Oleksandra Yakovlyeva has a Master's degree in International War Studies from University College Dublin and the University of Potsdam and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Friedrich-Schiller University Jena. Having worked at the Aspen Institute in Berlin, she is now based in Kyiv, where she is researching civil society crowdfunding for defense.
Shirvin Zeinalzadeh is a Graduate Teaching Associate in the School of Politics and Global Studies, Arizona State University
Ian Hinsley a candidate in Politics, International Relations, and Economics at University College Dublin. A native of the US, he specializes in political commentary, analysis of populism in America, and the US and international affairs.
Asmita Seth is a queer feminist writer whose work focuses on gender, media, and mental health. She is committed to amplifying marginalized voices and examining systems of power through her writing, using storytelling as a tool for critical inquiry and social change. She is a Master's candidate in Journalism and International Affairs at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin.
Turkan Bozkurt is a paralegal, human rights advocate, and writer specializing in gender equality and minority rights. She holds an MA in Near & Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Toronto and a BA in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies. She has contributed to human rights reports and policy analysis with organizations like ArcDH, Topchubashov Center, Etekyazi, and Crescent Center, with her work is featured in outlets such as Geopolitical Monitor, Eureporter, and JNS.
Arpita Chowdhury is a journalist, writer, and researcher with a background in the telling of human interest stories. She is currently pursuing an MA in Journalism and International Affairs at University College Dublin in conjuction with CNN Academy. She is a former news reporter at All India Radio.
Zaur Gouliev is a Ph.D. student at University College Dublin, researching foreign information manipulation and interference. He is a contributor to the EU ATHENA project on Europe’s defense against FIMI. He was a former Crime and Data Analyst with the An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s National Police Force and serves as a reservist in the Irish Defence Forces. Since 2025, he is an Adjunct Lecturer of Artificial Intelligence at Technological University Dublin at the School of Digital Transformation and Enterprise Computing.
Wladimir van Wilgenburg is a reporter and analyst specializing in Kurdish affairs, and the head of news at Kurdistan Chronicle. He co-authored two books for I.B.Tauris on the Kurds of Syria, one with Dr. Harriet Allsop on the Syrian Kurds’ experiment with self-rule in 2019, and the other with Dr. Michael Knights on the SDF-US partnership against ISIS in 2021.
