This summer, CADCA welcomed Gubat Abdullaev to the organization through the Frank Karel Fellowship in Public Interest Communications. The Karel Fellowship is an eight-week program that matches undergraduate students with non-profit organizations in the Washington, DC area, with the goal of encouraging them to consider professional opportunities in the field of public interest communications.  

Named after Frank Karel, a trailblazer in using communications for social change, the program supports students who are interested in aligning communications with purpose-driven work.  

Gubat is currently pursuing both sociological analysis and governmental programs at Franklin and Marshall and University of Oxford to protect human rights with a focus on children’s rights and victims of human trafficking using various strategies, from qualitative and quantitative research (R-Studio) to public speaking. He previously worked for human rights-centered organizations, such as Clifford Chance, UNICEF, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and NYS Unified Court System. His research interests include ideal victim theory, social psychology within marginalized communities, children’s rights, humanitarian aid assistance, and rehabilitation and reintegration programs. With experience working across Sweden, Japan, Azerbaijan, the U.S., and the U.K., he focuses on the intersections between human rights, civic engagement, and democracy to emphasize creating a safe and anti-violent environment. 

He applied to the fellowship to improve his understanding of how communications can shape public health outcomes. Gubat says, “I’ve always been passionate about the intersection of social justice and strategic communication. Coming from a background in human rights and public policy research, I wanted to understand how stories and messaging can drive concrete change.” 

Gubat was placed with CADCA due to the alignment between our mission and his academic and professional interests. He added that CADCA stood out because its work lies at the heart of many issues that he cares deeply about, such as youth empowerment and preventing cycles of trauma and exploitation.  

We’re grateful to host Gubat this summer and look forward to seeing where his passion for public interest communications takes him next.