Akila is currently pursuing a Master’s in Development Practice at Trinity College Dublin. Prior to this, she spent over five years working with Enabel, the Belgian development agency, in Mozambique. In this role, she supported the design and launch of bilateral development programmes, managed strategic partnerships with government ministries, and contributed to multi-sectoral projects in areas such as water access, climate finance, and renewable energy. Her work often involved bridging the gap between donor priorities and national systems, ensuring that development initiatives were contextually appropriate and aligned with national objectives.
These professional experiences have informed her current research, which explores how international development organisations learn and adapt in complex environments. She is particularly interested in the conditions that support meaningful knowledge use and adaptive decision-making in decentralised systems. Her research aims to contribute to broader conversations on organisational development, continuous learning and localisation in the development sector.