Welcome to my Academic and Professional World
Welcome! I'm Naimatullah Zafary, PhD. This website is dedicated to showcasing my research, publications, and insights. Explore my work and feel free to get in touch. Located in the United Kingdom, I am passionate about advancing knowledge and sharing my findings.
Information
Discover more about my academic journey, research interests, and publications. This site serves as a hub for all my professional endeavours. I am based in the United Kingdom and eager to connect with fellow researchers and enthusiasts.
My areas of expertise
My expertise covers International Development Policy, Governance, and Aid Implementation within conflict-affected settings. My academic work focuses on the critical gap between global development theory and local realities, utilizing the concept of (pragmatic compromise) to analyze the "everyday diplomacy" and survival strategies employed by local NGO staff. This research is strengthened by over a decade of high-level experience in Afghanistan, including coordinating the National Human Development Report, giving me unique insights into programme leadership and stakeholder coordination.
About me
Dr. Naimatullah Zafary is a highly motivated Afghan scholar and development professional with a deep passion for education and humanitarian advancement. His expertise lies in understanding the complex realities of aid and governance in conflict-affected states, informed by extensive field experience and rigorous academic research.
Academic Excellence and Groundbreaking Research
Naimat is a PhD holder in International Development from the University of Sussex. His doctoral thesis, grounded in over 50 interviews with local actors, offers a critical perspective on how development is implemented on the ground.
- Key Focus: His research examines how Afghan NGO national workers navigated and quietly contested foreign-funded development schemes amidst protracted conflict, politicisation of aid, and the return of the Taliban (2001–2021).
- Conceptual Contribution: The thesis develops the concept of jor aamad (a widely used Afghan term for compromise) as a lens to understand the "everyday diplomacy" and pragmatic strategies deployed by national staff to move projects forward in conditions of instability. This work reveals the agency of local intermediaries at the "social interfaces" between global policy and local realities.
- Master's Studies: He gained his master’s degree in Governance, Development and Public Policy at the University of Sussex on the prestigious Chevening Scholarship (2021-22), which provided a unique opportunity to network with other future leaders in the field of international development.
Professional Leadership
Prior to his studies in the UK, Mr. Zafary served as the National Human Development Report – Pitfalls and Promise - Coordinator since 2016.
Mr. Zafary has more than 11 years of professional experience in Coordination, Programming, and Communications of various development programmes funded by various donors, UN agencies, and government entities.
Unique Perspective and Commitment
Naimat is committed to helping improve the situation in his country. His experiences as an Afghan scholar and former refugee provide him with a unique and essential perspective on the challenges facing his country and the world. His research, by recentring the perspectives of those who implement projects on the ground, challenges traditional donor-led narratives and is poised to make a significant contribution to rethinking aid architecture in the years to come.
Insights and perspectives
Explore my research insights and academic perspectives. Based in the United Kingdom, I am dedicated to contributing valuable knowledge to the academic community and beyond. Dive into my publications and blog for more in-depth analysis.
- A man determined to serve the needs of those in greatest need across the world.
- A champion of education for all, especially women and girls.
- Who has worked tirelessly with his University of Sussex to seek opportunities for others, and raised his voice in the higher education sector for the plight of Afghan women barred from education, becoming known as an advocate for their opportunities.
Naimat’s PhD is work of real depth and purpose. But his approach to life is also an inspiration, and I am proud and grateful that my country offered him sanctuary as a scholar when the need arose. He will live in a way that shows the importance of that decision; he already does.
Ruth Arnold
oday my wonderful PhD student from Afghanistan, Naimat Zafary, reached an important milestone and submitted his doctoral thesis. Yesterday Times Higher Education reported that some UK universities have barred admissions to students from Afghanistan on account of their "risky" immigration status. THE also reported the same policy affecting students from Pakistan and Bangladesh. We should instead follow Naimat's lead and advocate for the rights of people who want to learn regardless of their background. It's been an honour supervising you Naimat Jan. !موفق باشید
Professor Magnus Marsden
I am so delighted for you,Naimat Zafary - what an achievement and what a journey, but what a role model you are for your kids, what pride you give your family, what hope you provide to those in darkness in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and what a contribution your work makes to furthering knowledge and understanding of how to achieve optimum deployment of humanitarian and development aid (and what to avoid). Your thesis was fascinating and moving to read. Onwards, dear friend, with wings on your heels.
Professor Catherine Harper
Contact me
Location
United Kingdom