Zahra Hussain

Zahra Hussain is an Architect and Human Geographer based in Pakistan. She leads the ‘Academy for Democracy’ project that explores forms of engagement with changing landscapes. Previously, she wrote about ‘architecture of counter-insurgency’ by examining ways in which urban spaces in Pakistan rapidly transformed due to the War on Terror in the decade of 2000. Her recent work explores heritage and belonging in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region that are grappling with various challenges of infrastructural development and climate change.

Hussain has been involved in several UKRI (United Kingdom Research Institutes) funded projects committed to exploring resilience and adaptation in times of climate crisis affecting the cultural landscapes in South and Central Asia. Currently she is writing about ‘heritage cosmopolitics’ as a way of approaching contemporary mountainous Asia.

The project

Title: Heritage Cosmopolitics in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region

Hosting institution: FMSH as part of the IIAS-FMSH programme

Selective bibliography

• Research Paper - ‘Drawing in’ other worlds: Addressing fragile heritage landscapes through cosmopolitical maps, Journal of Community Archaeology and Heritage, 8:2, 127-141. 2021.
• Co-Authored Research Paper – ‘Conflicting Material Imaginaries’, New Silk Roads in efflux e-flux Architecture. Nishat Awan and Zahra Hussain
• Research Paper - Encountering the cosmos; negotiating conflicting worlds through learning and engagement, SOTL in the South, 4:2, 180-196. 2020.
• Research Paper ‘Integrating cultural landscapes for community museum development; design, practice and strategies.’ Museums and local development, Vol. 71, No. 282-283. 2019
• Book Chapter ‘Open inquiry; fielding the field’ in Navigating the field. Edited by Ajebon, M.O. Kwong, Y.M. and Astorga de Ita, D., Springer, 2020.
• Book Chapter ‘Mapping the intangible – At-Risk Heritage Landscapes in Northern Pakistan’ in Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Protection and Community Engagement in South Asia. Edited by Robin Coningham and Nick Lewer, Palgrave, 2019.
• Book Chapter (Forthcoming) ‘Women, Crafts and landscapes; protecting cultural rights for sustainable development’ in Labour, livelihood and Creative Economies: South Asian Performers and Craftspeople. Edited by Anna Morcom and Neelam Raina, Routledge. 2024