Mohammad Zia
Year: 2016-2017
Nominating Institution: Willamette University
Field of Interest: International Development
Placement Organization: Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources
Placement Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
About Mohammad
(updtead 6/2017) For his Luce year in Indonesia, Mohammad Zia is working with Kawasan National Energi Bersih (KNEB), an Indonesian Ministry of Energy sponsored project based in Bali . Mohammad is working with the KNEB team to explore innovative ways to facilitate renewable energy technology transfer and financing in rural Bali. Mohammad is providing both research and strategic advice on incentivizing renewable energy uptake to ensure a sustainable energy future in Bali and Eastern Indonesia. Mohammad is also assisting with site visits to evaluate community needs for renewable energy technology. Born in Saudi Arabia to parents of Afghan and Pakistani descent, Mohammad moved to the United States when he was six years old and was raised in Queens, New York and rural Kentucky. In 2005, immigration issues forced his family to move back to Pakistan but he eventually returned and became an American citizen in 2010. He attended the University of Maryland where he created his own major, Global Diplomacy and Development. He volunteered abroad with rural farmers in Uganda and marginalized youth in Senegal and Tanzania. He also interned at the U.S. Embassy in France and with USAID, and served as a legal clerk at the U.S. Department of Justice. Upon graduation in 2014, he worked as a short-term consultant with the World Bank’s Inspection Panel where he constructed a comprehensive database of over 90 legal investigations, and then spent a year in Jordan studying Arabic as a Boren Scholar and volunteering with Syrian refugees. Recognized as a Humanity in Action Fellow and a Truman Scholar, Mohammad aspires to become a leader in advancing effective governance and sustainable energy development. He received a master’s degree in Public Policy at the University of Oxford where his studies focused on energy and economic policy. He speaks Arabic, French, and Urdu and is currently learning his Bahasa Indonesian. Mohammad hopes to continue learning more about the intersections of natural resource governance and sustainable development in Indonesia while exploring the archipelago’s incredible beauty.Mohammad's Scholar Story
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