Nasrat Sayed (N.)

Nasrat Sayed is a researcher at the Faculty of Law and School of Business and Economics of Maastricht University. In September 2021, Nasrat together with Assistant Prof Lilian Tsourdi won an Hestia research grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) which is aimed to enhance the integration of excellent researchers with a refugee background in Dutch academia. As part of this research grant, Nasrat is currently working on the external financial governance of EU migration funding.

He was previously involved in various projects at Maastricht University/UNU-MERIT: the mapping and study of Afghan diaspora (DRC); the mapping and study of Pakistani diaspora (GIZ); Connecting Diaspora for Development (IOM); fluctuations in migration flows on the Balkan route (WODC); monitoring and evaluation of InfoMigrants (FMM); Afghan diaspora engagement for sustainable development (Cordaid).

Nasrat has published articles in the Journal of Innovation Management, Economic Alternatives, and Migration and Development.

Alongside his research activities, Nasrat has also tutored different courses such as qualitative master thesis track, research design, introduction to migration studies, migration & citizenship, migration & development, and migration policy.

He holds an MSc in Public Policy and Human Development with specialization in Social Protection Policy and Migration Studies from Maastricht University/UNU-MERIT and an MSc in International Cooperation Policy with specialization in Development Economics from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Japan.

Before joining Maastricht University/UNU-MERIT, Nasrat was working in Afghanistan as a researcher with the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA).

Nasrat’s main research interests include migration, diaspora studies, financial governance, refugee entrepreneurship, innovation, foreign aid, rural development, and anti-corruption.