About Us

My name is Jasmin Marufi, and I am the founder of MARUF, an independent research platform dedicated to understanding the economic, political, and social forces shaping societies around the world.

My interest in international affairs is deeply connected to my own experiences. I was born in the United States and spent much of my childhood in Tajikistan, where I was raised by my grandparents before returning to the United States. Years later, I returned to Tajikistan as an exchange student. Growing up between these two countries gave me the opportunity to experience two very different societies and shaped the way I understand politics, economics, education, culture, and opportunity.

Living between different cultures also made me curious about questions that cannot be answered by looking at statistics alone. Why do opportunities differ so dramatically depending on where someone is born? Why do some economies depend heavily on citizens working abroad? How do political institutions influence people's everyday lives? Why can education transform one person's future while remaining inaccessible to another? And why do laws and social expectations continue to affect women and men differently in many societies?

Those questions eventually became research. I developed a particular interest in Central Asia, a region that is personally important to me but is often overlooked in international discussions. My research has expanded into political systems, economic development, migration and remittances, education, and gender equality, as well as comparisons between Central Asia and countries across the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

I created MARUF to bring these interests together. MARUF allows me to examine countries as interconnected systems rather than reducing them to individual statistics or political events. Economics affects migration. Government policy affects education and development. Migration reshapes families and national economies. Education influences social mobility, while laws and cultural expectations can profoundly affect the opportunities available to women and young people.

My goal is to approach these subjects with both evidence and empathy. Data can reveal patterns, but understanding the people represented by that data is equally important.

I am continuing to develop my interests in international affairs, political economy, diplomacy, migration, governance, education, development, and gender equality. MARUF is a reflection of that curiosity and a place where I can continue researching, questioning, and writing about the issues that shape people's lives across borders.