Shazia, who uses one name, a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at Georgia Tech, has been named the recipient of The Carter Center Digital Democracy Fellowship for the 2025–2026 academic year. The fellowship, jointly supported by The Carter Center and Georgia Tech’s Institute for People and Technology (IPaT), recognizes graduate students working at the intersection of digital technologies and democratic processes.

Open to all Georgia Tech graduate students, the fellowship provides $15,000 in support—disbursed to the recipient’s advisor—and offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with The Carter Center’s Democracy Program. Fellows are expected to engage in IPaT programming and contribute to ongoing research and communications efforts throughout the year.

Shazia’s research centers on the sociopolitical dynamics of the Hazara community in Balochistan, Pakistan. Her dissertation, titled “Assemblages of Security: Violence and (re)Construction of identities in the Case of Hazaras,” explores how digital platforms have reshaped traditional forms of resistance and identity formation. As part of the fellowship, she will focus on how Hazaras have used platforms like Facebook and Twitter (now X) to transform sit-in protests into new modes of democratic struggle.

Her study poses critical questions: How have digital technologies influenced local governance in Balochistan? In what ways have these platforms enabled global advocacy for Hazaras? And how has digital activism contributed to the shaping of Hazara identity both within Pakistan and on the international stage?

“These questions speak directly to the missions of both The Carter Center and IPaT,” said Shazia. “I have always wanted to bring digital democracy into my research because of the 2013 Hazaras protest in Balochistan, Pakistan, which incorporated the use of online digital platforms. Online posts and engagement eventually resulted in the dissolution of the local government.”

The concept of “digital democracy” has gained traction in recent scholarship, often described as a transformative force capable of revolutionizing governance and citizen engagement. Shazia’s work exemplifies this potential, offering insights into how marginalized communities leverage technology for political agency and global visibility.

Her selection as Digital Democracy Fellow underscores Georgia Tech’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and highlights The Carter Center’s ongoing efforts to support democratic engagement through technology.

Shazia will be working closely with Anthony DeMattee, Ph.D., a data scientist in The Carter Center Democracy Program. She is advised by Amit Prasad, professor of sociology in the School of History and Sociology.

“This Fellowship represents the significant partnership between IPaT and the Democracy Program at The Carter Center, centered on the digital transformations of democratic practice,” said Michael Best, executive director of IPaT. “Shazia’s research will focus on how social media platforms have reshaped the politics of a community that is too often overlooked.”