Human rights defenders

Hur Hassnain (MDS, MBA) is an evaluation specialist, author, Treasurer and founding Board Member at the International Evaluation Academy. Currently he is working as the Senior Evaluation Expert at Meldea, the European Commission DG INTPA, DG NEAR, and FPI’s external service on Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Design supporting the headquarter units, and over a hundred EU Delegations around the world.

Hur has authored several internationally peer reviewed publications, including a book as lead author: Evaluation in Contexts of Fragility, Conflict and Violence published in 2021. It presents an interesting argument that “evaluation” – like development aid itself – can unintentionally exacerbate tensions in ways that can negatively affect people and institutions if care is not taken in designing and approaching it with caution and sensitivity.

Hur has over 20 years of experience of working in a variety of thematic areas including but not limited to gender equality, rural development, climate change, renewable energy, agriculture, women’s economic empowerment, education, and protection. He has lived and worked in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Hur has designed, commissioned, and conducted research and evaluations for projects funded by UN agencies, the European Commission, private donors and the governments of the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Norway.

Hur is a staunch advocate of the Latin proverb "rerum cognoscere causas", signifying the pursuit of understanding the causes of things – a guiding principle that underpins his work and philosophy.

Currently, I am working at the Coordination of the Practitioners' Network for European Development Cooperation. Before that, I worked as an EU Strategy Officer for FIIAPP (a Spanish development agency with a focus on technical cooperation) at the Brussels office and developing the Practitioners’ Network co-Presidency. Young professional with experience in international public administration, Latin America-EU development cooperation, youth and civic engagement, and peacebuilding. Cross-cultural education, team-oriented, communicative, and proactive professional. I am part of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations as a Fellow 2019, focusing on: “The Role of Women in Peacemaking and Conflict Prevention” (MENA region intercultural exchange fellowship). Master's in Diplomacy and International Relations at the Diplomatic School in 2019.

Freelance expert, highly experienced in implementing and managing EU-funded programmes and projects in the fields of support to civil society, democratic governance and human rights, with a special focus on Africa (Western and Central) and the EUROMED region.