Dr. Samina Ahmed
South Asia Project Director, International Crisis Group
Islamabad-based Dr. Samina Ahmed leads Crisis Group's research and analysis on developments in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Nepal. Working with a cadre of Crisis Group analysts based throughout the region, her team examines the political, social, economic and military factors that increase the risks of extremism, conflict and war, and develops policy recommendations to overcome these threats. Under her leadership, Crisis Group's highly-regarded South Asia reporting continues to address a wide range of policy challenges, including authoritarianism; Islamic extremism, domestic and regional terrorism; educational, judicial, and security sector reform; international involvement and intervention in the region, including U.S. relations with authoritarian states; and domestic insurgencies and the risk of interstate conflict. In addition to research and writing, Dr. Ahmed frequently briefs representatives of foreign ministries and international organizations and conducts interviews with major international media. She holds a doctorate of philosophy in political science from the Australian National University, and has been a research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and senior research analyst at the Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad.
