Our Experts

Professor Nayef Al-Rodhan is a philosopher, neuroscientist, and geostrategist.

He is Honorary Fellow, St. Antony's College, Oxford University, United Kingdom, Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy’s Geopolitics and Global Futures Department, Switzerland, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Philosophy, School of Advanced Study, University of London, United Kingdom, Member of the Global Future Council on the Future of Complex Risks at the World Economic Forum, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).

In 2014, he was voted as one of the Top 30 most influential Neuroscientists in the world, in 2017, he was named amongst the Top 100 geostrategists in the World, and in 2022, he was named as one of the Top 50 influential researchers whose work could shape 21st-century politics and policy.

He is a Prize-winning scholar who has written 25 books and more than 250 articles. His research focuses on the interplay between: Analytic Neurophilosophy, Neuroscience, Geopolitics, Meta-Geopolitics, Symbiotic Realism, Multi-Sum Security, Cognitive and Physical Human Enhancement, Global Futures, Sustainable National and Global Security, Outer Space Security and Sustainability, Governance of Future Human Colonies in Outer Space, Statecraft, Cultural discourse and synergies, Collective Human Dignity, Collective Civilizational Sustainability, Cascading Frontier Risks, Disruptive technologies, International Relations, Public Policy, in Peace and War.

Julie Allard was appointed GCSP’s Deputy Director of Mediation and Peace Support in 2022. Prior to that, she served as a Strategic Projects Manager within the Director’s Office where she contributed to the development and implementation of the Centre’s strategy and supported its fundraising and outreach activities.

Prior to joining the GCSP, Julie worked for several organisations based in the Middle East in the field of Peace, Security and non-proliferation. Including implementation of EU’s CBRN Centres of Excellence Initiative projects in the MENA region.

Julie holds a Master's degree in International Security from Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po Paris and a Bachelor in European Studies from King’s College, London.

Her native language is French, she is fluent in English and has basic knowledge of Italian and Arabic.

Marcel Erwin Amstutz was appointed Commander of the Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) Brigade 33 in 2008 and promoted to Brigadier General at the same time. During his nine years in command, he was responsible for training and operations of the entire GBAD. During his command, GBAD was deployed to protect international conferences in Basel, Bern, Davos and Geneva, and conducted exercises in cooperation with German GBAD units in Germany and Crete.

In 2017, Brigadier General Marcel Amstutz was sent to Brussels as the Military Representative (Mil Rep) of the Swiss Armed Forces to NATO and the EU, where he provided representation for three and a half years.

With his experience as a Brigade Commander and from the multinational environment in Belgium, Brigadier General Marcel Amstutz was given the role of Chief of Staff of the three-star Training and Education Command from July 2020 to September 2023. During this period, one of the main challenges was to maintain the education and training of the Swiss Armed Forces during COVID 2020 to 2022 without interruption to aliment the Swiss Armed Forces.

On 1 October 2023, Brigadier General Marcel Amstutz took up his current position as Senior Defence Advisor, representing the Swiss Armed Forces at the GCSP and ensuring, as Course Director, the education of national and international courses and seminars in the fields of security policy and defence. He is also responsible for Partnership for Peace (PfP) activities in cooperation with the DDPS and the GCSP.

Anna Brach is Head of Human Security at the GCSP. Her work focuses on issues of the evolution of security concept, environmental and health security with special emphasis on the climate change and security nexus. Her research interests include human security, human rights, environmental security, climate change, global public commons and resource management. She is responsible for developing and running the GCSP activities on the subject of human security, including executive courses, workshops, and high-level conferences in Geneva and internationally. She is also the Director of the GCSP advanced course on New Issues in Security.

Anna holds a Master's degree in Economy from the Warsaw School of Economics, a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and a Master’s degree in European Studies from the University of Geneva. 

Prior to joining the GCSP, she worked for the private sector at the PR Department of Nestlé Poland in Warsaw and at Academy&Finance in Geneva. Her native language is Polish and she is fluent in English and French.

Simon Cleobury is Head of Arms Control and Disarmament. He is a former British Deputy Disarmament Ambassador (2017 – 2023), where he represented the UK at the Conference on Disarmament and other disarmament fora in Geneva. Prior to that he worked in the Security Council Team and then the Peacebuilding Team at the UK Mission to the UN in New York (2012 – 2016). Prior to his diplomatic career, he was a corporate lawyer with global law firm Baker McKenzie. Simon obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Modern History at University College London and a Master’s Degree in Historical Research from Oxford University.  He studied law at BPP Law School, London.

Recent Publications

• Signs of Progress Towards LAWS Regulation, 18 April 2024
• What next for Space Security negotiations?, LinkedIn Article, 14 February 2024
• Will 2024 be a defining year for regulation of Lethal, LinkedIn Article, 5 February 2024
• Sécurité spatiale: l’espoir persiste, Tribune de Genève, 8 September 2023
• Responsible Space Behaviours Working Group fails to agree a report, but talks still a success, LinkedIn Article, 1 September 2023
• The role of industry in the Arms Trade Treaty, LinkedIn Article, 28 August 2023
• The New Agenda for Peace – the key arms control and disarmament elements, LinkedIn Article, 20 July 2023
• Artificial Intelligence and Arms Control – How and Where to Have the Discussion, GCSP In Focus series, 13 July 2023

Peter is Head of Leadership at GCSP and Co-Founder of the Geneva Leadership Alliance, a network of associates and partner organisations working together to advance the understanding and practice of leadership for the benefit of peace and security worldwide.

Peter has over 20 years of experience in leadership development, adult education, and executive coaching across private, public, and non-profit sectors. He is constantly seeking new, diverse, and innovative ways to bridge the study of leadership with the practice of leading, especially at international level and across cultural, geo-graphical, political and organisational divides. Leveraging his diverse experience and background, he creates safe spaces for learning and encourages brave spaces for application, enabling people to learn leadership mindsets and practices in transformative ways and adapt them to their own work and life.

Peter was born in England, grew up in The Netherlands, honed his early professional skills in Australia and Asia Pacific, and is currently based in Geneva, Switzerland. He works in English, French and Dutch.

Colonel (GS) Gian Domenico CURIALE was seconded to the GCSP from the Swiss Armed Forces in March 2024. Serving as our Chief of Staff, he is responsible for the governance & coordination of Centre activities and the operational strategy and development of GCSP. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, Gian Domenico also heads our Support and Development Department.

Prior to joining the GCSP, Gian Domenico was commander of the Military Police Basic Training Unit in Sion. He was responsible for planning, steering, training execution and education of troops up to the rank of Company Commander for the Military Police & Protection Forces. His Unit in Sion successfully trains and posts over 1’200 conscripts annually into active assignments.

Previous to this appointment, Gian Domenico was Deputy Chief of Readiness Management & Training on the Joint Operational Command Staff, responsible for designing, implementing and steering a comprehensive lessons-learned process.

