Hometown: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Research Interests: The politics, political economy, and history of the Arabian Peninsula; national identity in the GCC states

Azim graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of British Columbia after having studied Finance at the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Dhahran, for two years of his undergraduate degree. After graduation, Azim gained multi-sectoral work experience in the fields of real estate development, urban economics research, municipal and public affairs, and benefits consulting in Vancouver and Toronto. Azim’s experiences growing up in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia left a lasting affection for, and curiosity about, the Arab world that lead him to pursue coursework at the University of Toronto’s Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations department prior to joining the MAAS program. At Georgetown, Azim is pursuing questions around regional foreign policy strategies, and evolving national identity constructs, in the states of the Arabian Peninsula.