Director
George Varughese has over 25 years of international development experience in conflict-affected and disrupted contexts; working on transitional political processes and constitutional development; capacity-building initiatives in the centre of government; federalism and subnational governance; conflict-transformation and peace building; women's advancement and security; and public education and discourse on democratic political processes and rule of law.
Prior to joining UNSW Sydney, George held the Kabul-based positions of Principal Advisor to the Deputy Special Representative (Development) of the United Nations Secretary-General for Afghanistan and the position of Chief of Service – Sustainable Development, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
In addition to Afghanistan, George has provided senior executive leadership and technical assistance in Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste, on development program design and management, public policy analysis, and substantive research for The Asia Foundation, United Nations, and development thinktanks.
George remains interested and involved in the institutional design of partnerships between local communities, private sector, and government officials for conflict resolution, local governance, co-production of public services in emerging urban areas, participatory management of natural resources, the delivery of social services, and philanthropy. He founded and has advised since 2010, the Niti Foundation, a Nepali non-profit organisation that accompanies public policy reform and federalism in Nepal.
George holds a joint PhD in Political Science and Public Administration from Indiana University, Bloomington.