Zaid Patel

Founder and President @ Leicester Politics Society

About

I’m a Master’s student in Diplomacy & International Affairs at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, with a passion for understanding how global challenges can be addressed through dialogue, diplomacy, and collaboration. I previously studied History and Politics at the University of Leicester, UK, where I also founded and led Leicester Politics Society — a space for students to connect, debate, and engage with the political issues shaping our world. In my leadership tenure we took the society digital and launched our own YouTube Channel where we interviewed various MPs & Diplomats. I am interested in the Middle East and particularly in the UAE’s growing influence on international diplomacy. The country’s foreign policy and its role in regional stability and global cooperation inspire my research and shape my academic direction. I’m always keen to connect with people interested in Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, Governance, Startups & Journalism

Country

United Arab Emirates

City

Dubai

Industry

Political Organization

Skill

Experience

Founder and President

Leicester Politics Society

2023-6 - 2025-7 · 2 yrs 2 mos

Drafted the annual agenda for the society Led a team of 13 committee members and delegated them relevant tasks Scouting of high profile guest speakers (List includes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's former Speechwriter Gabrielle Cesvet, Hong-Kong Activist Nathan Law, ASI director of research Maxwell Marlow) Set up and run society's YouTube Channel interviewing leading experts and politicians such as former Al Jazeera host and journalist Barbara Serra & Portugal MP Miguel Costa Matos, Israel MP Ofer Cassif, South African MP Tammy Breedt & Former British Ambassador to Tajikistan Tim Jones. Organized the Russia-Ukraine War Summit 2023 featuring Bernie Sander's foreign advisor Matt Duss & prominent experts around the world The Youtube Channel set up has garnered more than 14,300 views in total since its inception.

Retail Assistant

Marks and Spencer

2019-2 - 2019-3 · 2 mos

Responsibilities: Serve customers at service points Deliver on daily sales targets Understanding customer's needs and making recommendations Impact: Built positive relationships with the customer through strong communication skills Took accountability for workload efficiency and was flexible with new tasks offered by the manager Quick to act on feedback offered by customers and team leaders

Education

Zayed University

2025-8 - 2026

Currently on Dean's List and Semester Honors

University of Leicester

2022 - 2025 · 3 yrs

Took modules on British Politics, Comparative Politics, Modern Chinese History, Southern African History, Parliamentary Studies, Holocaust Studies, Economic History & Political Analysis. My Dissertation was focused on Indian Electoral Politics in which I investigated the main causes of electoral decline of the Indian National Congress in Delhi Assembly Elections from 2013-2020 through surveys and oral interviews