID-CHEMONICs joint study: Need Assessment of Northern Sindh with the lens of GBV and Extremism- March-April 2015

Company Logo
National Consultant: Mid-Term Review-
Pakistan’s Child-Centred Disaster Risk Management (CCDRM)
Feb 2013 - Mar 2013 | Islamabad, Pakistan

National Consultant: Mid-Term Review- (Feb-Mar 2013) Pan Pakistan’s Child-Centred Disaster Risk Management (CCDRM) programme, implemented in South Punjab and Southern Sindh.
Job Responsibility: Conducting review and Writing Report jointly with the team

Company Logo
Lead Researcher
Centre for Peace and Civil Society, and Regional Academy for Research and Renaissance (RARe)
Sep 2012 - Dec 2012 | Hyderabad, Pakistan

Lead Researcher: “Transsexuals and mainstream society, Centre for Peace and Civil Society, and Regional Academy for Research and Renaissance (RARe) Sep-Dec 2012
Jointly Funded by: National Endowment for Democracy and Local Philanthropists
Project Title “Benazir Bhutto Democracy Fellowship Program” for young researchers, Hyderabad, Pakistan.
Job Responsibility: Supervising Research

Company Logo
Gender Specialist Sindh
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)- MSI Joint Initiative
Jun 2012 - Aug 2012 | Karachi, Pakistan

Gender Specialist Sindh- Management Systems International (MSI-it’s a subsidiary of Coffey International LTD.) Project, Funded by the USAID- June- August 2012
Project Title: Pakistan Extended Regional Stabilization Initiative (PERSI) A Gender Analysis.
Job Responsibility: Gender Specialist Sindh (in and independent monitoring and evaluation project, in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, South Punjab, Northern Sindh and Karachi in Southern Sindh Pakistan)

Company Logo
National Consultant: Evaluation
Disaster Emergency Committee- DEC- in Sindh
Jun 2012 - Jun 2012 | Islamabad, Pakistan

National Consultant: Evaluation of DEC-funded in Sindh (June 10 to 20, 2012)
Evaluation of relief organizations funded by DEC in DRR Project.
Job Responsibility: Field Visit in Sindh, Pakistan; conduct evaluation & Writing Report jointly with the team

Company Logo
National Consultant: Mid-Term Review
Terre Des Hommes (TDH)
Apr 2012 - May 2012 | Karachi, Pakistan

National Consultant: Mid-Term Review of Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) Terre Des Hommes (TDH) (April-May 2012)
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Writing Report

Company Logo
International Consultant: End of Project Evaluation
ACT Alliance
Feb 2012 - Mar 2012 | Islamabad, Pakistan

International Consultant: End of Project Evaluation ACT Alliance (Feb-March 2012)
Evaluation of in DRR Projects implemented in North of Pakistan and Sindh
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits Sindh; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); Writing Report

Company Logo
National Consultant: End of Project Evaluation
Action Aid Pakistan
Dec 2011 - Jan 2012 | Islamabad, Pakistan

National Consultant: End of Project Evaluation Action Aid Pakistan (Dec 2011)
Project Title: --“ActionAid Pakistan’s Evaluation of Emergency Response Programme”
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits Sindh,South Punjab); Writing Report

Company Logo
National Research Coordinator
National Commission on the Status of Women
Jan 2009 - Dec 2011 | Islamabad, Pakistan

National Research Coordinator (Full-time): National Commission on the Status of Women 2009-2010 (Funded by the Asia Foundation (TAF)
Project title: (It was a program and I was heading research department)
Job Responsibility:
National Program Management (Research); Designing, implementing and monitoring research projects at national level; Developing case studies (on health of women and children especially) and Report Writing

Company Logo
National Consultant: End of Project Evaluation
SRHR-Oxfam Novib
Sep 2011 - Nov 2011 | Islamabad, Pakistan

National Consultant: End of Project Evaluation SRHR-Oxfam Novib (hired by Dr Jennifer Bennet) Sep-Nov 2011
Project: “Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for Adolescents (SRHR): Innovation to incorporate into Rural Development Programme” in Punjab and Sindh, Pakistan
Job Responsibility: Field visits to Ghazi Pur, Mithi; conducting evaluation; writing qualitative report.

Company Logo
International Consultant
End of Project Evaluation Concern Pakistan
May 2011 - May 2011 | Islamabad, Pakistan

International Consultant: End of Project Evaluation Concern Pakistan, May 2011
Project title: Concern Pakistan’s Emergency Response to 2010 Floods
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits in South Sindh, Pakistan) and Writing Report

Company Logo
International Consultant
Disaster Emergency Committee-DEC
Nov 2010 - Dec 2010 | Islamabad, Pakistan

International Consultant: Conducted Real Time Evaluation for DEC-funded 13 INGOs working in four provinces of Pakistan, in Nov-Dec 2010 in Sindh Province
Project title: Real Time Evaluation of DEC-Funded Response.
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits in Sindh, Pakistan) and Writing Report jointly

Company Logo
Consultant and Research writer
World Wide Fund (WWF) 2008-2009
Jan 2008 - Jan 2009 | Karachi, Pakistan

Consultant and Research writer- World Wide Fund (WWF) 2008-2009 (Published in 2010)
Project- “Traditional Knowledge of Indus Eco-Region” (Focused location Sindh, Pakistan)
Job Responsibility: Conducting Research and Writing Report (Publication)

Company Logo
Consultant Pakistan
European Union Election Observation Mission (2008 Elections of Pakistan)
Jan 2008 - Mar 2008 | Hyderabad, Pakistan

Consultant Pakistan- European Union Election Observation Mission (2008 Elections of Pakistan)
Project title: Election Observation Mission
Job Responsibility: Assisting EU’s election observation team working in Sindh province; Translating key content of local newspapers, discussing local political matters etc.

Education

Philosophy Dept. Karachi University, Pakistan
Doctorate, PhD Scholar, Philosophy Dept. Karachi University, Pakistan‎
Philosophy, Epistemology, Logic
Completed
2017
University of Sussex, Brighton
Masters, Masters in Arts, MA “Anthropology of Development and Social Transformation‎
Philosophy, Epistemology, Logic
Percentage 65%
2007
University of Sindh, Jamshoro
Masters, Masters in Arts, MA Philosophy‎
Philosophy, Epistemology, Logic
Percentage 78%
1997

Skills

Expert Academic and Operatitional Research
Expert Creative Writing
Expert Emergency & Relief
Expert Evaluation (Project Mid/End, Real Time)
Expert Media Monitoring (Gender/Religion)
Intermediate Media Talk Show Hosting
Expert Policy Research (Policy, Constitution)
Expert Program/Project Management-Relief/Emerge
Expert Relief/Research-Conflict Zone-KP-Taliban
Expert Strong Mathematical Knowledge
Expert Trainings—Secularism, pluralism, gender
Expert University Teaching - Philosophy-Society

Languages

Intermediate Hindi
Expert Sindhi
Expert Saraiki
Expert Urdu
Intermediate Punjabi
Intermediate Farsi
Intermediate Arabic
Expert English

Sahar Contacts

Zain Ul Ul Haq
Attock Petroleum Limited
Muhammad Akmal Shafique
HITEC University
Asif Ali Janwery
ACF International | Action Against Hunger
Abdullah Bin Irshad
matteela Films