Amra Sabic-El-Rayess

Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess is an Associate Professor of Practice at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she holds appointments in the Education Policy & Social Analysis Department and serves as Project Director at the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education. She is also an Affiliated Faculty Member at Columbia University's Harriman Institute for Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European Studies and the Middle East Institute. Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess founded and directs the International Interfaith Research Lab, Project Belonging, and Reimagine Resilience at Teachers College.

Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess earned her BA in Economics from Brown University (2000), followed by two Master's degrees and a PhD in Comparative and International Education with specialization in Economics from Columbia University (2012). Her educational journey is particularly remarkable as she survived the Bosnian genocide, enduring 1,150 days under military siege in Bihac before emigrating to the United States in 1996.

Her research spans multiple disciplines, examining the intersections of education with social transformations, radicalization, corruption, and elite formation. She leverages economics, sociology, and political science to address issues of radicalization, discrimination, Islamophobia, social mobility, corruption, and the exclusion of women. A significant portion of her work focuses on facilitating women's social mobility through financial inclusion and access to financial services, while also examining the role of educational practices in creating new societal dynamics and norms.

Her scholarly output reveals consistent thematic patterns across her publications, with a strong emphasis on corruption in educational systems, social mobility barriers, financial inclusion for marginalized populations, and the relationship between education and societal transformation in post-conflict regions. Her work demonstrates a clear evolution from examining Bosnia's post-war educational challenges to broader global applications in Indonesia, India, and Mongolia.

• 2021 Finalist Medal for Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction (American Library Association)
• Best Book recognition by multiple prestigious organizations
• 2020 Samuel Untermyer Award for bravery in service of social justice
• Multiple research grants from the U.S. State Department, Smith Richardson Foundation, Woodrow Wilson International Center, and others

Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess has secured significant funding for her research, including grants from the United States State Department, Smith Richardson Foundation, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Kennan Institute, International Research and Exchange Board, and Harriman Institute. She has worked as an education expert for the U.S. Department of State internationally and has consulted for globally renowned institutions including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, OSCE, and various foreign Ministries of Education. Her work extends beyond academia through her board positions with the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Brown University Alumni Association.

As Founder and Executive Director of the International Interfaith Research Lab, Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess leads initiatives focused on fostering resilience and understanding across religious and cultural divides. The Lab has produced significant work including research on the Sarajevo Haggadah and collaborations with the Mayor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships on mental health summits. Her Project Belonging and Reimagine Resilience initiatives further extend her commitment to creating inclusive communities through education and storytelling.