Arya Patel

Arya Patel was the 2022-23 Freedom in the World Junior Fellow for Sub-Saharan Africa. She graduated from Duke University in 2022 with a degree in Public Policy. Arya is particularly interested in the effect of democratic backsliding on ethnic and religious minorities, the impact of international policy on forced and voluntary migrants, and the role of protest in galvanizing reform. As a fellow, she hopes to explore these themes in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa’s varying democracies, active civil society, and complex political cleavages. Before joining Freedom House, Arya interned at the National Endowment for Democracy, founded Duke’s first international relations publication, and conducted field research for her honors thesis on migrant workers’ ability to access aid during COVID-19 in India.