معرفی
Saad Gulzar is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, holding a joint appointment in the Keough School of Global Affairs. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at Stanford University and Princeton University. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Politics from New York University (2017), master's degrees from Columbia University and the National University of Singapore, and undergraduate studies at Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan.
Gulzar's research focuses on political economy, comparative politics, development, and environmental governance with a regional emphasis on South Asia, including Pakistan, India, and Nepal. He investigates how government performance shapes citizens' daily lives, particularly examining politicians' and bureaucrats' management of large-scale organizations responsible for implementing social programs, providing public goods, and managing political campaigns. His recent work has expanded into environmental governance and conservation, exploring the intersection of political representation and ecological outcomes.
His scholarly output reveals a strong focus on experimental and field-based research methods applied to questions of political representation, public sector performance, and environmental policy. Gulzar's work consistently bridges theoretical political science with practical policy implications, particularly in developing country contexts. His research demonstrates how political institutions, bureaucratic incentives, and citizen participation interact to shape governance outcomes in South Asia.
Scientific Awards:
- Inaugural Rajni Kothari Best Article Prize for best article on South Asian politics
- Paul A. Sabatier Best Award for best conference paper on Science, Technology & Environmental Politics
- Lawrence Longley Award for best article on representation & electoral systems
- AJPS Best Paper Award for research on campaign finance
- Multiple Best Paper Awards from prestigious academic conferences
Gulzar's research has received significant external funding from organizations including JPAL Governance Initiative, International Growth Center, and Empirical Studies of Conflict. His work has been featured in major media outlets such as The Guardian, Vox, and Nature News & Views, demonstrating the real-world impact of his scholarship. He has established productive research collaborations across multiple institutions, particularly focusing on South Asian governance questions through field experiments and large-scale data analysis.
His research program includes several ambitious ongoing projects examining political representation in Nepal's decentralization process, women's political participation in Pakistan, and the ecological impacts of land records reform in India. These projects reflect his commitment to understanding how political institutions can be designed to improve governance outcomes in developing contexts.