At the Command and Staff Officer School between 2015 and 2019, he provided military leadership training for prospective company and battalion commanders and their staff assistants, and also taught specific courses for assistants of major units subsequently he supported the implementation of a new Executive Education Program.

His professional military career began in 2002 as an infantry instructor after he graduated from the Yverdon Engineering School and worked within the private sector. He successfully graduated from the Swiss Armed Forces Military Academy at the ETH Zurich, Command and General Staff College and from the French War College (École de Guerre ) in Paris.

Gian Domenico is a native of the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland and in addition to his mother tongue, he is fluent in French, (Swiss-)German and English.

Since August 2019, Colonel Dr Laurent Currit works for the GCSP as a seconded officer of the Swiss Armed Forces. He first served as a Senior Advisor for the Defence and Diplomacy Programme of the Centre and took the lead of the program at the beginning of 2022. Most of his activities consist in leading International Defence Attachés Courses and delivering lectures on Defence and Diplomacy all over the world.

Until July 2019, he served as Faculty Advisor at the NATO Defence College in Rome, Italy, and in charge of the Modular Short Courses (MSCs), the continued education programme for military and civilian officers working at NATO. Before being Head of Doctrine of the Swiss Armed Forces between 2012 and 2015, he has been since 2009 a Professor for Security Policy at the Georges C. Marshall Centre for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Prior to his work at the Marshall Centre, Col. Dr Currit was in Africa (Southern Sudan, 2008) as Head of a Swiss SSR Project Team working on the establishment of a military academy.

His professional military career began in 1995, just after he obtained his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland but he continued to study and obtained a Master in Public Administration in 2005 (University of Lausanne) and a Certificate of High Studies in European Security in 2008 (University of Geneva and GCSP). He also obtained Certificates of Project Management and Public-Private Partnership from a German Management Institute (Düsseldorf) and is a graduate of the NATO Defence College, Senior Course 128 (2016).

Col. Dr Currit comes from the French-speaking part of Switzerland, is fluent in English and German and also speaks, reads and writes Russian and Italian at a lower level. He is married to Annemarie.

During his free time, Col. Dr Currit loves to travel, read, play music, program and is part of the internet software translation community. When he is not abroad, he also spends some time to take care of his garden and is active politically at cantonal level.

Since 2018, Dr Stephan Davidshofer has been working as Academic Advisor of the Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in International and European Security jointly run by the GCSP and the Global Studies Institute (GSI) of the University of Geneva. With a PhD from Sciences Po Paris, Stephan has been researching and teaching in the field of Critical Security Studies for the past fifteen years. Interested about the challenges raised by the management of today’s transnational security threats, he has contributed to several research projects investigating the evolving European security landscape from the Peace Research institute in Oslo and the University of Geneva. Stephan is also currently a lecturer at the University of Geneva's Global Studies institute. Dr. Davidshofer speaks French, English and Portuguese.

Paul Dziatkowiec was appointed Director of Mediation and Peace Support in 2021. Prior to that, for nearly a decade he served as Project Manager in various roles at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), an organisation that mediates between protagonists in armed conflicts.

At HD, Paul was involved in mediation efforts in diverse conflict settings including Nigeria, Myanmar, Thailand and most recently Ukraine, where he led HD’s efforts to help find a solution to the conflict in Donbas. He was also engaged in various regional and geopolitical dialogue initiatives.   

Also at HD, for five years Paul managed the Oslo Forum, the leading international mediation event that convenes peacemakers, world leaders (up to head of state level), peace process actors and conflict parties.

Paul had previously served in the Australian diplomatic service for over a decade. He was Australia’s Deputy Ambassador in Nairobi and, as Deputy and Acting Ambassador, covered a range of countries including Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. Concurrently, he was Australia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Nairobi.

During his diplomatic career, Paul engaged in various multilateral negotiations at the UN, in Geneva, New York, and Nairobi, which included negotiating resolutions and delivering statements on behalf of Australia, on political, security, human rights, and environmental questions.

Previously Paul was posted to the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv, and acted periodically as Australian’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, during the second intifada.

Paul has also represented the International Service for Human Rights in Geneva, and worked as a Human Rights Officer in the Australian Foreign Service, both during the formative years of the UN Human Rights Council. Earlier, after the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement he deployed as a Peace Monitor to Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, where he was involved in raising public awareness of the agreement, following up ceasefire violations, and arranging weapons disposal and community reconciliation processes.  

Paul has a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from Queensland University, as well as three Master’s degrees in International Law, International Relations, and International Policy Studies from the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Sydney respectively. He has written a number of articles and publications on various aspects of mediation, humanitarian and human rights issues.

Laura Elbaz is Deputy Director of Marketing and Communications. Laura joined the GCSP in March 2018, she worked as Junior Professional Officer and then Digital Marketing Officer. Together with the Marketing and Communications team, she is in charge of promoting and informing about the GCSP's services and activities. Prior to joining the GCSP, she worked for different private companies in Digital Marketing in Geneva, Paris, Grenoble, Miami and Shanghai.

Laura holds a Bachelor's degree in Information and Communication from IAE Savoie Mont Blanc and a Master's degree in Corporate Communications from Grenoble Alpes University.

Her mother tongue is French, she is fluent in English and has basic knowledge of Spanish. 

Seraina Eldada is a Senior Project Officer for the Mediation and Peace Support Department, where she supports dialogue processes among Track 1 and Track 2 actors. Her work includes project design, planning and coordination, monitoring and evaluation activities, research, analysis and conceptualisation of new avenues of work in various fragile and conflict-affected settings. Her main geographical areas of focus are the Middle East, North Africa and Eurasia.

Seraina has a background in field-based humanitarian operations and advocacy in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Europe. Previous thematic areas of focus include frontline access negotiations, operational strategy, migration, counterterrorism and criminalisation of humanitarian actors, acute health crises, and health and medical needs in armed conflict settings. Before joining the GCSP in 2020, Seraina worked for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as a Humanitarian Affairs Officer and a Cultural Mediator. She had multiple deployments to Search and Rescue in the Central Mediterranean off the coast of Libya, during which she also supported advocacy efforts in Tunisia, MSF’s operational centre in the Netherlands, and the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She also completed deployments to the Colombia-Venezuela border for an exploratory assessment of migratory movements and health needs, Ebola response and internal displacement support in two separate deployments to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ituri Province), malnutrition and malaria response in Niger, and remote work from Dakar, Senegal on counterterrorism and criminalisation of humanitarian actors in close collaboration with the MSF team on the ground in Borno State, Nigeria. 

Seraina is fluent in English, French, German, Arabic and Spanish, with basic knowledge of Russian, Hebrew and Italian. She holds an MA and a BA in International Security and Diplomacy with a focus on the Middle East from Sciences Po, and a BA in Political Science and Human Rights from Columbia University.

