Staff at CIRS
Executive Director
Zahra Babar is the Executive Director at CIRS at Georgetown University in Qatar. Her current research interests include rural development, migration and labor policies, and citizenship in the Persian Gulf states…
Research Analyst
Misba Bhatti is the Research Analyst at CIRS. She received her Master’s degree from the London School of Economics. As such, she supports the Executive Director in carrying out research for the Center and identifies critical gaps in the scholarship where…
Noor Hussain
Research Program Specialist
Noor Hussain is the Research Program Specialist at CIRS. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She has worked on cultural and heritage projects across the Gulf region, including VCUarts Qatar, Doha Film Institute, Qatar National Library, and Diriyah Foundation. She is the recipient of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) Creative and Critical Writings grant for her debut bi-lingual architectural pop-up book, Within the Ancient Wall.
Assistant Director for Publications
Suzi Mirgani is Assistant Director for Publications at the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS), Georgetown University in Qatar, and served as book review editor for the Journal of Arabian Studies from 2015 to 2022. Her research is based on the intersection of politics and popular culture.
Sabreen Taha
Operations Manager
Sabreen Taha is the Operations Manager at CIRS. She brings over thirteen years of experience in strategic stakeholder engagement, academic administration, and community building across institutions including HEC Paris in Qatar and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. At CIRS, she oversees operational strategy, research logistics, and project implementation across local, regional, and international networks, supporting initiatives that strengthen institutional relationships and enhance academic impact. She holds a Specialized Master’s in Strategic Business Unit Management from HEC Paris and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and International Studies from Baldwin Wallace University. Fluent in English and Arabic, Sabreen works effectively across multicultural environments and diverse stakeholder groups
Maryam Daud
Administrative Assistant
Maryam Daud is the Administrative Assistant at CIRS. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She has contributed to education policy and research with WISE, Education Above All, and the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), focusing on conflict-affected education and edtech testbed development in the Gulf. She received the Georgetown University Research Grant for examining how colonial-era schooling shapes elite political detachment in Pakistan.