Assalamualaikum!

I’m Mashiyat, a 21-year-old born and bred in the densest city in the world (otherwise known as Dhaka, Bangladesh). I received my crash-course in life when I moved to Singapore at the age of 11; where I discovered that there are more things to worry about than Pokémon and reality TV (i.e. how talented Bangladeshis get held back due to corruption and poor institutional quality). 2 years after moving back to Dhaka, at the age of 16, I started a social business – Footsteps – in a bid to involve youngsters in tackling issues in the fields of inequality, sanitation, and access to water. While working in Footsteps, followed by internships at a Russian luxury brand and an NGO, I found my passion in Economics and Anthropology.  Months of fieldwork and research also led me to create Resurgence Bangladesh – an award-winning social enterprise producing low-cost, biodegradable sanitary napkins for low-income communities. I find motivation in hands-on learning, which is what brought me to GLOCAL. I firmly believe that the multidimensional cultural perspectives on globalization, capitalism, and intervention models taught in the GLOCAL programme will equip me with the necessary skill to take my commitments forward. Moreover, my personal interests include playing football, travelling, and updating my Instagram feed – and GLOCAL has given me the opportunity to do all three very efficiently!