Isabelle Gillet is the Head of Alumni & Community Engagement and leads, develops, and organizes the Centre’s community programmes in Geneva and abroad, including community-led projects. She aims to facilitate mutually beneficial and sustainable relationships between the GCSP and its alumni community.

Isabelle has joined the GCSP early 2008 and has held different positions throughout this period. She began at the Centre in the Protocol and Events department where she managed expert seminars, diplomatic dialogue, executive training workshops and major international conferences. In December 2013 she began working for the GCSP’s alumni development and introduced a new strategic plan and new technology to most effectively engage alumni in the life of the GCSP.

Prior to joining the GCSP, Isabelle worked for 14 years for Geneva Tourism & Convention Bureau, where she started to work in the Sales and Promotions department. As its Manager in the later years, she was in charge of a cross-cultural team to brand and develop the destination’s leisure tourism sector. Herself responsible for the Asian market, she established Geneva’s partnerships in the Far East and implemented commercial strategies and promotional projects with an active participation at sales meetings, workshops trade shows and other task forces to further drive business.

Isabelle has a large international background and has continually evolved in a multi-cultural environment. Isabelle is Swiss and lived and worked in the US, UK, India, the Middle East, and the Far East.

She is trilingual in English, French and German and holds a degree in international hotel business management.

Ambassador Thomas Greminger served as Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from July 2017 until July 2020. On May 1, 2021, he took over as Executive Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).

As Secretary General, he acted as an effective crisis manager supporting successive Chairmanships in an increasingly polarized environment. In the final months of his term, he dealt with the COVID-19 crisis, working to protect the health and safety of staff while ensuring that the OSCE continued to carry out its critical mandates and maintained business continuity.

Despite the highly polarized political climate, Ambassador Greminger promoted dialogue among the 57 OSCE participating States as one of his key priorities. He sparked informal discussions on emerging challenges and opportunities such as the importance of technology to all dimensions of security or the link between climate change and security.

He supported the OSCE in maintaining field presences to support participating States in implementing OSCE commitments, and preventing or managing conflicts – notably the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. He engaged in diplomatic efforts and supported those of various mediators addressing emerging and protracted conflicts in the OSCE area.

Ambassador Greminger promoted effective multilateralism by strengthening ties with the OSCE’s partners among international and regional organizations. He highlighted the OSCE’s contribution in helping participating States to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

In his capacity as OSCE Chief Administrative Officer, Ambassador Greminger introduced a “fit for purpose” agenda focused on adapting the OSCE to changing realities and new opportunities against a background of limited and declining resources. This included a management review of the OSCE Secretariat that resulted in procedural and structural improvements, including by making the best use of technology. He also introduced an OSCE gender parity strategy and openly addressed sexual harassment and other challenges to creating a healthy and inclusive professional working environment. In view of his engagement, he was invited to join the International Gender Champions’ network.

Previously, Ambassador Greminger served as Deputy Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. As Head of South Cooperation, he oversaw cooperation with 21 partner countries and regions, entailing an annual budget of USD 730 million and 900 staff in Bern and abroad. In this function, he regularly represented Switzerland at international conferences as State Secretary.

From 2010 to 2015, Ambassador Greminger served as the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the OSCE, the United Nations and the International Organizations in Vienna. He was instrumental in devising the consecutive chairmanships and joint work plan of Switzerland (2014) and Serbia (2015). During the Swiss Chairmanship, he chaired the OSCE Permanent Council and played an active role in addressing the crisis in and around Ukraine that rapidly unfolded during the course of 2014. For the first time in years, the OSCE managed to achieve consensus on new OSCE operations – the most important being the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.

Ambassador Greminger was responsible for preparing the successful 2014 OSCE Ministerial Council in Basel, which yielded 21 consensus decisions and declarations. He chaired the OSCE Human Dimension Committee in 2011 and 2012. He introduced the structured agenda, substantive human dimension discussions as well as regular exchanges with OSCE institutions, field missions and UN mandate holders. As a member of the OSCE Troika, he chaired the OSCE Mediterranean Contact Group (2013) and the OSCE Asian Contact Group (2015).

Through his comprehensive expertise in security policy, Ambassador Greminger marked a number of important achievements in the OSCE: he contributed significantly to Ministerial Council Decision 3/11 on the conflict cycle, and the subsequent development of mediation and facilitation capacities in the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center.

During his term as Permanent Representative, Switzerland became the coordinator for the Vienna Document and introduced a number of modernization proposals. By strongly promoting partnership with the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), he helped the OSCE Secretariat and field missions to build capacities in security sector governance and reform.

From 2004 to 2010, he served as Head of the Human Security Division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The Division is the Department’s main competence center for peace, human rights and humanitarian and migration policy, with an annual budget of around USD 70 million and 100 staff in Bern and abroad. During his tenure, the division offered and supported facilitation and mediation services to more than half a dozen peace processes worldwide (including in the Middle East, Colombia, Nepal, Burundi, Uganda and Sudan) and launched a number of important diplomatic initiatives, including those which led to the creation of the UN Human Rights Council, the UN International Tracing Instrument for SALW, and the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development.

Ambassador Greminger also served as Deputy Head of the Human Security Division from 2002 to 2004, and from 1999 to 2001 as Country Director at the Swiss Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique, where he managed Switzerland’s largest development cooperation programme with an annual budget of around USD 30 million and staff.

From 1994 to 1998, he served in different posts in the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, including Head of the Policy and Research Unit.

Ambassador Greminger holds a PhD in history from the University of Zurich. He is Lieutenant Colonel GS (company and battalion commander of infantry unit of the Swiss Armed Forces; G6 and Deputy Chief of Staff of Infantry Brigade). He has authored numerous publications on military history, conflict management, peacekeeping, development and human rights. His mother tongue is German; he is fluent in English and French and has a good working knowledge of Portuguese. Ambassador Greminger was born in 1961 and has four daughters.

Ms Fleur Heyworth leads the GCSP's executive education, dialogue and policy analysis on gender and inclusive security.  She designs and facilitates courses on leadership for women, and for male and female leaders to create more inclusive working environments, as well as on gender and inclusive security to GCSP’s multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural participants.  Fleur has published numerous policy analysis on topics ranging from women peace and security, gender, diversity and inclusion to women in mediation. She has designed and facilitated customised courses for women mediator networks and for women working in peace and security in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe https://www.gcsp.ch/topics/gender-inclusive-security.  

Fleur also heads the International Gender Champions Secretariat (www.genderchampions.com), a global network of over 330 leaders advancing gender equality, extending across six multilateral hubs, which is hosted by the GCSP.  In this capacity, Fleur leads governance, partnerships, and the team responsible for programmatic and communications work, including the development of a new network wide pledge to speak up and stand up for zero tolerance of gender-based violence, sexist attitudes and behaviour.  Fleur regularly facilitates and moderates in person, virtual and hybrid meetings.

