Barkha Shah – Research Manager

Barkha Shah is the Research Manager at International Advisory Group (IAG) . Before joining IAG, Barkha worked as an independent/freelance researcher and strategy consultant in Dubai for 4 years. Specialization areas include government/public sector modernization and education strategy and reform in GCC countries. Key clients included PriceWaterhouse Coopers, INJAZ Al-Arab, World Bank, International Advisory Group, Dubai Executive Council, Sharjah Tatweer Forum, Pink Tank and Arab Thought Foundation.

Barkha holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. Between 2008 and 2010, Barkha was a Manager with PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Dubai with the firm’s Government, Education and Nonprofit Advisory team. During this time, she worked on several strategy and performance improvement assignments for various government and non-profit institutions in the MENA region. Key projects included the development of a strategy for a regional forum on public sector excellence in service delivery (Abu Dhabi government), strategy and process development for the establishment of the Director General’s office within Dubai Customs, designing the 5-year strategy for Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority, and the development of Dubai’s philanthropy strategy. Recently, Barkha has co-developed a report titled “Empowering Arab Youth with Skills for Success: K-12 Education Reform” with INJAZ Al-Arab, World Bank and PwC. Barkha also has expertise in the formulation of business plans and feasibility studies for the education sector in GCC countries. In 2013, Barkha facilitated the Executive Council in Dubai with the development of a case study on the Dubai Model Centre. She also designed the program for the 11th FIKR Conference (Dubai) on “The Citizen and the Future of Government”.

Before moving to Dubai in 2007, Barkha worked in Singapore as the Research Assistant to the Dean of S. Rajaratanam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. During her stay in Singapore, she authored and contributed several commentaries on socio-economic and political issues in Pakistan. Before moving to Singapore, Barkha worked as a Fundraising Strategy Consultant at MADADGAAR (a UNICEF project) in Karachi, Pakistan.