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Zukie Hlwatika works as a Researcher at Wayne State University in Michigan, USA mainly focusing on legislative research and public policy theories ranging from environmental to geopolitics issues. She is also a 3rd year Political Science PhD student interested in comparative public policy. Zukie has a strong interest in international diplomacy and has participated in international fellowships that foster it and algins herself with work and organizations that partake in international diplomacy such as Global Ties Detroit, through the Mandela Washington Fellowship by the U.S. Department of State, and being a panelist in the annual Fulbright Teacher International Exchanges also hosted by the U.S. Department of State. Zukie is the current President, Wayne State University Chapter, of the Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA), the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, an organization for academically gifted persons in the fields of Public Affairs and Policy. She is a 2023 KFAS-Salzburg Global Leadership Initiative Fellow, a program that convenes an intergenerational, and interdisciplinary network of global thought leaders, at both junior and senior levels, to create new connections and tackle global challenges. She is a 2022 Mandela Washington Fellow, a program established by President Barack Obama in 2014 for young African leaders undertaking impactful work. She is also a 2022 Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leader, a program for young leaders who have demonstrated leadership and initiative in their fields and who aim to shape the regional and global agenda in politics. Furthermore, she is a 2022 Public Service Fellow at Futurelect, a program designed for young ethical individuals from the Southern African Development Community who wish to become leaders in public service. Zukie is interested in international diplomacy and global collaborations that lead to impactful work in governments and communities.
