Dr Orzala Nemat

Dr Orzala Nemat is an academic, policy expert, and practitioner specialising in international security, conflict, and peacebuilding, with a particular focus on Afghanistan and fragile states. She holds a PhD in Development Studies from SOAS and MSc in Development and Planning from UCL.  Dr Nemat has extensive experience working at the intersection of scholarship, policy, and practice.

Dr Nemat started her career from grassroots activism while she was a war refugee, and she held different research and advisory roles with leading international institutions, think tanks, and government bodies, contributing rigorous analysis on peace processes, political settlements, statebuilding, and the role of international actors in conflict-affected environments. Her academic work has been widely published and draws on deep field experience, including direct engagement with political elites, civil society, and local communities.

She has taught and lectured on international development, security, governance and peacebuilding, and regularly provides expert briefings to policymakers and practitioners. Her research is grounded in qualitative fieldwork and combines political analysis with a strong understanding of local dynamics. She has also worked as one of the prosecutors in the Afghan Women's Case against the Taliban in the Permanent People's Tribunal in 2025. 

Dr Nemat’s current research focuses on political legitimacy, governance under de facto authorities, and the long-term implications of international disengagement from Afghanistan. She continues to contribute to policy debates through applied research, public commentary, and advisory work, bringing an evidence-based and context-sensitive perspective to complex security challenges.