Photo credits: Zuneera Shah 2026
Mehwish Zuberi successfully defended her PhD thesis, Navigating Agricultural Transformation Pathways: Dynamics, Possibilities, and Aspirations of Smallholder Farmers in South Punjab, Pakistan.
Mehwish‘s dissertation examines agricultural transformation in South Punjab, Pakistan, focusing on smallholder farmers’ lived experiences within productivity-driven policy contexts. She investigates how policies promoting genetically modified and hybrid seeds affect farming practices and outcomes. Using qualitative and participatory research, she studied the complex, non-linear dynamics shaping farming systems. She also explored alternative transformation strategies envisioned by smallholders and the challenges they face. Her dissertation highlights the need to center smallholders’ knowledge and realities in rethinking agricultural policy.
Mehwish completed her doctorate at the Geography Department under the supervision of Jonas Nielsen (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) and Michael Spies (HNEE). The defense took place on 16 April 2026, and the final degree is Magna cum laude.
Congratulations to Mehwish for her outstanding achievement!
