The Centre for International Security and Economics Strategy (CISES) brings together researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of economics and security. This page introduces our leadership, fellows, editorial staff and policy analysts, and how they contribute to CISES’ work—if you’re interested in joining us, view current opportunities.
Leadership
Alexander Anderson
President and Director of Policy
Alexander Anderson is President and Director of Policy at CISES, where he oversees research, publications, and strategic direction.
His work focuses on economic security, defence strategy, and hybrid threats, with research spanning UK–ROK counterintelligence, Russian hybrid warfare, and the use of artificial intelligence in space security.
Alexander has professional experience in journalism and editorial research, including work on The Telegraph’s Foreign Desk, and has held multiple editorial roles in policy-focused publications.
Henry Oliver
Communications Adviser
Henry Oliver is a public affairs and strategic communications specialist, he has over a decade of experience translating complex political and economic research into clear, impactful messaging for policymakers and senior stakeholders. He previously worked at the strategic insight firm Opinium and at the communications and reputation management agency Lansons. He studied International Relations at the University of Leeds.
Liam Walsh
Editorial Standards Lead
Liam Walsh focuses on US strategy, statecraft, and security. He studies International Relations at the University of Cambridge. His research examines the governing tactics of non-state actors.
Prof. Marcin Skladanowski
Senior Fellowsenior Fellow
Professor Marcin Składanowski is a Professor of Russian and International Security Studies at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (Poland). His research focuses on Russian security and foreign policy, Central Asian regional security, and Sino-Russian relations. He also examines the ideological foundations of Russia’s foreign policy, including nationalism, imperialism, and colonialism.
Dr Tahir Azad
Fellow
Dr Tahir Mahmood Azad is a research scholar in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Reading, UK, specialising in China’s hypersonic weapons programme and global strategic stability. He previously served as an Affiliate Researcher and Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London’s Centre for Science and Security Studies. Dr Azad has held fellowships at leading institutions, including Sandia National Laboratories, the University of Bristol, PRIF Frankfurt, ISDP Stockholm, and the Graduate Institute Geneva. His research focuses on nuclear politics, missile proliferation, and military modernisation across Asia and the Middle East.
Binar Faeq Karim
Associate Fellow
Binar Faeq Karim is a recipient of a Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies fellowship and holds a master’s degree in Global Affairs from the University of Notre Dame. He is a political and security affairs analyst specialising in the Middle East, with a particular focus on conflict dynamics, extremism, and regional security.
His writing has been featured by leading policy institutes and regional media outlets, and he is a frequent commentator on Iraqi and Kurdish media, where he discusses political and security developments across the region.
From 2014 to 2017, he covered the war against ISIS with international media organisations and has collaborated with bodies including the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, the European Union, and international human rights organisations.
Nikoloz Khatiashvili
Associate Fellow
Nikoloz Khatiashvili is a Georgian foreign policy and security professional with over 18 years of experience across government, diplomacy, and academia. He served in Georgia’s diplomatic service and in the Parliament of Georgia as Chief of Staff to the Foreign Relations Committee. He is an Assistant Professor at New Vision University and an invited lecturer at Tbilisi State University and Business and Technology University. He is also a Research Fellow at GEOCASE and a Non-Resident Research Fellow at the EU Awareness Center in Brussels. His research focuses on international security, intelligence, hybrid threats, and Black Sea security.
Lejla Nuhanović
Associate Fellow
Lejla Nuhanović is a political analyst and international affairs practitioner specialising in security, governance, and institutional resilience in fragile political environments. She currently serves as Political Officer at the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she analyses political and security developments and contributes to early-warning and strategic decision-making. Her work focuses on authority erosion, hybrid influence, and governance-related security risks. She is a Marshall Memorial Fellow of the German Marshall Fund, a McCain Global Leaders alumna, and a 2025 Millennium Leadership Intensive participant at the Atlantic Council. Previously, she worked as a journalist for N1 (CNN affiliate), Forbes Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Federal News Agency.
Fleur Boehm
Senior Policy Analyst
Fleur Boehm is a graduate from the University of Cambridge and SOAS University of London. Her research focuses on East Asia’s geopolitical and security dynamics, with a particular interest in Japanese and North Korean politics.Trained in East Asian Studies, her work combines strong regional expertise with a broader Asia-Pacific perspective. Her research has included pieces on India’s disinformation environment, the impact of international sanctions on Myanmar, North Korean nuclear proliferation, and domestic political developments in Japan. Her master’s thesis examined North Korea’s pursuit of status and prestige through its relations with South and Southeast Asian nations, highlighting Pyongyang’s use of soft power and diplomatic leverage to bolster it’s claim to nuclear legitimacy.
Haniva Sekar Deanty
Policy Analyst
Haniva Sekar Deanty specialises in Southeast Asia, with a focus on international security, great-power competition, and multilateral governance. She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from King’s College London. Her research interests include maritime security, refugee governance, and ASEAN-centred regional dynamics.
Chloé Simpson
Digital Editor
Chloé Simpson is a BA International Relations student at the University of Leeds, currently undertaking her study abroad year at Universiteit Leiden in The Hague, Netherlands. Her academic interests centre on global security, conflict resolution, and atrocity prevention from a humanitarian perspective.
Beyond CISES, she has represented the UK at the NATO Youth Summit in Montenegro, led an exhibition on Latin American resistance movements at the University of Leeds, and served as a youth delegate at the social forum of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. At CISES, Chloé supports the editing of policy publications, manages website and newsletter, and contributes occasional analytical pieces.
