2019 Next Generation Symposium

MA in International Affairs

The Legon Center for International Affairs and

Diplomacy, University of Ghana, Ghana

BA in Politics 

Felicia Dede Addy is the Political Officer of the Embassy of Japan in Ghana, where she liaises with civil society groups such as the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center to coordinate the Embassy’s support for security and peacebuilding in the West African sub-region. She is a member of the African Youth Panel (AYP), a network of young persons on the continent working to influence youth policy through advocacy, empowerment, and leadership. She is the coordinator for the AYP Ghana Chapter. Prior to joining the Embassy of Japan, Felicia was the Programmes Coordinator for Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), an organization committed to building the capacity of journalists in gender reporting. She also helped in the rehabilitation and reintegration of freed ‘Trokosi’ slave girls in Ghana in her previous role as the Programmes Officer for the Baptist Relief and Development Agency.

PhD Student in International Relations

University of Albany, USA

MA in Sociology

Illinois State University, USA

BA in Liberal Arts

St. John’s College, USA

Shikshya Adhikari is a PhD student at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany. She is an International Relations major, focusing on international security and state sponsorship of terrorism. Her Masters degree focused on rural development. She has worked as a research supervisor for Rockefeller College’s Project on violent conflict and has experience working in the field of international development, including earthquake emergency response in Nepal. She also has five years of teaching experience as an elementary school teacher and teaching assistant.

PhD in Politics and International Relations

Lancaster University, England

MA in Contemporary Literature Studies

Lancaster University, England

BA in English Language and Literature

Damascus University, Syria

Dr. Rahaf Aldoughli teaches comparative politics and international relations of the Middle East and is a Visiting Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre. Her research focuses on the association between the rise of nation-states in the Middle East and the perpetuation of militarism, despotism and fundamentalism, analyzing militarism in the Arab context not only as an institution used by the state, but also as an ideology that perpetuates masculinity and gender bias. Rahaf is a Lecturer at Lancaster University teaching Modern Middle Eastern History, based at the Centre for Cultural History of War. She is currently working on a book: Constructing the Syrian Nation: Politics, Ideology and Gender.

PhD Student in Political Science, International

Relations & Comparative Politics

SUNY Albany, USA

MS in Science and Security

King’s College, England

BA in International Relations

University of Indonesia, Indonesia

Mutti Anggitta is currently a Fulbright PhD student in Political Science. Previously, she worked as a Lecturer in the Department of International Relations in BINUS University. Her research interests include nuclear non-proliferation, the Korean Peninsula crises, the Iran nuclear deal, and CBRN terrorism. She is also a Certified Nuclear Security Professional with a specialization in Science and Engineering for Nuclear Security.

PhD Candidate in Political Science

Loyola University Chicago, USA

MA in Cultural Management

Bigli University, Turkey

BSc in International Relations

Middle East Technical University, Turkey

Çağlayan Başer is an instructor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago. Her research focuses on questions related to political violence and gender and combines insights from both interpretive and positivist literature in Political Science. Her dissertation examines how the operation of rebel groups is shaped by gendered dynamics and uses statistical analyses of observational and experimental data as well as qualitative case studies based on primary sources. Her research is published in World Politics. She has been teaching courses on gender and security, social justice, race and ethnicity, and international relations.

MA in Comparative Local Development

Consortium of Universities, Hungary, Germany,

Italy, Slovenia

BA in International and Comparative Politics

American University Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan

Zoya Belmesova works for the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) mission in Kyrgyzstan focusing on political-military and human dimensions of security. Her professional and research interests include the role of international organizations in shaping regional security, the New Great Game, nuclear power politics, human development, and women’s and youth empowerment. Zoya is a member of EvalYouth ECA, a regional chapter of a global network of young and emerging evaluators, where she helps run a mentorship program for young professionals from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and South Caucasus.

MA in Political Studies

Queen’s University, Canada

BA in International Development Studies &

Political Science

University of Toronto, Canada

Chantel Cole is the Executive Director of the WIIS-Canada Toronto Chapter and a Research Assistant at Queen’s University. Her research interests lie at the intersection of international relations, comparative politics, and development studies. In particular, she is interested in understanding the causes and dynamics of organized criminal violence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Chantel has field experience in Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. She will begin her doctoral studies in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto in September 2020. She hopes to combine her research training and expertise in politics, development, gender, violence, and conflict with her academic work in a research institute, government, or an international organization to develop tangible solutions towards the goal of combating organized violence in Latin America and the Caribbean.

PhD Student in Political Science

McGill University, Canada

MA in Political Science

McGill University, Canada

BS in Sociology

Middle East Technical University, Turkey

BA in Philosophy

Middle East Technical University, Turkey

Merve Erdilmen is a PhD Student whose research interests include localization of humanitarianism, peacebuilding, gender and forced migration, international practices of the refugee regime, and humanitarian development initiatives in the Middle East. Merve’s research is supported by Mitacs Globalink (2016-2018), Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship (2016-2018), McGill Graduate Research Enhancement and Travel Awards (2017-2018), and the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (2019).

