Aarya Nijat

Aarya Nijat is a highly experienced professional with a strong background in governance and policy development. Currently serving as Co-Founder and Program and Policy Lead at Innovation Ticker (iTicker) since March 2008, Aarya has held various leadership positions including Program Director, Senior Program Manager, and Program Manager at the Center for International Private Enterprise from July 2019 to May 2025. Previous roles include Executive Director of the Financial Governance Program for Afghanistan at the University of California San Diego, Founding Partner and Lead Governance Programs at Duran Research & Analysis, and Director of Governance & Institutional Development for the Government of Afghanistan. Additional experience includes serving as a Political Analyst for the Government of Canada and as a Governance Policy Specialist at UNDP. Aarya holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, an MSc in International Relations and Affairs from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, and a Bachelor's degree in Law and Political Science from the University of the Punjab.