Hasti Sadri ’25 named Princeton in Asia fellow

“I’d lived in three countries by the time I was 9 years old. English was actually my third language,” said Hasti Sadri ’25, who now is a prestigious Princeton in Asia fellow in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

For some, moving to a different country to start a new job might sound like a daunting task, but for Sadri, this was a natural continuation of a path she’d been on since childhood.

“I feel like most people either move around a lot or not at all,” she said. “Having that kind of exposure really early in life always made me interested in doing something more global after graduation.”

Originally from Iran, Sadri and her family moved to the Netherlands when she was 3 years old. When she was 9, they moved again — this time, to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In high school, she liked learning about government and wanted to be involved in public service when she came to Carolina.

Through her classes and extracurriculars, Sadri’s interest in domestic politics expanded to include international affairs and global issues. She attended events hosted by the area studies centers, was a member of the inaugural class of Carolina Diplomacy Fellows, was involved with the Persian Cultural Society and took part in multiple global learning opportunities — all while maintaining spots on the dean’s list and in Honors Carolina.

In fall 2023, Robert Jenkins, teaching professor in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences’ political science department, led Sadri and a group of her peers on a semester-long study abroad program in Brussels. Sadri studied trans-Atlantic security policy and worked as a research intern at the European Research Council.

“I always say that Hasti was kind of the glue of the group,” said Jenkins. “There were only 11 of us, so we spent a lot of time together. She was always the person most likely to be smiling and engaging with other students, as well as with me. She made the social dynamic very easy.”

In May 2024, Sadri also participated in the Women in Global Security exchange program between UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Helsinki, funded by the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki. Sadri and five other Carolina students traveled to Finland and Estonia to learn more about global security with a group of Finnish students, who visited Chapel Hill in April 2024 for the first half of the exchange.

Pursuing Princeton in Asia

According to Sadri, it was her involvement in the Finland exchange, the international focus of her classes at Carolina and her participation in programs like Carolina Diplomacy Fellows that helped her decide the kind of path she wanted to pursue after graduation.

“The global affairs world is very big — you can do so much with it. The events I went to, the clubs I joined, and the programs I participated in… helped me articulate the things I’ve done, understand my potential and see what’s out there for me,” Sadri said.

“I really wanted to push myself right out of college,” said Sadri, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and peace, war and defense, with a minor in conflict management. “I think being at Carolina, and all of the things I did there, made me more confident in who I am and what I wanted.”

As a Princeton in Asia communications fellow at the International Water Management Institute, Sadri will spotlight the institute’s scientific research on water policy in the backdrop of the ongoing climate crisis in the region.

“Whatever my job title is, I know I want to be a connector for people,” Sadri said.