Meet our diverse roster of international experts, thought leaders, and practitioners. Discover the unique insights and experiences each guest brings to our discussions on global risk, security, and geopolitics.
Dr. Rik Peels is a Professor in Philosophy and Theology of Radicalisation at the Faculty of Humanities at the Free University of Amsterdam. Rik specialises in the ethics and epistemology of belief, in particular extreme belief, and replication in the humanities. He has developed a theory of responsible belief, studied ignorance, criticised scientism and developed…
Victoria Valdivia Cerda is a political scientist from Chile, she holds a Magister degree in International Relations and currently, she is a student at the doctoral program on International Relations at Universidad de Santiago.Victoria has worked as a space policy advisor contributing to the formulation of Chile’s defense whitepaper (2017)and to the National Defense policy…
Abbee McLatchie is the Director of Youth Work and the Deputy CEO at National Youth Agency. As Director of Youth Work, Abbee McLatchie leads on the development of professional standards; training and development; the National Youth Work Curriculum; as well as quality and safeguarding frameworks. Abbee has worked with young people through youth work since…
Joseph Daher, is a Swiss-Syrian academic and activist. He currently teaches at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), and at the University of Ghent (Belgium) and has been an affiliated professor at the European University Institute (EUI). He has worked with the EUI on the conflict in Syria and the aftermath of the war. Herewith Joseph has…
Mauro Lubrano is a Lecturer in International Relations and Politics at University of Bath and earned his PhD from the University of St Andrews with his research revolving primarily around terrorism and political violence. Mauro’s PhD thesis and more recent works examine the processes of terrorist innovation, seeking to understand the rationale and dynamics of operational…
Almudena Azcárate Ortega is the lead Space Security Researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). She has published widely and briefed UN Member States on the topics of space security law and policy and has presented her research in multiple fora. She has led UNIDIR’s participation in several multilateral discussions, including the 2022-2023…
Dr. William Potter is Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar Professor of Nonproliferation Studies and Founding Director of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at MIIS. He is the author, co-author, or editor of over 20 books, the most recent of which is Death Dust: The Rise, Decline, and Future of Radiological Weapons Programs (Stanford University Press,…
Dr Olivia Mason is a Lecturer in Political Geography at Newcastle University. Her research explores mobility politics and resource colonialism, with a focus on Jordan and the South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. She is particularly interested in how colonial legacies continue to shape environmental governance, nature, and cultural heritage. Olivia is committed to environmental and social justice and has worked extensively with…
Nils Duquet is director of the Flemish Peace Institute. He started working at the Flemish Peace Institute as a researcher in 2006 and has authored more than 70 policy-oriented and academic publications on illicit firearms trafficking and gun violence in Europe, domestic gun policies and European arms export controls. He has coordinated several large-scale European…
Julien Haye is the founder of Aevitium LTD, a pragmatic risk-taker and people-centric leader with over 26 years of experience in financial services. He specialises in transforming risk and compliance functions into strategic enablers by embedding psychological safety, strengthening governance, and enabling operational resilience. His latest book, The Risk Within: Cultivating Psychological Safety for Strategic Decision-Making,…
