2024 Cohort

Editing Team

Katelynn snyman

Katelynn holds a cum laude Triple Major in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics and an Honours Degree in International Relations from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. She is a budding expert on Russian foreign policy, particularly as it pertains to the African continent; and is specifically interested in hybrid warfare and the use of OSINT to investigate influence campaigns and disinformation in West Africa. 

Katelynn works as an Intelligence Analyst for a U.S-based company, and is a fluent French speaker, but remains a firm believer in the agency and potential of her home continent - Africa.

Carmen Constantineanu

Carmen, from Romania, has a background in Criminology and Cybercrime from the University of Portsmouth, UK. Her main interests are related to the various crimes pertaining to cyberspace, more specifically how the development of technology is impacting legislation and law enforcement. She is also interested in intelligence analysis, peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations, alongside traditional police work.

Kritika Karmakar

Kritika, graduated with a degree in International Affairs and a specialization in Defense and National Security from India. She has authored numerous articles on international security, terrorism, radicalization and strategic issues. Some of her other publications include book chapters and books on the Indo-Pacific and South China Sea. Her research interests span social and cultural psychology, security, strategy, and counter-terrorism, demonstrating a unique intersection between psychology and security studies.

Maddalena Barbolini

Maddalena holds a Bachelor’s degree in Languages, Civilization and the science of language with an IR specialization from Ca’ Foscari University Of Venice. Her academic journey started with the study of language and its impact on political discourse, on which she conducted research at the University of Seville; as an IMSISS student, she has developed a particular interest in intelligence analysis, its application on organized crime, law enforcement and new technologies involved in the process.

Jurgen van der Zwet

Jurgen, from The Netherlands, holds a double bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Security Studies, both obtained from Leiden University. His main areas of interest include terrorism and counterterrorism, preventing/countering violent extremism, and intelligence studies. Within these fields, he is now specializing in far-right / anti-institutional extremism and its linkage to disinformation and conspiracy theories.

Denisa Mădălina Pavel

Denisa holds a degree in International Relations from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she has cultivated a portfolio of professional experiences across various sectors of global affairs, namely the diplomatic sphere, inter-religious dialogue within a non-governmental organisation, alongside her involvement in student-led organisations fostering the debate and dissemination of knowledge with regards to international politics. 

While completing the IMSISS, Denisa works as a research assistant for the Global Initiative on Transnational Organised Crime, enabling her to deepen her understanding of the myriad of security threats that non-governmental actors pose today. Besides English and Romanian, she speaks Spanish, French and Catalan.

In the security sector, Denisa is particularly interested in Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space, Transatlantic Security and Defence, intelligence along with more traditional security matters coupled with Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies.

Advika Pandey

Advika has a background in Political Science and International Relations from Ashoka University. Her dissertation focused on the under researched area of the Indian Northeast, and the causes behind persistent conflict in the area. Her key areas of interests include conflict studies, peacebuilding, climate change and intelligence and risk analysis. She is deeply passionate about the drivers and causes behind vulnerability and conflict, and the various mechanisms to restrict/contain them