Patty Zakaria

Patty Zakaria is a data analytics scholar whose work focuses on how data, evidence, and analytical reasoning can improve institutional performance, organizational decision-making, and governance systems. With more than two decades of research and applied experience, she specializes in translating complex real-world problems into questions that can be addressed through rigorous data inquiry.

Her work sits at the intersection of data analytics, institutional systems, and governance integrity, applying quantitative approaches to issues traditionally examined without analytical frameworks. She is particularly interested in how data reshapes accountability, organizational behaviour, and system performance across diverse contexts.

Through international and field experience, Patty integrates analytical thinking with grounded institutional understanding, bringing a data-driven perspective to challenges in organizations and governance structures.

Courses taught

Principles of Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Case Studies, Predictive Analytics, Capstone Data Project, Data Analytics for Decision-Making

Areas of academic interest

Data analytics for institutions and organizations, AI governance, evidence-based decision-making, data, accountability, system performance

Areas of specialization

Data-driven institutional analysis, analytical approaches to governance systems, AI and data adoption in organizational environments

Awards

• Nominated for Minister’s Award of Excellence (2024) 
• Nominated for Rising Star at Global University Systems (2022) 
• OECD Research Edge winner for anti-corruption research (2018) 
• Daimler Chrysler MAIR Grant (2006) 

Additional courses and professional development

• University Teaching Certificate, Centre for Teaching Excellence – University of Niagara Falls Canada
• AI Safety, Ethics, & Society from the Center for AI Safety (CAIS) - USA 2025

Publications

Peer-reviewed publications

1. Zakaria, P., & Shah, J. (Editors). (2026). Women Entrepreneurs and SMEs in the Global South: From Barriers to Breakthroughs. Routledge Publishers: UK. Forthcoming Spring 2026.
2. Zakaria, P. (2025). Empowering Women's Financial Inclusion in Africa's Informal Sector. Centre for International Governance Innovation. September 2025.
3. Zakaria, P. (2025). Chapter 6: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Sustainability. In A. N. Turi & P. Teckle (Eds.), Tech transformation and AI readiness: Pioneering paths for the global south. Springer Nature Switzerland AG
4. Zakaria, P. (2024). Youth Engagement in SDG 16 Corruption Targets and Its Importance. In Filho, A. W., (Ed.), Implementing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals: Regional Perspectives, as part of the World Sustainability Series. Springer Publishers.
5. Zakaria, P. (2016). “The Influence of Socioeconomic Trends on Individual Perception of Corruption: The Case of Croatia.” Public Integrity Journal, 18(4): 419 – 440.
6. Zakaria, P. (2015). “Visegrad at a crossroad in Europe: nuclear energy.” European Perspective Special Issue from the Visegrad Fund, 7(2/13): 87 – 118.
7. Zakaria, P. (2013). “Corruption an Enemy of Civil Society: the case of East and Central Europe” International Political Science Review 34(4): 351 – 371.
8. Zakaria, P. (2013). “In the name of corruption: charting perception and experience with corruption in Croatia” European Perspectives – Journal of European Perspectives of the Western Balkans, 5(2/9)” 43 – 62.

Book

1. Zakaria, P. (2019). Understanding the behavior of states as nuclear status changes. Scholars’ Press: Latvia.

Book chapters

1. Zakaria, P. (2024). Youth Engagement in SDG-16 corruption targets and its Importance 
   Filho, A. W., (eds) Implementing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals- Regional Perspectives as part of the World Sustainability Series. Springer Publishers (Forthcoming). 
2. Zakaria, P. (2023). Financial Inclusion to Digital Finance Risks – A commentary on financial crimes, Money-Laundering, and Fraud (Chapter 9). In Turi, A. N., (ed) Financial Technologies and Defi: A revisit to the digital financial revolution. Springer Publishers. 
3. Zakaria, P. (2022). Education under attack: examining education in emergencies and strategies for strengthening education. In Cummings, J & Fayed, I (eds) Teaching in the Post COVID-19 Era. Springer Publishers. 
4. Zakaria, P. (2019). Assessing the impact of sectarian patronage in Lebanon. In Corruption and Informal Practices in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 65-76). Routledge. 
5. Zakaria P. (2018). Religiosity and Corruption. In Kubbe I., & Engelbert A. (eds) Corruption and Norms. (pp. 69- 90) Political Corruption and Governance. Palgrave Macmillan. 

Policy, technical, and other reports

1. Contributing Author. (2023). Evaluation of the Business Resilience Assistance for Value-adding Enterprises (BRAVE). End-line evaluation Yemen Project. 
2. Zakaria, P. (2023). Country Narrative: North America– Western Hemisphere Anti-Corruption Index 
3. Contributing Author. (2022). Western Hemisphere Anti-Corruption Index Report 2022. Completed for John Jay College of Criminal Justice & the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. 
4. Contributing Author. (2022). Western Hemisphere Anti-Corruption Index: Methodology 2022. Completed for John Jay College of Criminal Justice & the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. 
5. Zakaria, P. (2022). Country Narrative: The Caribbean – Western Hemisphere Anti-Corruption Index 
6. Zakaria, P. (2022). Country Narrative: South and Central America – Western Hemisphere Anti-Corruption Index 
7. Zakaria, P. (2021). Customer Insight Report for GOTOX Inc., Patty Zakaria Research Group Limited. 
8. Contributing Author*. (2019). Annual Development Effectiveness Report 2018: focusing on ICD’s innovation in supporting SMEs in fragile settings. Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector, Jedda, Saudi Arabia. *Exclusively contributed chapter 3 on state fragility 
9. Zakaria, P. (2018). To Tolerate or Not Tolerate Bribery: Can a Lack of Control over Corruption Determine Tolerance Levels? OECD Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum. 
10. Zakaria, P. (2017). Quantitative and Qualitative: which approach is superior in the program 
    Evaluation? [White Paper] Ghubril Ltd. 
11. Corruption Research Centre Budapest. (2016). Refugee Crisis in Hungary: Content analysis of articles from the online version of eight news outlets. Corruption Research Center Budapest Report.  

Book reviews

1. Zakaria, P. (2016). Review of “A time to attack: the looming Iranian nuclear threat” by Matthew Kroenig, in International Journal, Volume 71(4).