Nafeesa Syeed

Nafeesa Syeed is a Lecturer in English and Associate Research Scholar at Yale University. She is an award-winning journalist with over two decades of experience across the U.S., South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Her roles include opinion editor at the Los Angeles Times, national security reporter at Bloomberg News, and Middle East correspondent. She has produced Peabody-winning and Emmy-nominated documentaries for Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines. Syeed co-authored Arab Women Rising (Wharton) and contributed to outlets like The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and VICE.

• Education: B.A. in Arabic & Government from Georgetown University; M.A. in Comparative Literature from SOAS, University of London.

Her research interests span international journalism, Middle Eastern politics, and gender studies. Syeed’s work emphasizes narrative-driven reporting and policy analysis across diverse global contexts.

• Awards & Fellowships: Lighthouse Writers Workshop Fellow, UCLA International Institute Fellow, and multiple media industry recognitions.

She has held fellowships at the Institute for Advanced Study and the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on interdisciplinary research and creative writing.