Fleur is a Barrister-at-law, having qualified at Nottingham Law School and practiced in Manchester and London. She has an MA in Geography from Cambridge university.

Ms Annika Hilding Norberg is Head of GCSP Peace Operations and Peacebuilding, where she is responsible for executive education and training, policy applicably research and advice, dialogue and discussion. In support of Switzerland’s role on the UN Security Council 2023-2024, the GCSP is mandated by the Swiss Federal Department for Foreign Affairs and the Department for Defence, Civil Protection and Sports to support the development of a New Agenda for Peace and the preparations for the Summit of the Future. Within this context, Annika focuses in particular on Strengthening Leadership for Peace and Security; and the Future of UN Peace Operations and Peacebuilding Missions. Annika serves on the Board of Directors of the International Leadership Association and on the Management Committee of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform

Prior to joining the GCSP, she was the Founder and Director of the International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations (Challenges Forum) aimed at strengthening peace operations, a joint platform of then 22 countries, including the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council. Originating from when she served as President of the London School of Economics (LSE) International Relations Society, the Challenges Forum was founded in 1996 as part of her research studies at the LSE on comparative approaches to peace operations. She coordinated the Challenges Forum based at the LSE (1996-2000), the Swedish National Defence College (1997-2002) and the Folke Bernadotte Academy, an agency of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2003-2017). Annika served on the Board of Directors for the Peace Operations Training Institute (2010-2013).

Annika holds a Bachelor of Science in International Relations from the LSE, a Master of Arts in International Politics from the Free University of Brussels and studied languages at the Moscow State University and the Universidad del Pais Vasco. Ms Hilding Norberg is the main editor of some 80 Challenges Forum and other reports and policy briefs and has worked and/or studied in ten countries. In 2008, she was awarded the Silver Medal of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences for her contributions to strengthening UN peacekeeping.

MAIN UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

• Capacity Building for the New Agenda for Peace, Interactive Conference to mark the UNITAR Division for Peace Advisory Board Side Event, organised by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, 19 April (Moderator)
• New Issues in International Security – Leadership for Peace: Conflict Prevention, Management, and Resolution Course Week Module, 21-24 May (Module Leader)
• Co-hosting of High-Level Event and Expert Symposium on the Future of Peace Operations, including launch of UNTSO Study Report led by GCSP.  The day will be co-hosted by UN Department for Peace Operations, Switzerland, Ghana, India, Norway, EPON, GCSP, NUPI, United Services Institution of India, at the UN Headquarters, New York, 31 May (GCSP Lead/UNTSO Study Project Team Lead)
• Rethinking UN Security and Peace Engagements in a Changing World Order, organised by ETH Zürich and the Geneva Graduate Institute, 6 June (Contributor)
• Global Peace Index 2024 European Launch co-organised with the Institute of Economics and Peace, Geneva, June (Lead at GCSP)
• 25th Swiss Peacebuilding Training Course, co-organised with the Swiss FDFA and the Swiss Armed Forces, Stans, Switzerland, 25 August - 6 September (Course Director)
• UN Police Commanders Course Review, Sweden, 9-13 September (GCSP Lead/Host of UNPCC 2023 and UN Police Division Leadership Retreat 2024)
• 15th Swiss Annual Senior Officers Seminar – Peace Operations for the Future: Trends, Options and Considerations, in cooperation with the Swiss Armed Forces, Geneva, 25-27 September (Course Co-Director)
• Geneva Peace Week, co-organised with the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform and the UN Office in Geneva, 13-17 October 2024 (Management Committee Member/GCSP Lead)
• International Leadership Associations Annual Conference and Board Meeting, Chicago, 5-10 November (Member, Board of Directors)
• UN Senior Mission Leadership Course, co-organised with the UN DPO, the Swiss FDFA, Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Kenyan International Peace Support Training Centre, Nairobi, 11-22 November (GCSP Lead)