PhD Candidate in Law

Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College, UK

LLM in Transnational Law

Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College, UK

LLB in German Law

University of Birmingham, UK

Farnush Ghadery is a Visiting Lecturer and PhD Candidate at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London. She was a recipient of the Yeoh Tiong Lay LLM Scholarship and is currently the recipient of the Dickson Poon Postgraduate Research Scholarship. Farnush’s PhD project examines women’s rights and women’s participation in the context of the United Nations 'Women, Peace and Security’ agenda in post-conflict states and analyses the international framework set up for these purposes. Her research focuses on the relationship of the United Nations with local women’s civil society groups in post-conflict states, focusing on the case study of Afghanistan.

MA in Security Studies

Georgetown University, USA

BA in Political Science

Wellesley College, USA

BA in Chinese Language and Culture

Wellesley College, USA

Melodie Ha was a research assistant for the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the U.S. National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies. Her research areas include the People’s Liberation Army, U.S.-China relations, and cybersecurity and emerging technologies. Prior to this, she worked at the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and the Center for a New American Security. Melodie served as a David L. Boren Fellow to China in 2016 at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

PhD Candidate in Public Policy

Schar School of Policy and Government

George Mason University, USA

MA in  International Relations with a concentration in Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies

New York University, USA

BA in International Affairs & Comparative Politics

New York University, USA

Layla M. Hashemi is a PhD Candidate at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government and a graduate research assistant at the George Mason University’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC). Ms. Hashemi received her M.A. from New York University in International Relations with a concentration in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Ms. Hashemi has worked for various governmental and non-governmental organizations including Forum 2000 (Prague, Czech Republic) and The Journal of Civil Society. She is currently an adjunct professor of Political Science at Montgomery College where she teaches a variety of courses including Comparative Politics, International Conflict Resolution and a course she helped develop on Global Human Rights. Her current research focuses on illicit trade, human trafficking and corruption in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

PhD in Safety Engineering and Disaster Control

        Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria

BA in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) 

        Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria

MA of Science Engineering  

        Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria 

Ibrahim Abdulmajeed is a Regulatory Engineer with The Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority at the Department of Nuclear Safety Security and Safeguards, he is charged with the responsibility of protecting life and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, he has a keen interest in issues of Nuclear Safety, Security and Non Proliferation of WMD and to ensure the safe operation of Nuclear Technology, Security of Nuclear facilities and materials. He desires to see that the World is free from the threat of weapons of Mass destruction, which also includes biological and chemical weapons. He was also a visiting fellow at the James Martin Centre for Non-Proliferation Studies Monterey USA.

MSc in Women, Peace and Security

London School of Economics, UK

BA in International Studies

Simon Fraser University, British Columbia

Elinor McNamee is a Women, Peace and Security Specialist at the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Elinor has previously worked in trade, humanitarian, and non-profit sectors, always centering human security and gender equality in her work. Elinor co-founded Young Gen for Inclusive Peace, a research and advocacy platform dedicated to promoting the inclusion of young voices in advancing the WPS agenda. Elinor is also a contributor at the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy and a regular guest lecturer at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Elinor served as an elected student representative during both her graduate and undergraduate studies, has served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian International Council (Vancouver Branch) and Leave Out Violence Society BC, and was a member of the International Humanitarian Law Steering Committee for the Canadian Red Cross in BC & Yukon.

MAS in International and European Security

University of Geneva and the GCSP, Switzerland

Leadership in International Security Course

GCSP, Switzerland

MBA in Top Management 

IPADE Business School, Mexico

BA in Political Science 

ITAM, Mexico

Mónica Mendez Caballero is a political scientist specialized in policy design for security, defense, and rule of law sector. Her work focuses on analyzing the Security Sector Reform in Mexico. While at public service, her work designing and implementing a Strategic Management Model for public security agencies was awarded with the 3rd place of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) 2017 Contest on Management for Development Results (MfDR). Mónica has technically assisted the Guatemalan Ministry of Government and the National Civil Police in planning methodologies to strengthen public security institutions. And she had taught the subject "Strategic planning tools for police operation" in the Program for Police Command presented by the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE) and the National Commission of Security. She has served in the Federal Government of Mexico, as Deputy General Director at the National Commission of Security; as Director at the Secretariat of the National Security Council; as advisor to Undersecretaries at the Secretary of Interior and at the Secretary of Civil Service. 

MPhil in International Peace Studies

           Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

BA in English Language and Literature

  University of Burundi, Burundi

Dismas Ndayikengurukiye works as a Coordinator at Greenland Alliance. He recently graduated with Distinction in Master of Philosophy in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin. Being part of the Young African Leaders Initiatives (YALI), he is very passionate about leadership and peace with focus on gender issues in post-conflict contexts. He volunteered with different local youth organisations in conducting trainings on leadership, non-violence and conflict resolution, and gender topics.

