“You never know where connections will come from.”

“It wasn’t inevitable that Harvard Law School graduate students Erum Khalid Sattar and Rebecca Zaman would meet so soon, or even at all. Sattar has been at the law school for three years, pursuing a doctorate in juridical science (S.J.D.); Zaman arrived in August to begin a year of study for a master’s in law (LL.M.). Sattar is from Pakistan, and studied law in London; Zaman grew up, earned her law degree and completed a judicial clerkship in Australia. Then again, they’re about the same height, with the same dark brown hair, and that might not be just a coincidence.”

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Erum Sattar (SJD), on her involvement in Pakistan flooding relief efforts

“The devastating floods in Pakistan during the summer have brought together Pakistani students from all over the Harvard campus in unprecedented ways during the fall term to engage with the emergency as well as the long term problems of the country. The Harvard Pakistan Student Group has been able to partner with the HLS Law and International Development Society who were working on putting together their symposium, ‘Rebuilding After the Storm: The Role of Law in Post-Natural Disaster Development’ by arranging for Professor Amartya Sen to be the Keynote speaker at the event. I have been able to work as part of the small team that developed the key briefing document for Professor Sen on the flooding situation. In the lead-up to the symposium, I have been part of the team that has staffed an awareness table at the Hark that has sold wristbands and ribbons for the Harvard Students for Pakistan Campaign that aims to sign-up 5,000 people who have donated $1 or more to flood relief. As part of the broader community outreach to engage in dialogue on the longer term challenges that Pakistan faces, the Center for Middle East Studies recently arranged for me to speak to a class at Brookline High School on global conflict. I felt very privileged to be able to engage with high school students on some of the serious challenges facing Pakistan and was especially delighted to be able to share some Pakistani music. I hope to continue my work on raising awareness on these and other issues, and engaging with Harvard as well as the broader community during the remainder of the academic year and beyond.”