Engr. Barira Hanif is currently working as Sector Specialist, Innovation, Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan under the Governance Innovation Lab. She is managing the innovation portfolio, innovation fund and also devising National Innovation Framework to leverage upon local human resource potential, research and development capacity, startup ecosystems and industry-academia linkages to enhance the national innovation ecosystem and improve its outcomes.

She is also managing the Diversity , Equity and Inclusion portfolio as Gender Specialist, to devise initiatives and policies around inclusion of marginalized communities in the development discourse of the country.

Engineer by profession and a NUST grad, she has a diverse experience spanning over 13 years in several sectors in Italy, Singapore and Pakistan . She completed her MS from Italy in Industrial Management. Her expertise include innovation, business strategy, management, sustainable development, and DEI. She is passionate about technology, innovation, SDGs, environment, Pakistan, and creating impact.

She can be reached at hanif.barira@gmail.com and followed on social media @barirahanif on Twitter and Instagram.