FALAK SUFI MEMORIAL PRIZE
WINNER
HANA ZAHIR submitted a paper entitled ‘Social Institutions: Impediment to Decreasing Total Fertility Rates through Increasing Female Education in Developing Countries - Evidence from Pakistan’ for the 2008 Falak Sufi Memorial Prize. Her essay was selected as the winner and she was awarded a prize of US$1000.
Hana completed her B.Sc. (Hons.) in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, Pakistan. Her time at LUMS led to a realization that substantial research within the humanities and on Pakistan is currently not taking place. She is convinced that many unanswered questions remain about the process of development, and that answers have to be found to these questions for the present generation to construct equitable, just and democratic societies.
Hana has also worked as a Research Associate with Dr. Ali Cheema (LUMS) on a 35 village survey in the district of Sargodha (Punjab, Pakistan). Her research interests include institutional economics and the economics of education. She is hoping to pursue a Masters relating to South Asian studies.
Hana received her initial education from the Convent of Jesus and Mary (Lahore) and completed her ‘A’ Levels from the Lahore Grammar School (Defence – Lahore).