Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi

Sophia Nina B-A has lived and worked for over a decade in Central Asia and Afghanistan, conducting geopolitical risk analysis and strategic advisory services in both the public and private sectors. Her particular area of focus is on transport infrastructure, particularly railways. She currently works as a freelance journalist and a consultant for the international development sector, with her recent assignment consulting for the IFC based in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

In 2024, she founded Train of Thought, a project that researches, maps and offers strategic analysis on railway development in Iran, Central Asia and Afghanistan. She has published over 30 articles on railways and transport infrastructure with bylines in RUSI, The Diplomat, Le Monde, The BBC, and The Economist. Sophia is a native English speaker and fluent in Uzbeki, Russian, Dari and conversational Tajiki.