Producing Informed Policy Research
SAFI aims to produce an annual flagship country report, and issue-based policy briefs on South Asia, which will be shared with a…
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Nonpartisan Policy research for South Asia
Informed policy, free from regional dominance.
The South Asia Freedom Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank working across nine nations — conducting credible public opinion research, publishing rigorous analysis, and building the informed public discourse that better policy depends on.
- Where we work
- Bangladesh
- India
- Pakistan
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Afghanistan
- Sri Lanka
- Bhutan
- Maldives
About SAFI
A think tank built around the region it studies.
SAFI is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that serves as a think tank dedicated to promoting freedom in foreign and regional policies in South Asia. The Institute collaborates with nine South Asian nations and their neighboring countries connected by land: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Together, we strive to influence public policy in South Asia without any constraints of regional dominance.
SAFI’s mission is to conduct credible public opinion research and to influence South Asia’s foreign and domestic policy through in-depth research and analysis. We endeavor to be an essential voice on foreign and regional policy issues in South Asia, ensuring equitable representation from all nine targeted countries.
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We endeavor to be an essential voice on foreign and regional policy issues in South Asia, ensuring equitable representation from all nine targeted countries.
— From SAFI’s founding statementWho we serve
Youth, scholars, students, experts, academics, vulnerable populations, refugees, immigrants, and practitioners.
How we work
Policy-relevant studies, public opinion research, data analysis, and community development activities.
Four Key Initial Programs
How the Institute does its work
Four programmes carry SAFI’s mission from research design through to the communities and decision-makers the findings are meant to reach.
Interdisciplinary Data Gathering and Analysis
Our program for gathering and analyzing public opinion is a vital component of SAFI. We adopt a multi-thematic and…
ExploreInformed Public Discourses
We actively engage practitioners, scholars, government officials, private sector representatives, civil society members, and our…
ExploreCommunity Development and Conflict Management
Community engagement activities will be developed through partnerships with relevant stakeholders across South Asian countries and…
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Our Objectives
Three commitments that shape every project
Narrative Change
We aim to highlight positive trends, increase awareness and visibility, and research social, cultural, and political narratives.
Youth Engagement
We strive to bridge the gap between policy, leadership, and young people by gathering data and fostering informed public discourse.
Scholarship Development
We seek to enhance emerging scholarship and contribute to high-quality research and policy analysis through data collection and resource exchange with global partners.
Achieved through public opinion research, policy analysis, action research, and community development.
Seven working commitments define what SAFI actually does with the evidence it gathers.
Read the full objectives- Identifying and understanding priorities to inform policymakers and stakeholders in South Asia, enabling them to address challenges effectively.
- Enhancing government and institutional capacity by incorporating South Asian perspectives and bridging the divide between policymakers.
- Recognizing and addressing the resource gap in scholarship between South Asians and their international counterparts.
- Conducting opinion polls and data collection to drive policy analysis, foster debate, and focus shifting attitudes in both South Asia and the diaspora.
9
South Asian nations
10
Policy labs planned
4
Key initial programs
1
Annual flagship report
Policy Labs
Ten programme areas. One shared standard of evidence.
SAFI focuses on several programme areas, and for each of these we aim to create a Policy Lab under the Institute — directed by experts, sharing instruments and quality standards so findings can be read across themes and across borders.
See all policy labs
Latest Research
Publications & policy briefs
The Student-led Movement and the Downfall of the Bangladesh Government
After a student-led mass revolution ended a 16-year rule, the interim government faces two obstacles above all: an entrenched…
Why Victims Must Lead Bangladesh’s Truth Commission
Three recommendations for the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission: broad consultation, genuine inclusion of victims beyond…
Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Regional Governance Matters
A humanitarian crisis that no single state can settle alone. Why a sustainable answer for the Rohingya requires combined political…
Informed Public Discourse
Full calendar
Upcoming events
Sep
2026
From the Streets to the Ballot Box
Youth Uprisings and the Future of South Asia
Where We Work
Nine nations, connected by land and by consequence
The Institute collaborates with nine South Asian nations and their neighboring countries connected by land, working to influence public policy without any constraints of regional dominance.
Bangladesh
Dhaka
India
New Delhi
Pakistan
Islamabad
Myanmar
Naypyidaw
Nepal
Kathmandu
Afghanistan
Kabul
Sri Lanka
Colombo
Bhutan
Thimphu
Maldives
Malé
Work with SAFI
Evidence that reaches the people who decide.
Partner with the Institute, join a policy lab, or apply for an internship. We work with researchers, institutions, and communities across all nine nations and the diaspora.