Nur Arafeh, a native Jerusalemite, is a researcher in economic development. She has a dual BA degree in political science and economics from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) and Columbia University, and holds an MPhil degree in development studies from the University of Cambridge. She will start her PhD studies as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford in October 2017 – a vital step towards attaining her objective as an engaged and impactful scholar, playing a leading role in development policy in the Arab world. Her research project is on economic inequality among Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Professionally, Nur worked as a teaching assistant at Columbia University during her studies there. She came back to Palestine in August 2014 and worked as a researcher at the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS); a visiting lecturer at Al-Quds Bard College; and the Palestine-based Policy Fellow of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network. She has also consulted for several local and international organizations. As a strong believer in the role of the public intellectual, she seeks to engage with a wider audience by writing op-eds on Jerusalem and the Palestinian economy, in Arabic, English, and French. Her articles have appeared in Al-Akhbar, Al-Quds, The Guardian, Al-Jazeera English, This Week in Palestine, and Le Monde Diplomatique, among other outlets.

Through her work with Al-Shabaka, Nur has written a number of policy briefs and articles on Jerusalem. She focuses especially on Israel’s future master plans to Judaize the city, and on the economic collapse of East Jerusalem and strategies for recovery. She has also been engaged in outreach activities to Palestinian policy makers and influencers as well as international delegations that work in Palestine, in an effort to bridge the wide gap between academia and public policy in Palestine.