Nava Khorram Ahmad graduates with master’s degree

Nava Khorram Ahmad, who was born and raised on Saipan, has graduated with a master’s degree in International Public Law and Human Rights (LLM) from the Riga Graduate School of Law, in Riga, Latvia. She is currently living in Riga, with her husband who is studying medicine.

Ahmad attended Brilliant Star Montessori School and Saipan International School, before moving to the Czech Republic where she attended high school. She graduated from the University of Lynchburg in Virginia, with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Spanish.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Ahmad served as a legislative aide to the CNMI Legislature, supporting the committees on Health and Welfare, and Education and the Workforce. “It was so nice for me to be back on Saipan,” said Ahmad. “It was a thrill to be able to work closely with issues related to healthcare and equal access, and I think it was this work that inspired the topic of my Master’s dissertation.” She also expressed her gratitude to her mentors in the CNMI legislature, former congresswomen Leila Staffler and Tina Sablan.

Her dissertation examined access to healthcare, and more specifically universal health coverage, and compared the successes and challenges faced in healthcare systems in the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. “It was interesting to conclude from my research, that in the last analysis, we have to overcome cultural barriers and thought patterns about the right to health, before universal health care can be adopted. The reason the US seems to be far behind in universal healthcare has a lot to do with attitudes and cultural norms in society that place the rights of the individual above the well-being of the group,” Ahmad explained.

As a result of her dissertation defense, she was invited to give the commencement speech to her class.

Ahmad is currently pursuing work in the broader field of development, climate sustainability, and disaster resilience. “My interest lies in helping bring equality to those populations with limited access to resources. While I may live in Europe now, my heart remains in the Pacific, the place of my birth, and I would be thrilled to continue to be involved in the endeavors of the region as a remote worker,” she said.

Ahmad is the daughter of David and Mara Khorram, who in 1998 founded Marianas Eye Institute and Brilliant Star Montessori School. (PR)