dr. M (Malika) Ouacha

Biography

I am an assistant-professor of cross-border diaspora and bicultural philanthropy, and humanitarian leadership. I am affiliated with the Zakat Foundation Institute, USA, the Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands), and Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah & Sayid Ali Rahmatullah
Jakarta & Tuluggagung, Indonesia. My research focuses on how diaspora communities, migrants, refugees, and bicultural individuals engage in nonprofit organisations, philanthropy, volunteering, social entrepreneurship, and humanitarian action across borders. I examine the transfer of knowledge, resources, money, values, and social capital between the Global North and the Global South, as well as South-South cooperation. Central themes in my work include humanitarian leadership, belonging, philanthropy, nonprofit, identity, intergenerational traditions, activism, decolonization, and the role of diaspora communities in responding to social, economic, and humanitarian challenges.

In addition to my academic work, I am the founder and owner of Diaspora Impact Lab, an independent research and advisory platform dedicated to strengthening the contribution of diaspora communities to sustainable development, philanthropy, humanitarian action, and social innovation. Through Diaspora Impact Lab, I conduct research, develop partnerships, provide strategic advice, and facilitate knowledge exchange between diaspora communities, governments, nonprofits, academic institutions, and international organizations. The Lab aims to bridge perspectives from the Global North and Global South and to elevate diaspora voices in policy, development, and sustainability debates.

I teach and supervise students in the fields of Humanitarian Leadership Practices, Humanitarian Justice and Ethics, Global Humanitarianism, Diaspora Nonprofits, Diaspora Philanthropy and Volunteering, Diaspora Engagement, Migration and Development, and Decolonization in Civil Society Organizations. My teaching and research seek to advance a more inclusive understanding of philanthropy, leadership, and social change by highlighting the experiences, agency, and impact of diaspora communities worldwide.