The Anatomy of State Collapse

Paul is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University. He is a biologist by original training, lecturing at Imperial College in plant pathology and working as a senior scientific officer in Uganda and Kenya. He moved to Peace Studies at Bradford University in 1979, working primarily on the changing causes of international conflict, especially in relation to socio-economic divisions and environmental limits to growth. He is international security adviser to Open Democracy, writes a weekly column, and is a frequent broadcaster. His most recent book is The Insecurity Trap, Hawthorn Press, 2024.

Salman Shaikh is the Founder and CEO of The Shaikh Group (TSG), a specialised peace-building organisation dedicated to mitigating and resolving violent conflict, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Shaikh has extensive experience leading mediation and Track II diplomacy initiatives with local actors, governments, and key international actors – with a focus on Syria, the broader Levant, the Gulf region and Iran. Before establishing TSG, Shaikh was the director of the Brookings Institution’s Doha Center, where his research focused on conflict resolution, domestic policy, and geopolitics of the Middle East. Shaikh previously worked the United Nations in a number of offices. Shaikh also served as director for policy and research in the private office of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bin Nasser al-Missned, the Consort of the former Emir of the State of Qatar.

Sheikha Alanoud bint Hamad Al Thani is a Qatari businesswoman. She serves on the board of directors of the Qatar Financial Centre and was appointed as the centre’s chief business officer and deputy chief executive officer in 2023. Prior to her appointment, she served as managing director of business development at the centre, launching initiatives to promote employment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar. Sheikha Alanoud was the first woman and youngest person to be appointed to the centre’s executive committee. In March 2021, she was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. In 2022, she was a recipient of the Arab Woman of the Year Award and was named by Forbes as one of the 50 Most Powerful Businesswomen in the Middle East and North Africa.

Affan Cheema is the director of international programs at Islamic Relief Worldwide, one of the largest Muslim faith agencies in the world. He is an experienced leader with 27 years of working in the international aid sector on poverty eradication in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He has worked in fast-onset emergencies, protracted crises, and development environments. Cheema completed his bachelor’s degree in economics and geography from the University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) and his MSc in development administration and planning from the University of Bristol. He is PRINCE2 qualified, is a keen sportsman, and recently co-edited a book entitled Islam and International Development: Insights for working with Muslim Communities (Practical Action Publishing, 2020). Cheema is a member of the Working Group on Displaced Persons and Hospitality to the Stranger, part of the Culture of Encounter Project.