Meet the Team

Tejendra Pherali

Tejendra Pherali

UCL IOE

Principal Investigator

Tejendra Pherali is Professor of Education, Conflict and Peace at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, University College London. His research and teaching focus on education, conflict and international development with a particular focus on …

Elaine Chase

UCL IOE

Co-Investigator

Elaine Chase is Professor in Education, Wellbeing and International Development at UCL Institute of Education.  Her teaching, research and writing explore the sociological dimensions of health, wellbeing and rights of individuals and communities, particularly those most likely to experience …

Laila Kadiwal

Laila Kadiwal

UCL IOE

Co-Investigator

Dr Laila Kadiwal is a Lecturer in Education and International Development at the UCL Institute of Education. Laila works on the intersections of identity and education in conflict-affected settings. She has researched in India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and …

Chayan Vaddhanaphuti

Chayan Vaddhanaphuti

RCSD, Chiang Mai University

International Co-Investigator

Professor Chayan Vaddhanaphuti received his BA from Chulalongkorn University, MPA from the National Institute of Development Administration, MA in Anthropology and PhD in International Development Education with concentration in Anthropology from Stanford University. He received the …

Ah Sai

Hawng Tsai

Thinking Classrooms Foundation

Myanmar country facilitator

Hawng Tsai is a teacher, teacher educator and an education policy advocate especially for peace education, MTB-MLE and right to education. She has been working with ethnic education groups, monastic education, faith-based education, migrant education, IDPs …

Chawin Pongpajon

Chawin Pongpajon

MSSIC, Chulalongkorn University

Thailand country facilitator

Chawin Pongpajon is a lecturer, who teaches and supervises Thai language arts pre-service teachers for secondary schools, at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He is also a guest researcher …

Chumsak Nararatwong

Chumsak Nararatwong

Samesouls Group, Southern Thailand

Chumsak Nararatwong received his BA from Ramkhamhaeng University, MA in Social Development Administration and in Social Analysis and Planning from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) and is currently studying for a PhD in Sustainable …

Tula

Tula Narayan Shah

Nepal Madhesh Foundation (NEMAF)

Tula Narayan Shah is the Executive Director of Nepal Madhesh Foundation (NEMAF), a non-governmental organization working in the area of public education, youth migration and local governance in the rural areas of the Madhesh region of Nepal. He has more …

Walter Flores

Walter Flores

CEGSS, Guatemala

Dr. Walter Flores is a social scientist and human rights advocate with over 25 years of professional experience. He holds a PhD and a Masters of Community Health from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK. …

Edith Martinez

Edith Martinez

TIKOSÓ, Mexico

Edith is a ñuu savi (people of the rain) woman originally from the ejido of Zitlaltepec, municipality of Metlatónoc, in the high mountains of Guerrero. For the past 15 years she has worked for various organisations …

Valentina Glockner

Valentina Glockner

DIE-Cinvestav, Mexico

Valentina Glockner is a Mexican anthropologist affiliated with Departamento de Investigaciones Educativas (DIE) at CINVESTAV, in Mexico City. She has specialized in childhood studies, (im)migration, forced displacement and the anthropology of the state and humanitarianism. Her research in …

Arif Sahar

Arif Sahar

University of Sheffield Hallam, UK

Arif Sahar is a researcher within the Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime Research (CENTRIC) Institute at Sheffield Hallam University. His research mainly focuses on international security and terrorism. Prior to this …

Birgul Kutan

Birgul Kutan

University of Sussex

Country facilitator for Syria/Turkey

Dr Birgul Kutan is Researcher at the University of Sussex. She has a PhD in Geography and two MAs (one in human geography, one in international development) from the University of Bristol. She is a political …

Sardar Saadi

Sardar Saadi

University of Rojava, Syria

Dr. Sardar Saadi is the director of the institute of social sciences at the University of Rojava. He is also one of the co-founders of the Center for Solidarity and Cooperation with Universities of North and …

Dr Akhtar Alam 

University of Kashmir

Dr Akhtar Alam is Assistant Professor at Department of Geography and Disaster Management, University of Kashmir, India. His research and teaching interests revolve around environmental change, natural hazards, climate crisis, and disaster risk. He is particularly …