Elena Athwal

Elena Athwal is an accomplished legal professional with extensive experience in environmental law and human rights. Currently serving as Vice President at The Diwan since January 2024, Elena also holds multiple roles, including Media Officer — Global for the International Law Association, Research Fellow at the UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), and Research Associate for both the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights and the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development. Elena's educational background includes a Doctor of Juridical Science from HBKU, an LL.M from Harvard Law School, and a JD from HBKU, alongside advanced studies in the history of architecture and urbanism from UC Santa Barbara. Previous leadership roles include President of the HBKU Energy & Environmental Club, President of the HBKU College of Law Law Society, and Vice President of the HBKU Student Representative Council.