MSc in International Relations

RSIS, Singapore

BA in English Literature

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Amanda Trea Phua is Senior Analyst at the United States Programme at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore. Amanda previously worked as an international news producer and editor-in-chief of an interdisciplinary arts publication. Her research interests lie at the intersection of international relations theory, gender studies, and critical social thought.

George Mason University, USA

MA in Human Rights and Genocide Studies

Kingston University, England

BA in History, Russian & Post-Soviet Studies

The College of William and Mary, USA

Emily Sample is the Executive Director of the Genocide Prevention Program at the George Mason University School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and is in the process of earning her PhD. Previously, she worked as Associate Director of Education at the Holocaust Museum Houston, for the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Ugandan National Committee on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, as well as for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. Her research interests include sexual and gender-based violence, climate change mitigation, and mass atrocity prevention.

PhD in International Public Law

Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

MA in International Law (LLM)

Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

MA in International Organizations & Cooperation

Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

BA in Law

Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain

Dr. Ana Sanchez Cobaleda is currently a visiting researcher at the University of Leiden and holds a post-doc position at ESADEGeo, where her research focuses on international peace and security as a global public good. Ana's PhD thesis at the University of Barcelona focused on the international legal regime of dual-use goods and how it relates to the non-proliferation of WMD. She is an alumnus of the OECD’s NEA International School of Nuclear Law and a member of the Chaudfontaine Group on strategic trade control. Ana has been a visiting researcher at the KU Leuven, the University of Geneva, the University of Amsterdam, and the Council of Europe. Previously she worked as a lawyer in a private sector law firm and at the UN Development Program’s Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean.

PhD Student in International Studies

Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, USA

MA in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies

Rothberg International School at

Hebrew University, Jerusalem

BA in Government and Middle Eastern Studies

Smith College, USA

Sophie Schor’s work focuses on the intersection of nonviolent civil resistance and feminist movements in Israel/Palestine. Her research interests include spatial politics, critical political theory, language, and community-based research approaches. Her previous work includes a historical ethnography of feminist peace movements in Israel, focusing on Women Wage Peace; a critical reading of Hebrew language textbooks; and an analysis of bus-routes and borders in Jerusalem. She was a member of the first ever women’s group of Combatants for Peace, and served on the steering committee of Sumud Freedom Camp in the South Hebron Hills in the occupied Palestinian territories.

PhD in International Relations

Georgetown University, USA

MA in Government

Georgetown University, USA

BA in Political Science

Sarah Lawrence College, USA 

Dr. Madison Schramm is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Innovative Approaches to Grand Strategy at the University of Notre Dame. Her research focuses on international security, the domestic politics of foreign policy, political psychology, and gender and foreign policy. Madison has previously worked with the Council on Foreign Relations, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Yale University's Political Violence FieldLab, and the RAND Corporation.

PhD Candidate in Diplomacy & Disarmament Division

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

MPhil in Disarmament & Diplomacy Division

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

MA in Politics

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

BA in Political Science

St. Xavier’s College, University of Calcutta, India

Smita Singh is currently working as an Assistant Committee Officer in the India Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs. Previously, she held the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science in Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. She has been awarded a Senior Research Fellowship in both International Relations and Political Science from the University Grants Commission, India. Her research interest lies in the areas of foreign policy analysis, comparative government, strategic and nuclear policy, and gender politics.

MA in Law and Diplomacy

Tufts University, USA

BS in Justice Studies

Westminster College, USA

Dallin Van Leuven is a Program Manager for Search for Common Ground (Search), where he has worked for the past four years. He has researched the drivers of radicalization across the Middle East, led the creation of Search’s CVE guide and training curriculum, and advised on the UN Women-funded research project “Women and Violent Radicalization in Jordan.” Van Leuven has co-authored a number of research studies, including Search’s “Youth and Contentious Politics in Lebanon: Drivers of Marginalization and Radicalization in Tripoli,” and the United Nations Development Programme’s “Kosovo-Wide Assessment of Perceptions of Radicalisation at the Community Level.” He also authored a book chapter on ISIL’s unprecedented use of gendered strategies to recruit foreign men and women, which was published in Foreign Fighters under International Law and Beyond. Van Leuven is a native of the state of Idaho in the United States and currently resides in Rome, Italy.

PhD Candidate in International Politics

Aberystwyth University, UK

MA in International Studies/ Peace & Conflict Studies

Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany

BA in Sociological European Studies

University of Bremen, Germany

Jana Wattenberg is a PhD Candidate in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University, and the Deputy Director of the David Davies Memorial Institute of International Studies. She holds a BA from the University of Bremen in Sociological European Studies and a MA in International Studies/Peace and Conflict Studies from Goethe University Frankfurt. She is currently working on research projects on ideas about nuclear weapons and disarmament, nuclear stigmatization and women in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.