When Anwar Shah ('83 PhD, Economics ), was growing up in a small village in northern Pakistan, he knew exactly what he wanted to be - even if he didn't know what it was called. He wanted a job where he could help developing countries.
Shah can trace this unusually mature and socially aware world view back to his father, Shah Muhammad, who worked to raise money to build a girls' school near their village, Chak No. 113 JB Phulahi. At the time, the boys travelled eight kilometres to school but the girls couldn't attend because parents feared for their safety. Muhammad's girls' school opened in 1953.
"Watching my father raise money to build the school and work to get accreditation from the government - this shaped my own view of the world and I knew I wanted to contribute to society," says Shah from his home in Potomac, Md.
Anwar Shah (photo: John Ulan, New Trail)
Shah pursued an education in economics, motivated by growing up in a society where the rich lived alongside people who could hardly feed themselves and were denied basic rights and services. He saw no accountability and was disheartened by the way the government functioned.
When Shah moved to Canada to do a PhD in economics, he saw local government empowerment and was inspired. Shah went on to spend most of his career working for the World Bank, helping decentralize governments in developing countries and giving people a voice. He has conducted policy and reform dialogues in 47 countries, and showed people how to find democratic solutions to combat corruption in government.
"World Bank gave me a platform to work from and access to people of influence in the developing world, politicians who wanted positive change," says Shah.
After spending years making a difference, Shah returned to Pakistan five years ago for a visit. The school his father worked so hard to bring to life is still going strong.
"My early life and education prepared me well for my career," says Shah. "I have always been motivated to help people."
This story originally appeared in UAlberta's New Trail Magazine
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