Ayesha Yusuf
Outreach Officer
Ayesha Yusuf is an MA International Studies and Diplomacy student with academic interests in human rights, peace-building, and international development. Her work focuses on stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, and institutional outreach, informed by experience supporting research dissemination and policy-focused dialogues with international organisations and multilateral forums.
Utsav Das
Utsav Das focuses on India’s strategic role in the Indo-Pacific, including defence modernisation, energy diplomacy, and economic partnerships. He holds an MA in International Relations from King’s College London and has a background in economics. His work examines geopolitical risk, economic security, and strategic decision-making.
Diana Epure
Diana Epure focuses on global security strategy, nuclear weapons policy, and humanitarian protection in conflict. She studies International Relations at King’s College London, with research interests centred on deterrence, diplomacy, and the humanitarian dimensions of modern warfare.
Zorawar Singh Gill
Zorawar Singh Gill focuses on Chinese foreign and defence policy. He is completing an MA in International Relations at King’s College London. His published work has examined China’s engagement with Africa, its strategic relationship with Russia, the use of rare earths as statecraft, and evolving security dynamics in Asia.
Aamnah Fatima Khan
Aamnah Fatima Khan focuses on geopolitical risk and conflict analysis, particularly in the MENA region. She is a graduate of Defence and Diplomatic Studies from Fatima Jinnah Women University. Her research interests include foreign policy analysis, arms control, non-state actors, and the politics of terrorism.
Harisundar Kumar
Harisundar Kumar specialises in Asia-Pacific security and Indian foreign policy. He holds a Master’s degree in Politics and International Relations from SOAS University of London. His work combines international relations theory with contemporary risk assessment and regional security analysis.
Feda Murphy
Feda Murphy specialises in geopolitical risk, hybrid threats, and strategic competition across Europe, the Middle East, and Eurasia. He holds postgraduate degrees in War Studies from King’s College London and American Politics and Foreign Policy, as well as a background in law and political science. His professional experience includes intelligence and risk assessment work and parliamentary research.
Bandish Oza
Bandish Oza focuses on information warfare, soft power, and narrative competition. He holds an MA in International Relations from King’s College London, with a background in English and Cultural Studies. His research examines how discourse, culture, and strategic communication shape perceptions of state power.
Alfred Quantrill
Alfred Quantrill focuses on European politics and EU–UK relations. He studies philosophy at the University of Bristol and serves as President of the Young European Movement UK. His work examines European integration, political engagement, and institutional governance.
Teleri Selby
Teleri Selby focuses on power dynamics, indigenous diplomacy, and democratic governance. She studies Global Humanitarian Studies at University College London. Her work explores soft power, international security, and comparative democratic practices.
Anand Venu
Anand Venu specialises in political economy, global trade, and development finance, with a regional focus on South Asia and Africa. He holds an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development from SOAS University of London and has professional experience supporting UN humanitarian operations.
Arthur Woollam-Hughes
Arthur Woollam-Hughes focuses on Middle Eastern geopolitics, security, and development. He holds a Master’s degree in Politics and International Relations from SOAS University of London and has lived and worked across the MENA region, including Iraq and Lebanon.
Selena Herbold
Selena Herbold focuses on security studies, with a particular emphasis on hybrid warfare, crisis management, and strategies for strengthening societal resilience in the face of security threats. She completed her BA in International Politics and Economics and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Politics, Security, and Crisis at the Swedish Defence University.
Nicholas Javier
Nicholas Javier focuses on East and Southeast Asia with a particular emphasis on geopolitical risk, security dynamics, defense policy, and great power competition, with a particular focus on China, Japan, and the Philippines. He is a student pursuing a BA in Political Science and History with a minor in Chinese Studies at University of Richmond, currently undertaking a study-abroad semester at Waseda Univeristy in Tokyo.
Leonie Lenz
Leonie Lenz specialises in international security and human rights. She is a BSc student in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Utrecht University.
Hongyu Pan
Hongyu Pan focuses on economic strategy, institutional resilience, and security risks in fragile and evolving systems. She is completing a BA in Economy and Society at Lund University and applies systems thinking and evolutionary political economy to policy analysis. Her research examines governance dynamics, financial-system vulnerabilities, and conflict-related socio-economic disruption.
Valentin Axel Graf von Plettenberg-Lenhausen
Valentin Axel Graf von Plettenberg-Lenhausen specializes in European and transatlantic security strategy, with a particular focus on defense cooperation and procurement. He is currently completing a joint Master’s degree in International Relations at Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and the University of Potsdam. His work examines EU defense policies and initiatives, European defense strategies, force composition, as well as national and transnational defense procurement frameworks.
Mabel Runyon
Mabel Runyon focuses on military strategy, geopolitical risk assessment, and hybrid warfare with a regional concentration on Eastern Europe and Russia. She is pursuing a Master’s degree in War Studies at Kings College London. Her research interests centre on multi-domain operations, emerging security threats, and civil-military cooperation.
Berlyn Schelling
Berlyn Schelling specialises in security studies, with a particular focus on EU security and hybrid warfare. She is a BA student of International Relations and Diplomacy at Anglo-American University in Prague. Her research interests include foreign election interference, American domestic and foreign policy, and feminist approaches to security and geopolitical analysis.
Benjamin (Cheng-Han) Wu
Benjamin Wu focuses on the contemporary strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, spanning from regional maritime security to broader transnational economic relations. He holds a BA International Relations degree from King’s College London.
If you’re interested in contributing to our work on strategy, security and emerging challenges, we’d be pleased to hear from you. Explore current roles and programmes to find out how you can work with CISES.