Africa Desk Director

Caleigh Plaatjes serves as the Africa Desk Director. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Political Science, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) from the University of Cape Town, where she is currently pursuing her Honours degree. Her primary research interests lie at the intersection of socio-economic development and international trade, specifically within developing nations. Her background is supplemented by her volunteer work in youth-led initiatives.

Europe Desk Director

Leanne is a Senior Research Analyst and member of the Ukraine Desk. She holds a BA in English Literature and Language from King’s College London, an MA in Russian Studies from UCL SSEES, and a second MA in International Relations from Portsmouth University. Her primary area of specialism is Russia, but her research interests extend to East Europe, in particular Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Hungary. Themes of oppression, authoritarianism, misogyny, security and civil society featured throughout her postgraduate work, and remain key foci for her research.

Latin America and the Caribbean Desk Director

Karen Hagen is the Latin American and the Caribbean Desk Director. She holds a BA in International Relations and Politics with International Exprience from the University of Sheffield, and she is currently pursuing an MA in International Security at Sciences Po Paris. In the summer of 2023, she completed a master's-level summer course in Peace Research at the University of Oslo in collaboration with PRIO.

Karen's international background is complemented by her extensive volunteer work, extracurricular activities and her involvement in international youth-led organizations, including Save the Children, AIESEC UK and Polis Analysis.

Her passion lies in peace and security matters, specializing in foreign policy, diplomacy, conflict mediation, and the intersection of political risk and peacemaking.

Middle East Desk Director

Alexis Cabello is the Middle East Desk Director. He holds an MA in Political Science from the Université Gustave Eiffel and an MA in International Relations from the School of International and Political Studies in Paris, in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

Passionate about politics and international affairs, he primarily focuses on geopolitics, risk analysis, security, and conflict. He has a keen interest in various regions of the world, such as Europe and Africa, but his main attention lies in the Middle East, where he completed his master's thesis on the Islamic State.

Having held positions in the public, private, and associative sectors, he currently divides his time between his role at GorStra, his mandate as a City Councilor, and his job.

Asia-Pacific Desk Senior Analyst

Sukhpal Garcha is a highly dedicated Senior Analyst on the Asia-Pacific Desk, with a passion for investigating issues related to human rights and authoritarianism in the Global South and the Asia-Pacific region. He is a graduate of Brunel University London, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Politics and History. Throughout his academic and professional career, Sukhpal has honed his analytical and research skills, using a range of techniques to produce high-quality reports and insights on key issues. With a deep understanding of the complexities of the region, Sukhpal is committed to driving positive change and promoting greater awareness of important social and political issues.

Latin America and the Caribbean Desk Senior Analyst

Claudia Concha is a Senior Research Analyst for the Latin American and Caribbean Desk and a contributor to the Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism newsletter. She is a Peruvian American human rights and international development professional. She has worked for non-governmental and international organizations, including the Partnership for Transparency Fund and the World Bank. Her work has primarily focused on the integration of human rights principles into development and conducting analytical research on global development and human rights issues.

Furthermore, Claudia has volunteered for organizations that support human rights, such as Human Rights Educators USA and the UN Association of the Capital Area. Claudia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, an MBA from the University of South Florida, and a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratization from the Global Campus of Human Rights.

Africa Desk Director

William is a Senior Research Analyst acting as co-lead for the Africa Desk. He graduated with a first class LLB Law degree in 2022. His legal interests include the intersection between constitutional and administrative law and human rights, having written his undergraduate dissertation on judicial review on human rights grounds in the UK.

William currently splits his time between GorStra, volunteering as an Advice Assistant with Citizens Advice, and rowing training and coaching, following his success as reigning Under 23 World Champion in the Men’s Coxed Four.

Europe Desk Senior Analyst

Tamila is a Senior Research Analyst and heads up the Ukraine Desk. Tamila has a broad and international educational background as well as persuading professional and volunteering activities records. Tamila has so far worked in different settings, participated in the UN projects and led international teams. She is now pursuing her master’s in International Administration and Global Governance in Sweden and is particularly interested in European security policy, human rights movements and peace studies. Tamila is currently a part of the research team by the Syncpol project in Munich, Germany.

Gender Inequalities Desk Senior Analyst

James is a senior research analyst and lead of the gender inequality desk. He has experience leading qualitative fieldwork and working with refugee advocacy, holding an MA in Conflict, Security & Development from King’s College London and a BA in Anthropology. His areas of interest include GBV, propaganda, and oppression among the Asia-Pacific and Global South. James currently works as a professional author and strives to imbue a human/cultural focus into international affairs and conflict resolution.

Terrorism & Counterterrorism Senior Analyst & Editor

Jen is the Senior Research Analyst leading the Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism board. As an Editor as well she is responsible for ensuring high standards in our written publications. She has a Master’s in National Security from King’s College London where she specialised in far right terrorism and extremism, gender and security, and UK security policy. She currently works for the Imperial War Museum in London.

Terrorism and Counterterrorism Desk Senior Analyst

Joe is a Senior Research Analyst on the Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism desk. He is currently studying an undergraduate degree in Politics and International Studies with French at the University of Warwick and Sciences Po Aix and will graduate in 2024. Since last year, he has been an active Youth Fellow at the Gothenburg-based International Youth Think Tank which fights for democracy and active citizenship through young people.

His main interests include arms proliferation, the intersection between cultural imagery and conflict, and the effects of immigration in a post-colonial world. His previous research has been focused on how and why Small Arms and Light Weapons have been overshadowed in the contemporary arms control debate.