Haider Rifaat Email & Phone Number

Honolulu, Hi, Us

I am the Co-founder and Communications Director of "Initiate Futures", a cutting-edge think tank that brands itself as a "do tank" to deliver practical solutions on issues of governance, education and development, public policy, climate change, gender rights, youth engagement, and other core areas. Initiate Futures engages with development partners, NGOs, think tanks, the government and civil society stakeholders. As the Communications Director, I oversee the organization's communications strategy including public relations, social media outreach, website management, branding and publishing.Learn more about Initiate Futures: https://www.initiatefutures.org

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

I currently serve as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Asian Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa as part of the Careers in Asia-Pacific Affairs (CAPA) initiative. Funded by Title VI through the U.S. Department of Education and co-sponsored by the School of Pacific and Asian Studies (SPAS), this initiative is designed to prepare students for dynamic careers across Asian and Pacific Islands studies. As a Graduate Assistant, I developed a speaker series for the CAPA initiative, created brochures and flyers and taught an undergraduate-level course, "Career Pathways in Asian Studies."

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

I was selected as a Global Leadership Ambassador at the East-West Center in 2024. In this role, I helped promote better understanding among the people and nations of the Asia-Pacific region and the larger global community.

Since 2022, I have been writing for DAWN Images, the leading English-language newspaper in Pakistan. IMAGES covers film, fashion, celebrities and culture. Through this publication and my interviews with experts in the fields of entertainment, arts and culture, I have unearthed issues of cybercrimes (cyberbullying), nepotism, barriers facing creative artists, commercialization of drama content and redefining beauty standards for South Asian women.

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

I taught an undergraduate-level course titled "Magazine Writing" in the School of Communication and Information, and served as the editor of "The Mānoa Mirror", a student gallery of the journalism program.

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

During my time as a communications intern at the Pacific Forum, a foreign policy research institute, I assisted in editing webinars and supported the team with designing graphics for social media outreach.

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

I worked in the Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) Office (Communications) at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, the only NCI-designated cancer center in Hawaii and the Pacific. In this role, I produced and hosted the Center’s first-ever podcast series titled "Cancer Answers" that engaged cancer researchers in a dialogue about reducing cancer burden in Hawaii and the Pacific, while highlighting cancer survivorship and the importance of including all minority groups in cancer clinical trials. I compiled and edited bimonthly newsletters/annual reports for the Center and drafted major press releases about cancer researchers securing multi-million National Cancer Institute (NCI) grants to support cutting-edge cancer research. I also developed creative marketing/social media content, including flyers and videos, and monitored social media analytics and performance across major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X). I was responsible for disseminating Center-wide email blasts to faculty and staff, and for organizing and managing website content.

Beijing, China

I was a columnist and a special commentator on current affairs for the China Global Television Network (CGTN). In this role, I authored a range of socio-political articles on topics such as critical race theory, affirmative action, gun control in the U.S., COVID-19 and racial and ethnic violence facing minorities.

As features writer for OK! Pakistan, the international edition of OK! Magazine, I wrote major cover stories and features, conducting investigative interviews with celebrities to address pressing issues affecting the entertainment industry at large. Some of the cover stars I have interviewed are Saba Qamar, Emmad Irfani, Adnan Siddiqui, Sarwat Gilani, Imran Abbas, Ali Rehman and Hania Aamir, among others.

For more than 8 years, I was a blogger for The Express Tribune, partner of The New York Times International Edition. I published articles on a range of issues including Pakistan's limiting education system, media ethics, sexual violence and gun violence. I wrote television reviews and interviewed notable celebrities including Ali Zafar, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahmed Ali Akbar, Mansha Pasha, Mikaal Zulfiqar and Aamina Sheikh among others.

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

As a writer for Arabian Moda, a Paris-based magazine, I interviewed notable celebrities and fashion designers, including Christian Siriano, Riverdale star Marisol Nichols, Turkish actress Meryem Uzerli, Pakistani fashion designer Maheen Khan, Grammy-winning DJ Benny Benassi, and Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Shontelle, among other prominent public figures.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

As a contributing writer to Flanelle Magazine, I published interviews with international stars, including Jordan Claire Robbins (The Umbrella Academy), Emery Kelly and Annalise Azadian. I also covered the 2022 edition of Roma Fashion Week and interviewed British-Nigerian designer Dorothy Ogwuru.

For this Hong Kong-based newspaper of record, I published investigative, hard-hitting interviews with international celebrities on issues affecting the entertainment industry—Jaafar Jackson (nephew of the legendary Michael Jackson), plus-size model Hunter McGrady, Kevin Woo of the K-pop band U-KISS, Desmond Chiam (Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Anna Akana (Jupiter's Legacy) and Jayden Zhang (Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).

Good Times (GT) is Pakistan's first fortnightly magazine. I worked with this publication for 3 years and published cover stories on celebrities, including Maya Ali, Sheheryar Munawar and Juggun Kazim. I conducted interviews with Lebanese fashion designer Georges Chakra (featured in the cult classic film "The Devil Wears Prada"), Oscar and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and former Pakistani representative to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi.

For the lifestyle and opinion pages of Daily Times, an English-language Pakistani newspaper, I addressed same-sex child abuse, food insecurity in Pakistan and the United States political landscape following Donald Trump's presidency in 2016. I interviewed a number of directors, fashion designers and creative artists, including Zara Noor Abbas, Asim Azhar, Sadaf Fawad Khan and Tooba Siddiqui, among others. I also covered several political events for this daily.

Master Of Arts - Ma, Communication

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Social Sciences (Psychology), Gold Medalist

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Political Science