Lejla works in UNDP's Istanbul Regional Hub on open data in Europe and Central Asia. She has worked on open data use and re-use to increase transparency and improve public services, leading initiatives which aim to bring citizens, including the young, closer to their decision-makers through the use of technology, and engaging young people as agents of change through collaborative design methods.
Prior to UNDP, she has worked with Norwegian development assistance and political affairs, and the World Bank in the area of human development. She has a broad experience in research, having published research on the role of civil society in the fight against corruption, implementation of the freedom of information legislation, international efforts in state-building contexts, the state of LGBT rights in Kosovo, and the importance of women's empowerment for Kosovo's development.
She holds a Master's degree in public policy from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, and has completed her bachelor studies at the American University in Bulgaria in political science and business administration.
