Fathimath Ahlam Niyaz is a Research Fellow at the Research Development Office (RDO) of the Maldives National University (MNU). With a tenure spanning over three decades, Ahlam’s journey at MNU began in February 1991, where she primarily focused on training teachers at the Faculty of Education. Throughout her academic career, Ahlam actively represented her faculty in various forums such as the Committee on Courses under the Academic Senate at MNU and played a pivotal role in representing MNU in external engagements.

Ahlam’s expertise lies in the intersection of Psychology and Education.  With a Masters degree in Applied Psychology specializing in Behaviour Analysis and a repertoire of additional qualifications in these domains, she has contributed to various research endeavors at MNU.  She transitioned to RDO in January 2024, where she currently collaborates on multifaceted projects, including the marine plastic pollution awareness and practices tailored for Maldivian secondary school students.  Her research also encompasses a study on investigating the motivational strategies employed by secondary school teachers in the Maldives, with a specific focus on the utilization of extrinsic motivation, and partial contribution to a large-scale study by RDO, aimed at identifying the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on Maldivian children.

In her capacity as a Research Fellow, Ahlam assumes significant responsibilities, including overseeing ethics approval for research initiatives at MNU, and assisting with facilitation of tailored training programmes that provide invaluable guidance for Post Graduate Students. Additionally, she oversees the seminar series ‘Lunch Time Talk’ organized by RDO, to foster a culture of knowledge sharing and discourse among researchers in MNU for advancement of scholarly pursuits within the university community.