Hibba Saeed

As a postgraduate researcher at SUMS, my focus is on cross-sector, multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) aimed at addressing complex, persistent, and intractable societal issues such as poverty, inequalities, and climate change that surpass the scope of any single organisation or sector. With an academic background in Economics and Public-Sector Management, my practical experience in cross-sector collaborations comes from being a part of multi-agency development projects led by transnational organisations such as the World Bank and WHO, as well as the Government of Pakistan.

Throughout my career, I have observed that even the most well-intentioned collaborative initiatives often encounter difficulties due to 'one-size-fits-all' approaches and conflicting place-related interests of partners from heterogenous sectors. This observation has led me to develop a keen interest in how a focus on a specific local place, as opposed to standardised global approaches, may contribute to our collective effort of tackling societal challenges. Specifically, in this PhD, I aim to explore the role of stakeholders' 'sense of place' in developing and implementing tailored solutions through MSP while managing place-based tensions.

I use qualitative research methods to study the cross-sector partnership holistically, exploring the perspectives of all involved stakeholders, with a particular emphasis on often under-explored local and Indigenous perspectives. My hope is that the findings of my research will not only advance academic knowledge but also have practical impacts and provide actionable insights to support stakeholders across public, private, and civil sectors in their place-based cross-sector work.

If my work aligns with your academic or professional interests, please get in touch.