RECENT UNDERTAKINGS

• Contributing to “Capacity Building for the New Agenda for Peace”, Interactive Conference to mark the UNITAR Division for Peace Advisory Board Side Event, organised by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, 19 April
• International Leadership Association Board Meeting, University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership, Cambridge, 18-19 March (Member, ILA Board of Directors)
• Co-hosting of Public Discussion and Report Launch on The Role and Impacts of Human Rights in UN Peace Operations in Practice with United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, Centre for Civilians in Conflict, EPON Network, Stockholm Peace Research Institute, GCSP, 1 March (GCSP Lead/ Welcoming Remarks)
• Co-hosting of UN Police Divisions Leadership Team Retreat on Strategic Reflection on the Future of UN Policing, on behalf of the UN DPO, the Swiss FDFA and in cooperation Swiss Armed Forces, Stans, Switzerland, 25-28 February. Ideas Notes: 1) UN Peace Operations – The Road to 2030; 2) Preparing for UN Policing 2030 – Challenges and Opportunities Ahead; 3) Harmful Information in the Context of Peace Operations – Implications and Opportunities for UN Police; 4) Leveraging New Technologies in Support of UN Policing; and 5) Preparing for the Future: Climate Supportive UN Policing (GCSP Lead /Co-Facilitator)
• Hybrid Governance in Crisis Settings: Exploring Practical Frameworks for Service Delivery Systems. A Breakfast Round Table co-organised with United Nations Development Programme, United Nations University for Centre for Policy Research, and Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, GCSP, 9 February (GCSP Lead)
• A Pact for the Future and New Agenda for Peace: Creating Opportunities for Better Collective Security, A High-Level Roundtable for the 2024 Summit of the Future, co-hosted with Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations and Other Organizations in Geneva, Stimson Center, and the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, GCSP, 5 February (Participant)
• Leadership in International Security Course / Master in Advanced Studies in International and European Security, GCSP and University of Geneva – Leadership for Peace: Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, 2 Weeks Module, GCSP, 15-26 January (Module Leader)
• Informal Geneva Civil Society Update on the Summit of the Future and related UN-Civil Society Conference in Nairobi, co-hosted with the Stimson Center, UN University Centre for Policy Research, and Global Governance Innovation Network, GCSP, 18 January (GCSP Lead)
• Preparing for the Future: Shedding Light on the Role of UN Military Observers – Emerging Lessons from and for United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, Round Table co-organised with the UN Department for Peace Operations (UN DPO), the Effectiveness of Peace Operations Network (EPON) and Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), New York, 11 December, 2023 (EPON Study Team Leader)
• Geneva Peace Week Meets New York - Building Trust, Building Peace: An Agenda for the Future, co-organised with the Swiss FDFA and the GPP, 28-29 November, and a GCSP organised High-level Panel on The New Agenda for Peace and Preparing for the Summit – From Recommendations to Commitments, New York, 28 November 2023 (Member, Management Committee)
• UN Police Commanders Course, co-organised with the UN DPO and the Swiss FDFA in cooperation with the Swiss Armed Forces, Stans, Switzerland, 13-24 November 2023 (GCSP Lead)
• Participation in International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centres Annual Conference, hosted by the International Peace Support Training Centre of Kenya and initiation of UN Senior Mission Leadership Course 2024 Co-Hosting Planning, Nairobi, 5-9 November 2023 (Participant)
• Participation in UN Policing Day, co-hosted by the Kenyan National Police and the United Nations DPO Police Division, Nairobi, and Preparation of UN Police Commanders Course 2023 in Switzerland, Nairobi, 4 November, 2023 (Participant)
• Geneva Peace Week - Building Trust, Building Peace: An Agenda for the Future, co-organised with the GPP and Swiss FDFA, 30 October-3 November 2023 (Member, Management Committee) including:
• GCSP organised High-level Panel on Building Trust, Building Peace: Preparing for the Summit – A Conversation About the Future, 1 November, 2023 (Moderator)
• GCSP Panel Discussion on The New Agenda for Peace: Reflection on the Future of Peace and Security Engagements, 1 November, 2023 (Moderator)
• International Leadership Association Annual Conference 2023: Cultivating Leadership for a Thriving Future, 3-4 (online) and 12-15 (Vancouver) October 2023, including a GCSP organised session on Preparing for the Summit of the Future: Cultivating Adaptive Leadership for Future Peace Missions and Operations, 14 October 2023 (Member, Board of Directors)
• GCSP Regional Security Cooperation Alumni Seminar: The Democratic Republic of the Congo at a Cross Roads: What Path Towards Sustainable Peace?, 28 September 2023 (Moderator)
• 24th Swiss Peacebuilding Training Course, co-organised with the Swiss FDFA and the Swiss Armed Forces, Stans, Switzerland, 27 August-8 September 2023 (Course Director)
• Geneva Security Debate, “The New Agenda for Peace: An Opportunity to Reshape Peace Operations”, GCSP, 22 August 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• Participation in the Swiss-Korean Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, Swiss Parliament, Bern, 5 July 2023
• Global Peace Index 2023 Geneva Launch, co-organised with the Institute of Economics and Peace, GCSP, 30 June 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• Making the Difference in Peace, Security and Development – Results-Based Management and Beyond, course co-organised with DCAF and Small Arms Survey, GCSP, 26-30 June 2023 (Course Co-Director)
• Presentation on Swiss Contribution to UN Peacekeeping, “UN Peacekeeping @ 75 Workshop” co-hosted by the ETH CSS and International Peacekeeping Journal, Zurich, 12-13 June. Contributed to publication from workshop (Speaker)
• New Issues in International Security - Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution and Sustainable Peace Course Week Module, GCSP, 6-9 June 2023 (Module Leader)
• Study Visit Middle East with EPON Project on UNTSO, including meetings with national stakeholders and UNIFIL, UNDOF, UNSCO, UNSCOL, MFO, etc., 22 May-5 June 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• Round Table Discussion, UNTSO Headquarters, Jerusalem, in cooperation with UNTSO, 28 May 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• Round Table Discussion on The New Agenda for Peace and The Future of Peace Operations – Lessons Learnt from UNTSO? in cooperation with the Cairo Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding and EPON, 1 June 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• Participation in the 75th Anniversary of UN Peacekeeping Commemorations at UN Headquarters, Jerusalem, and at UNIFIL Headquarters, Naqoura, 29 May 2023
• Participation in Adaptive Leadership Workshop, GCSP, 16 June 2023
• Presentation at International Leadership Association Leadership for Peace Community on Adaptive Leadership for Peace Operations and Missions, Online 11 May 2023 (Member, Board of Directors)
• GCSP Public Discussion “Preparing for the Summit of the Future: What Future for Multilateralism?” and Launch of Policy Brief “The Future of Multilateralism” by Richard Gowan, UN Director, International Crisis Group, GCSP, 28 April 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• GCSP Strengthening UN Peace Operations and Peacebuilding Project visit to New York, 17-21 April 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• Results-Based Management Course UN Standing Police Capacity, co-organised with DCAF and Small Arms Survey, Brindisi, 27-31 March 2023 (Course Co-Director)
• Geneva Consultations on the New Agenda for Peace, co-organised with GPP and Swiss FDFA, Geneva, 16-17 March 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• 23rd Swiss Peacebuilding Training Course, co-organised with the Swiss FDFA and Swiss Armed Forces, Stans, Switzerland, 26 February-10 March 2023 (Course Director)
• Briefing by the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism in cooperation with the UN University Centre for Policy Research and the GPP, Geneva, 1 March 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• Briefing on the New Agenda for Peace by the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, co-organised with the GPP, GCSP, 18 January 2023 (Lead at GCSP)
• Leadership in International Security Course / Master’s in Advanced Studies in International and European Security, GCSP and University of Geneva – Prevention, Conflict Management and Sustainable Peace 2 Weeks Module, GCSP, 16-27 January 2023 (Module Lead)
• International Leadership Association (ILA). In 2022, GCSP pioneered the ILA Women Leaders for Peace Fellowship Initiative. 11 outstanding women leaders contributed with 22 thought pieces and lectures delivered on:
  • Global Leadership for Peace Operations and Peacebuilding 2030: How Emerging Security Risks Will Challenge Leaders
  • Leadership for Peace: Finding the Third Way in a Two-Dimensional World
  • Clarity Through Crisis: Developing Leaders for Peace in a VUCA World
  • Leading in Complexity at the Climate-Environment-Peace Nexus
  • Leadership for Peace and Emerging Technologies
  • What Lessons for Leading Peace and Mediation Processes from the Experience of a Young Woman Leader Promoting Peace and Security in and for Liberia?
  • Leading with a Human Rights Lens to Peacebuilding: Exploring the Intersection of Conflict Resolution and Human Rights with Neuroscience and Behavioural Insights
  • Strengthening Women Leadership for Peace: What Principles of Leadership are Critical and Why?

