Doha, Qatar: Sixteen student researchers from Northwestern University in Qatar have been selected for the 2025 Global Undergraduate Fellowship program at the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South (#IAS_NUQ). This fourth cohort continues the program’s tradition of excellence and innovation, showcasing a wide range of projects that include research papers, interactive multimodal websites, a graphic novel, a 2D video game, and several short documentaries.
Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar, emphasized the program’s role in advancing rigorous undergraduate research. “The Global Undergraduate Fellowship is a testament to Northwestern Qatar’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of scholars and storytellers. Through this program, our students are engaging in original research and developing the critical skills and methodologies that define high-impact scholarship—acquiring the tools, mentorship, and opportunities to produce work at a level usually expected of Ph.D. researchers,” said Kraidy. “By supporting their evidence-based storytelling, we empower them to contribute meaningfully to global academic discourse and position them as thought leaders on urgent issues shaping the Global South.”
Selected from a highly competitive pool, the 2025 fellows will explore a range of diverse cultural, economic, and social issues across Qatar, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, and beyond. Their projects examine varied research interests and approaches—from examining period poverty in Brazil’s Agreste and documenting the Afro-descendant Sheedi community in Pakistan to investigating the interplay between television drama and gender in Qatar and Kuwait and compiling a multimodal oral history of Ahiska Turks during the Soviet Union’s collapse.
Second-year Communication student Kunduz Keldibekova is among the students selected. Her project aims to bring the stories of domestic violence survivors into the public sphere through a graphic novel that interweaves personal testimonies and evidence-based research rooted in firsthand observations from her home country, Kyrgyzstan.
“I have observed that narratives of domestic violence in Kyrgyzstan are frequently overlooked or dismissed,” said Keldibekova. “From a young age, I recognized how societal judgment and systemic barriers can confine victims to silence. My project seeks to amplify their voices through a graphic novel—a medium that combines powerful visuals and personal storytelling to connect with people on a deeper level. I hope to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and inspire meaningful action toward a more just society.”
Another fellow selected for the fellowship is AlAnoud Abdulrahman Al-Shammari, a junior in the Communication program. Her multimodal project combines photography, videography, and interviews to explore the enduring cultural significance of Bedouin traditions in modern Qatar through the lens of aleazbuh, the traditional Qatari tent.
“In an era where technological advancement often overshadows traditional ways of life, we frequently overlook the profound significance of our own heritage,” said Al-Shammari. “My project aims to bridge this gap by rediscovering and highlighting the importance of our desert traditions. Qatar’s commitment to preserving and celebrating this cultural heritage is evident through various initiatives and support systems that enable new generations to connect with their roots while embracing modernity.”
Iman El Moctar, a junior in the Journalism and Strategic Communication program, will produce a documentary investigating the socioeconomic forces driving Mauritanian youth to undertake dangerous migration routes in pursuit of better opportunities. “As a Mauritanian-American myself, I hope to platform the socioeconomic reasons young Mauritanians feel implored to leave their homeland—a country that gets very limited English-language coverage,” said El Moctar. “I also hope to address the implications of anti-immigration policy and humanize migrants by sharing their individual stories.”
“The Global Undergraduate Fellowship is a flagship program of #IAS_NUQ, supporting research and evidence-based storytelling at the undergraduate level in innovative and exciting ways. Global Undergraduate Fellows are at the forefront of knowledge production on and from the Global South, bringing new perspectives, ideas, and topics to this growing field,” said Clovis Bergère, assistant director for research at #IAS_NUQ. “This cohort, with projects spanning the globe from Qatar to Brazil, Pakistan, Albania, and Kyrgyzstan, among others, and topics from media history, gender, to period poverty, football, and marginalized communities, is no different. We look forward to working with them over the coming year.”
This year-long program supports students in producing rigorous, evidence-based storytelling on pressing issues relevant to the Global South. In addition to funding for their projects, the fellows benefit from hands-on mentorship provided by #IAS_NUQ staff and Northwestern Qatar faculty mentors.
During the spring semester, the fellows refine their proposals and participate in specialized training sessions, workshops, and mentoring meetings, preparing them for on-site fieldwork over the summer. This immersive period allows them to engage directly with local communities—gathering data, filming, and collecting grounded insights for their projects.
Upon returning to campus in the fall, the fellows will synthesize their findings with the support of mentors and peers, transforming their research into diverse mediums. Their final projects will be published by #IAS_NUQ_Press and showcased to the Northwestern Qatar and Education City community at the annual #IAS_NUQ Global Undergraduate Fellows Presentations held each year at the end of January.
2025 #IAS_NUQ Global Undergraduate Fellows and their research topics:
