Ms Tamseel Aqdas

Ms Tamseel Aqdas is a researcher specialising in global security, strategic affairs, and governance, with a particular focus on how states navigate the tension between security priorities and legal and institutional commitments. She joins London Dialogue as an Assistant Researcher, bringing a strong interdisciplinary foundation across international relations, peace and conflict studies, and human rights. Ms Aqdas is currently pursuing an MSc in Human Rights and International Politics at the University of Glasgow. She holds an MPhil in International Relations and a BS in Peace and Conflict Studies from the National Defence University, Pakistan, where she graduated as the top-ranked student and recipient of the Chancellor’s Gold Medal, the institution’s highest academic honour. Her research interests span strategic autonomy, terrorism, digital governance, and institutional capacity in fragile and hybrid regimes. She has published in multiple peer-reviewed journals, with work addressing security and governance dynamics across Afghanistan, Turkey, and the broader international system. Her current research examines governance and implementation gaps in legal frameworks, with particular attention to politically complex and contested environments. Beyond her academic work, Ms Aqdas has contributed to policy research, legal advocacy, and programme evaluation, demonstrating a consistent ability to translate rigorous analysis into policy-relevant outputs. At London Dialogue, she will support the institute’s research programmes while developing her own analytical contributions across its thematic areas.