• Enhancing Leadership for Peacebuilding – Senior-Level Peacebuilding Course, co-organised with the UN Institute for Training and Research and the Swiss FDFA, Online, 14-18 November 2022 (Course Co-Director)
• Geneva Security Debate, “A Crisis in Peacekeeping? What Room for Peace Operations in the New Agenda for Peace”, GCSP, 11 November 2022 (Lead at GCSP)
• Geneva Peace Week, “Peace is Possible”, 31 October-4 November 2022: High-Level Panel organised by the GCSP on “Making Peace Possible: What’s New on the New Agenda for Peace?” (Member, Management Committee)
• Geneva Peace Week Round Table “Health Emergencies and the Humanitarian Sector: Lessons for Sustaining Peace in a Pandemic”, co-organised with the International Peace Institute and GPP, GCSP, 1 November 2022 (Lead at GCSP)
• Launch of the SIPRI “Environment of Peace” Report in cooperation with SIPRI and GPP, GCSP, 28 October 2022 (Co-Lead at GCSP)
• Breakfast Briefing on Our Common Agenda and Soft Launch of the UN University Centre for Police Research in Geneva, co-organised with the GPP, GCSP, 21 October 2022 (Lead at GCSP)
• UN Mission Advanced Staff Training Course, co-organised with the UN Departments of Peace Operation, Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Swiss FDFA, Geneva, 10-18 October 2022 (Lead at GCSP)

VIDEOS AND PODCASTS

• GCSP Public Discussion: The Role and Impacts of Human Rights in UN Peace Operations in Practice
• Geneva Peace Week 2023: High-level Panel on Building Trust, Building Peace: Preparing for the Summit – A Conversation About the Future
• Geneva Peace Week 2023: The New Agenda for Peace: Reflection on the Future of Peace and Security Engagements
• Swiss Peacebuilding Training Course 2023: Video by Swiss Federal Department for Foreign Affairs
• Geneva Security Debate: The New Agenda for Peace: An Opportunity to Reshape Peace Operations
• Global Peace Index Launch 2023
• GCSP Public Discussion: Preparing for the Summit of the Future: What Future for Multilateralism?
• Geneva Security Debate: A Crisis in Peacekeeping - What Role for Peace Operations in the New Agenda for Peace?
• Geneva Peace Week: High-Level Panel organised by the GCSP “What's “New” on the New Agenda for Peace”
• ILA-GCSP Webinar: Strengthening Women Leadership for Peace – What Principles of Leadership are Critical and Why?
• GCSP Webinar: The New Normal? Imagining UN Peace Operations 2030
• GCSP Course: Leadership for Peace through Conflict Analysis, Resolution and Management
• ILA-GCSP Webinar: Leading at the Edge: Turning War Grief into Positive Leadership for Peace
• ILA-GCSP Webinar: Adaptive Leadership for Sustaining Peace in a Turbulent, Pandemic World
• GCSP Webinar: COVID-19 and its Impact on UN Peace Operations
• GCSP Co-hosts 1st UNPOL Women Police Command Cadre Professional Development Webinar
• Leadership for Peace through Conflict Analysis, Resolution and Management – Pilot Virtual Course Launched in Georgia

Mr David Horobin is Head of the Crisis Management at GCSP. He has more than 25 years operational experience in emergency and crisis management in natural and conflict related contexts in both field and HQ functions.  

As Head of Crisis Management his main tasks are designing, researching and delivering contemporary crisis management courses for decision makers, leaders, researchers and specialists in the government, humanitarian and corporate sectors. 

From 2010- 2017, he held the position of Head of Crisis Management and Security at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) providing policy, training and operational support for 18,000 ICRC staff in 80 countries for all emergency and security related incidents.

From 2006- 2010, he was Head of the Rapid Deployment Unit at the ICRC. He designed, staffed and managed ICRC’s emergency response and surge capacity capability incorporating ICRC’s technical and managerial support internally and through Red Cross/Crescent networks consisting of 190 National Societies with 24 hours deployable expertise and ERU teams.

From 2003-2006, Mr Horobin was Director of the Operations Team (CHASE-OT) at the UK’s Governments Department for International Development (DFID). He lead the UK’s emergency response to major international emergencies and managed a team of 45 experts in technical, operational and advisory roles. During this time he chaired the International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP) and was appointed EU High Level coordinator for Hurricane Katrina. 

Throughout his career, he developed first hand operational experience in natural and complex emergencies; Angola, Ethiopia, Rwanda, DRC, Philippines, Timor, Balkans, Iran, Afghanistan, Liberia, Japan, Asian Tsunami  and global emergencies such as Ebola, H1N1 and NRBC events. Additionally, he was responsible for  high level policy and operational coordination with UN, RCRC, governments and commercial operators.

A logistician by profession he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics (FCILT), and recently appointed Fellow and Advisory Board Member of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM); he holds an MSc in Transport Engineering from Imperial College, London and a BSc in Social Science. He has attained accredited Senior People, Leadership and Management (PLM-CS), Ashridge, UK (2007-2010), and certified EU High Level Coordinator (EU DG ENV-2006). Mr Horobin has advanced kidnap and crisis management training. 

Gazmend was previously a doctoral student in Cyberspace Operations at the Swedish Defence University. Additionally, he was Director of Intelligence on Cyber-related issues in the Swedish Armed Forces. Prior to that, he was Head of the United Nation's Intelligence Cell in a mission area for several years. He is a military Veteran, with more than five years of duty in conflict and post-conflict areas including two tours to the Balkans and one in Central Asia. He holds a two-year Master of Science in Security & Risk Management from the University of Leicester, and a two-year Master of Science in Information Security from Stockholm University.

In addition, he is a graduate from the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education program on Cybersecurity: The Intersection of Policy and Technology, and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy European Training Course (ETC). In 2014, he was awarded the best idea answering to EEAS Deputy Secretary General thread on the EU as a security provider. He has also academic training from Cranfield University, University of St. Andrews, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and professional training from the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS). He was Chair of Research & Development at ISACA Swedish Chapter and is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

Ariane Jaubert is the Leadership Portfolio Manager at the GCSP. She specializes in the design and implementation of highly experiential leadership and management programs, including facilitation, training and coaching. She regularly facilitates and moderates in person or virtual and hybrid meetings. Additionally, she is a certified Executive Coach (PCC, CPCC) and had the opportunity to work with leaders from a variety of backgrounds and industries at all levels in the organisation. 

Ariane leverages her 20 years of international experience and her passion for leadership development and training to inspire positive change within organizations. Her work has taken her across continents, in Asia, Europe, and North America, including the USA and Canada.

Ariane holds a Master of Science from Ecole Polytechnique (France) and an MBA from IMD (Switzerland). Her native language is French, she is fluent in English and has basic knowledge of German.

Ambassador Jean-David Levitte is the President of the Foundation Council of the GCSP and an Associate Fellow within the Global Fellowship Initiative of the GCSP. Today a member of the Institut de France, Jean-David Levitte has had a distinguished and outstanding career in the French Foreign Service, serving on the staff of three French Presidents and holding key senior positions in the French Foreign Service.

From 2007 to 2012, Ambassador Levitte was the Senior Diplomatic Adviser and Sherpa of President Sarkozy.

He served as Ambassador to the United States, from 2003 to 2007 during the difficult period of the war in Iraq.

From 2000 to 2002, he was the French Ambassador to the United Nations. In New York, Ambassador Levitte successfully handled several international negotiations, including resolution 1441 on Iraq.

Ambassador Levitte served as Senior Diplomatic Adviser and Sherpa of President Chirac from 1995 to 2000.
From 1990, he held senior positions in the French Foreign Ministry, first as Assistant Secretary for Asia and then as Undersecretary for Cultural and Scientific Cooperation.

