Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies is proud to announce that Rida Ali (BA ’27) has been awarded the prestigious Harold C. Case Scholarship for the 2026–2027 academic year. The Case Scholarship is one of the highest honors accorded to undergraduate students at BU, recognizing outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and scholarly potential. Ali is pursuing a double major in International Relations and Middle Eastern and North African Studies, with a minor in Arabic and Muslim Studies.

Throughout her time at BU, Ali has intentionally shaped her academic and research trajectory around the legacies of colonialism and American interventionism in South Asia and the Near East. She has worked closely with faculty mentors including Professor Noora Lori and Professor Nasir Almasri, contributing to research on Gulf citizenship and state–society relations.

As she enters her senior year, Ali plans to host BU’s first-ever conference on Kashmir, publish her Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) project on Pakistan’s military establishment, and develop her honors thesis exploring settler colonialism across South Asia and the Near East.

In her own words, Ali reflected on the significance of the award and her journey at BU,

This award is a gift that recognizes my resilience and community service. When I first came to BU, I noticed a lack of community and human rights action, and I am proud to say that, through my leadership, I created platforms that will continue to change the trajectory of community building at BU, so newer students don’t experience a similar gap that I did.

A first-generation student and influenced by her upbringing in Pakistan, Ali also emphasized her commitment to using her education to expand access and opportunity to others,

I plan to use the privileged opportunity for education at BU to build a nonprofit that would sponsor education for children and young girls in Pakistan who are out of school or cannot afford quality education. I hope to extend my knowledge as a means of mentorship for these students.

Ali continues a strong tradition of Pardee School students receiving the Case Scholarship in recent years. Most recently, Jessica Lee (’26) was awarded the scholarship in 2025, following Nathan Duong (’25) and Bontu Ankit Patro (’25) in 2024, and Kevin Clenard (’24), Sydney Householder (’24), and Alexis Pfalzgraf (’24) in 2023. Earlier recipients include Charlotte Greenhill (’23), Daniel Markovic (’23), and Evan Teplensky (’23), who were honored in 2022.

The Harold C. Case Scholarship is awarded annually to exceptional BU juniors to support their senior year and was established in recognition of the achievements of Dr. Case, Boston University’s fifth president.