Tengku Nur Qistina binti Tengku Mohamad Rizam

Professional Fellow

Tengku Nur Qistina, better known as Qistina, is a development professional and policy researcher with over seven years of experience spanning international development, governance, and inclusive innovation across Southeast Asia. Her work focuses on designing and delivering programmes that translate complex policy goals into actionable, evidence-based solutions.

In her career, she contributed to programme design and policy engagement beyond traditional gender frameworks, integrating inclusivity, innovation, and systems thinking into initiatives that strengthen women’s entrepreneurship, labour and digital participation in Malaysia. Previously, at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, she researched on governance and led research on gender, coordinated regional dialogues, and supported Malaysia’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.
Her early years began as a columnist and writer, having written for national publications since 2016 on issues of policy, nation-building, identity, and social change, shaping public understanding through accessible and reflective commentary. She currently sits on the board of Architects of Diversity.

She read Law LLB at the University of Manchester and holds a Master’s degree in National Security Studies from the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. Her professional approach combines analytical rigour, empathy, and cross-sector collaboration, with a passion for advancing evidence-driven, inclusive, and locally grounded policy innovation.