In 1988, he was designated to his first position as Ambassador and served as the French Ambassador to the United Nations Office in Geneva.

Before 1988 Mr. Levitte was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister ; Deputy Assistant Secretary in the African Bureau ; Second Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York.

Mr. Levitte joined the Foreign Service in 1970. He was first posted in Hong Kong and Beijing in the early 1970's. A few months after his election in 1974, President Valery Giscard d'Estaing asked him to work on his staff at the Elysee Palace, where he stayed from 1975 to 1981.

Born in 1946 in the south of France, Ambassador Levitte earned a law degree and is a graduate of Sciences-Po (the renowned Institute for Political Science in Paris) and of the National School of Oriental Languages, where he studied Chinese and Indonesian.

Ambassador Levitte is married to Marie-Cécile Jonas and has two daughters and three grandchildren.

Linda Maduz is Programme Manager, Asia at the GCSP. As a member of the centre’s Diplomatic Dialogue department, she is responsible for GCSP activities that facilitate dialogue between conflict parties in Asia. The aim of these activities is to inform and support actors engaged in track 1+2 diplomacy to develop creative solutions in addressing security challenges, defusing tensions, and building trust and confidence. Linda Maduz previously worked as Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich. She received her doctorate in Political Science from the University of Zurich, having previously completed a licentiate degree in International Relations at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. Her policy and research work has focused on security and foreign policymaking in East and Southeast Asia and the dynamics of political change within the regional states. She speaks German, English, and French.

Dr Siobhán is Deputy Director of Executive Education and Head of Advanced Course Development. Dr Siobhán Martin joined the GCSP in 2006, and her primary focus is on curriculum design, course development and delivery, in addition to outreach and research activities. She is currently the Director of the 8-month Leadership in International Security Course (LISC) and Co-Director of the Master of Advanced Studies in International and European Security (MAS), jointly run by the GCSP and the Global Studies Institute of the University of Geneva. She is also responsible for the development of GCSP’s Advanced Course series including the LISC, the European Security Course (ESC) and the New Issues in Security Course (NISC) as well as acting as Deputy to the GCSP’s Head of Executive Education. Siobhán has a PhD in International Relations/Political Science from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva. Her research interests focus on strategic intelligence, international cooperation, ethics, leadership issues, and transnational threats. She also holds a Master's Degree in International Relations as well as a Joint Bachelor's Degree in English and History from the University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. Prior to joining the GCSP, she held a number of positions in the private sector. Her native language is English, and she also speaks French.

Select Publications

“Spying in a Transparent World”, reprinted as Chapter 20 in Cyber Ethics 4.0: Serving Humanity With Values, edited by Christoph Stükelberger/Pavan Duggal, Globethics.net Global Series No. 17, 2018

“Secret Friends: Intelligence Cooperation and Counterterrorism” (with Carl Ungerer), in Intelligence and the Function of Government, edited by D. Baldino & R. Crawley, Melbourne University Publishers, 2018

“Spying in a Transparent World: Ethics and Intelligence in the 21st Century”, GCSP Geneva Paper – Research Series No. 19, November 2016

Ms Alexandra Matas is the Director of International Security Dialogue at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. 

Her work focuses on analysis of key developments and emerging issues in International Security, and on providing policy advice to the Director of the Centre. She also designs, and oversees, a number of dialogue processes in Geneva, and internationally, focused on relations between Russia and the West, European Security,  OSCE conflict prevention mechanisms, reforms and post-war reconstruction in Syria, as well as others. From November 2022 Ms Matas was appointed as a Steering Committee member of the OSCE Network of Think Tanks and Academic Institutions. 

Her research interests include European Security, the OSCE, and the relationships between Russia and other Eurasian countries. Given her expertise, she is a regular contributor to international conferences and workshops, and teaches a series of modules at the GCSP on courses such as the European Security Course (ESC), the Leadership in International Security Course (LISC), and the Swiss Military Professional Officers Training (SPOT) course, amongst others.

Previously, Ms Matas was the Deputy Head of the Diplomatic Dialogue at the GCSP, whose aim it is to promote inclusive dialogue on current geopolitical issues, and act as a supporting body to existing peace processes.

She also headed the Effective Governance cluster, where she directed executive education programmes in both English, and French, for State officials from various countries including Myanmar, Tunisia, Iraq, and Cameroon, amongst others.

Ms Matas joined the GCSP in January 2011. Prior to joining the Centre, she worked at the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) on Foreign Direct Investments promotion. She also has experience working in the private sector for Crédit Suisse, in their Trade Finance department.

Ms Matas holds a License and a Master’s in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), in Geneva. She is a fluent Russian, English, and French speaker, and has intermediate proficiency in German.

Emily Munro heads the work on strategic anticipation and contributes to research & policy advice at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). In this role Emily leads projects and contributes to courses, in particular in the area of strategic foresight and international security. She works with governments and organisations around the world to foster more forward-thinking approaches to peace and security. She is the series editor of the GCSP’s In Focus publication. She also has experience on initiatives seeking to foster dialogue on emerging issues, in particular in Asia and the Middle East. She is a term facilitator and module responsible in the eight-month Leadership in International Security Course (LISC) and directs an annual short course on strategic foresight. She was the Course Director of the two-month New Issues in Security Course from 2017 to 2019.

Emily has been with the GCSP since 2003, in functions related to partnership development and governance issues, training and academic affairs, and courses and projects on peacebuilding and new issues in security.

She has previous professional experience at the International Organization for Migration (Geneva), the Global Forum for Health Research (Geneva) and the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC, Canada).

Emily Munro holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the Graduate Institute in Geneva and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Emily is a Canadian and Swiss citizen and she speaks English (native language) and French.

Publications

• “Strengthening Prevention with Better Anticipation: COVID-19 and Beyond”, Strategic Security Analysis, GCSP, Geneva, March 2020.
• Security in a World without Nuclear Weapons: Visions and Challenges, (co-editor, with David Atwood), GCSP, Geneva, December 2013.
• Multidimensional and Integrated Peace Operations: Trends and Challenges, Geneva Paper 1 (Conference Series), Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and GCSP, Geneva, January 2008.
• “Natural Disasters, Globalization, and the Implications for Global Security”, in Policy Briefs on the Transnational Aspects of Security and Stability, edited by Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, pp. 149-162, Zurich, LIT Verlag, 2007.
• Challenges to Neutral and Non-Aligned Countries in Europe and Beyond, (editor), GCSP, Geneva, 2005.

