Zara Gounden

Zara is a proud SEGL alumna and graduate of New York University, where she earned a B.A. in Politics, Rights & Development with a minor in Peace & Conflict Studies. Through NYU's Global Liberal Studies program and university fellowships, she studied across six campuses in New York, London, Florence, Berlin, Abu Dhabi, and Tel Aviv. A Shelby Davis Scholar through the United World Colleges (UWC) program and an NYU Davis Scholar, Zara received the Liberal Studies Global Impact Senior Award and the Dr. Patricia M. Carey Changemaker Award, presented annually to one undergraduate who demonstrates an exceptional commitment to positive social change. She was also awarded a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant to lead a cross-border migration research initiative on the French-Italian border. Her interests focus on artificial intelligence governance and emerging technology risks, and she is passionate about making information on these topics accessible to broader audiences and supporting civic preparedness in an increasingly AI-shaped world.