Hafsa Qadri joins RMRN CT as FGD host
Pakistani research professional brings experience in geopolitical analysis, editorial management, fact verification and policy research to regional media dialogue.
The Regional Media Research Network (RMRN) has welcomed Hafsa Qadri of Pakistan to its Core Team (CT) as Host and FGD Manager, strengthening the network’s capacity to facilitate structured discussions on regional media narratives, geopolitical developments and cross-border issues.
RMRN connects media professionals, journalists and researchers across South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), media monitoring and collaborative research, the network aims to examine how regional issues are reported, framed and understood across different countries.
In her new role, Qadri will oversee the planning and facilitation of RMRN’s FGDs, helping transform individual observations into structured regional discussions. Her responsibilities will include preparing session agendas, introducing discussion topics, managing speaking turns, encouraging balanced participation, asking follow-up questions and summarising key findings.
She will also coordinate with relevant Core Team members to support documentation and follow-up outputs, including media briefings, research notes, regional observations and analytical articles.
Qadri brings around four years of experience in desk research, information classification, verification and quality-controlled research across think tanks, media and civil society settings, according to her CV.
She currently serves as Team Lead – Research & Publications at Rethinking Economics Islamabad, where she coordinates research workflows, reviews and validates research and publication content, and manages a research journal initiative and intern training programme.
She also serves as Senior Team Lead at Fusion TV Network, managing the editorial pipeline from research through publication, coordinating team deliverables and maintaining content-quality standards.
Previously, Qadri worked as a Research Intern on the Geopolitical and Defence Desk at Xplora Horizons News Network, where she produced more than 30 research pieces involving desk research, fact verification and source cross-checking under tight deadlines.
Her earlier research experience includes placements at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) and the Arms Control & Disarmament Centre at Global Strategm Insight. Her work has included policy-oriented research, analytical writing, information organisation and support for policy briefs.
Qadri holds a Bachelor of Defence and Strategic Studies from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, where she achieved a CGPA of 3.8 out of 4.0.
Her professional competencies include qualitative and quantitative research, survey design and analysis, policy brief and report drafting, information verification, analytical writing and project coordination. She is fluent in English and is a native Urdu speaker.
Beyond her professional work, Qadri has contributed to civil society initiatives. She served as a group leader for a child protection project with the Pakistan Red Crescent, helping deliver community awareness sessions, and volunteered as a teacher at Karwan-e-Mudabir.
Her combined experience in geopolitical research, media production, editorial quality control and team coordination provides a relevant foundation for managing discussions that require careful examination of sources, evidence and competing perspectives.
At RMRN, an FGD is intended to be more than a routine online meeting. It is an opportunity for participants from different countries to compare media coverage, examine the sources behind important claims, identify differences in framing and explore the broader regional context.
As Host and FGD Manager, Qadri will help maintain a clear structure for each session while ensuring that participants have the opportunity to contribute their observations. She will work with the media-monitoring, research and editorial teams to connect discussions with appropriate documentation and potential publication.
The objective is to ensure that each session has a clear topic, purposeful participation and a useful outcome, whether a media briefing, research note or analytical article.
RMRN is developing its regional structure across South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Its broader mission is to create space for evidence-based media discussion, cross-border collaboration and a better understanding of how different societies interpret regional developments.
Qadri’s appointment supports this mission by bringing research discipline, editorial coordination and geopolitical awareness into the network’s discussion process.
Through her work as Host and FGD Manager, she will contribute to a more organised approach to regional dialogue—one that values evidence, welcomes different perspectives and connects discussion with meaningful analysis.
About RMRN: The Regional Media Research Network is a regional initiative connecting journalists, media professionals and researchers across South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East through media monitoring, verification, narrative analysis, Focus Group Discussions and cross-border dialogue.