Dr Anca Munteanu-Raiz is a Course Director at GCSP with a focus on the MENA region. She has a PhD in Political science / Public administration from the University of Grenoble in co-tutorship with the University of Bucharest. Her experience lies in course design and delivery, as well as research on regime change, governance, gender and civil society networks in North Africa.
She lived in multi-cultural environments in Europe and North Africa. Prior to joining the GCSP, she worked as a researcher for the National center for scientific research (CNRS), France, and as a teaching and research assistant for the University Lyon 2, France.
She holds a bachelor and a master’s degree in Arabic language, University of Bucharest, and a master’s degree in discourse analysis from the Muhammad V University, Rabat, Morocco.
Her native language is Romanian, she speaks fluently English, French and Arabic.

Publications

• La « sécularisation » des discours et des pratiques en contexte islamique : le cas du Parti pour la justice et le développement au Maroc. Social Compass, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1177/00377686231180380 (co-author with Dr. Seniguer Haoues)
• "The Party for Justice and Development’s “Specialization” in Politics: Metamorphosis and Contradictions". Middle East Law and Governance 15.1 (2022): 73-99. https://doi.org/10.1163/18763375-20221276 Web. (co-author with Dr. Seniguer Haoues)
• « Tunisie : Ennahdha face à ses contradictions », Moyen-Orient, Oct.-Déc. 2021.
• « Quelle place pour les militantes des partis islamistes en Tunisie et au Maroc ? », The Conversation, 04/06/2020 Quelle place pour les militantes des partis islamistes en Tunisie et au Maroc ? (theconversation.com)
• « Intégration politique des partis islamistes et processus de ‘spécialisation’: perspective comparée Tunisie-Maroc », L’année du Maghreb, n° 22, 2020-I, p. 131-148.

Mr Niko Orell is the Senior Crisis Management Advisor at Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Previously, he worked as Military and Security Policy Adviser for EU Common Security and Defence Policy and Crisis Management in Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU in Brussels. Niko is an accomplished military leader, fighter pilot and combat veteran with over 25 years operational experience in security and defense management within a military and diplomatic context in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He speaks Finnish, English, and French.

He has an impressive track record of advising the EU Political and Security Committee, as well as the EU and NATO Military Committees, on Crisis Management. Niko has been part of EU-level working groups to draw up the EU Crisis Management Concepts and Mission Plans, and has planned, staffed, and implemented EU operations in Europe, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific region. In addition, he has also advised on conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction.

In 2013, Mr. Orell was awarded a defense medal by the German Defense Minister for his outstanding merits in the NATO-led ISAF operation in Afghanistan. He has worked in the United Nations (MINUSMA) for the Sahel region, conducting training with troops from Burkina Faso, Mali, Liberia, Egypt, and Côte d’Ivoire. In 2020 Niko was involved in starting the EU's crisis management operation in Mozambique.

As a Lt Col (GS), (Finnish Air Force, retired) Mr Orell is an accomplished military leader who has held various positions of responsibility throughout his career. From 2016-19, he was Commander of the Regional Air Operations Center in eastern boarder of Finland, where he managed a team of 150 specialists, operators, and technical staff. His unit was responsible for air surveillance and execution of air defense. Between 2012-16, Mr. Orell worked at Finnish National Defense University as Principal Lecturer and led the Staff Officer Course, specializing in Operational Arts, Strategy and Warfare. He was responsible for designing and delivering courses for military officers and civil servants from Finland and abroad, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and inter-agency coordination in crisis management. He has experience as a lecturer of operational planning, situational awareness, decision making, aviation and aerial warfare.

Niko holds a Master's degree in Military Science and was awarded academic recognition for his Postgraduate Research paper discussing situational awareness and information management in uncertainty during military operations. He participated in the Senior Staff Officer course in 2010-11 at National Defense University and has a minor in pedagogical sciences from The University of Helsinki. He has also published articles on the topics of crisis management, leadership, and situational awareness, and has been invited as a speaker to numerous conferences and workshops on these subjects. Mr. Orell has received several awards and commendations throughout his career for his outstanding service and dedication to crisis management and security.

We are delighted to count Niko Orell among our Experts here at GCSP.

Christina Orisich is the Deputy Executive Director of the GCSP, an international foundation, with the mission to promote peace, security and international cooperation though executive education, diplomatic dialogue and policy advice. She is also Director of Executive education, and as such responsible for defining the strategy of the executive education activities of the GCSP, making it one of the leading organisations in international security policy education.

Putting particular emphasis on learning innovation and the neuroscience behind adult education, her leadership during the pandemic has ensured state of the art design and delivery of courses in face to face, virtual, and hybrid formats. Under her leadership, the GCSP has steadily increased its partnerships for highly customized education offerings, its global footprint as well as its impact across the globe.

Prior to joining the GCSP, Ms. Orisich lead the Leadership Development and Coaching Department, for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) – Europe.  She developed important strategic partnerships with global corporations from the Pharma, Health Care, Chemical, Automotive and Financial Services industry as well as with international organisations providing advice around their organizational, talent and leadership development challenges.

Before this, Christina worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC Consulting) in Brussels and London leading EU financed projects in Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Romania in the public and private sector in areas such as telecoms, oil and gas, restructuring. Etc… Ms. Orisich also worked at the European Commission in Brussels, Ericsson in Vienna and the Austrian Trade Commission in New York City.

Ms.Orisich brings an extensive international experience in executive education to the GCSP, as well as expertise in consulting, change management, strategy, leadership, organizational & leadership development and now also in international security policy. She has a very good understanding of the international security policy context as well as of the challenges leaders face in this complex and ever-changing world both in the private and public sector, as well as government, international organisations and NGOs. She is also a very experienced certified facilitator, executive coach, and speaker.

She holds a degree in International Business Administration from the University of Economics and Business Administration in Vienna, Austria. She earned her postgraduate degree in European political Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. She is certified by the International Coaching Federation. She has lived and worked in 13 countries and speaks 8 languages.

Anne-Caroline is the Director of the GCSP’s Global Fellowship Initiative and Creative Spark. Anne-Caroline joined the GCSP in September 2003 and has held different positions throughout this time. She spent a number of years working with the Director of Special Programmes on diplomatic activities and training courses abroad. She then worked with the External Relations Team and, as its Manager, was in charge of the Centre’s external communications - GCSP website, media relations and publications. She later joined the Emerging Security Challenges Programme as a Senior Programme Officer responsible for the Security and Law activities of the Centre. Since 2015, Anne-Caroline coordinates the GCSP Global Fellowship Initiative and currently also heads the development of the Creative Spark.

She holds a Master’s Degree (LL.M.) in International Humanitarian Law, jointly awarded by the Law Faculty of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International Studies (HEI). She studied Law at Pierre Mendes France, University of Grenoble (France), and after her Maîtrise with specialisation in European Law, she obtained a Diploma from their European Summer Academy on "Europe in Transition".

Prior to her employment at the GCSP, she worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Athens (Greece), and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in Geneva.

Anne-Caroline speaks English, French, Greek, Spanish, Italian and German.