Mahnoor Kashif

Mahnoor spent six years in the development sector in Pakistan, working at the Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), to implement randomized controlled trials in domains as diverse as education, property taxation and air pollution. In collaboration with the federal, provincial and local government, Mahnoor worked on a) implementing a technology-aided targeted instruction program in 600 primary schools in Islamabad, b) behavioral interventions geared toward bolstering parental involvement in children's education, c) surveys aimed at assessing the extent of educational learning losses during COVID-19, d) interventions aimed at revitalizing the link between property taxation and municipal service delivery in Punjab to improve taxpayers' attitudes toward the state and increase willingness to pay property tax, and e) increasing the consumption and production of air pollution forecasts and subsequently encouraging avoidance behaviors among citizens in Lahore - one of the world's most polluted cities. Mahnoor is passionate about data-driven, evidence-based policymaking. She particularly enjoys conducting fieldwork since she feels that is when "data is humanized," as she hears, understands and connects with the powerful lived experiences behind the data. At Princeton SPIA, she is looking for a more rigorous and comprehensive education in the complex processes involved in translating evidence into enduring, actionable policy. What she looks forward to the most is learning from the rich, varied personal and professional experiences of her cohort.