Emelie Poignant Khafagi

Emelie is a Research Assistant in the SIPRI Middle East and North Africa Programme. Her research interests include the nationalism-identity nexus, state-building, and foreign policy. Prior to joining SIPRI, she worked as an analyst for a tech start-up focusing on political accountability and the rule of law in the EU. She has also completed a traineeship in the Euro-Med and Middle East Unit at the European Parliament and worked on the MENA desk for a political risk and due diligence consultancy. Emelie holds an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from St Antony’s College, University of Oxford and a BA in International Relations from King’s College London. Her MPhil thesis analysed the role of gender in the 2011 Egyptian uprising. A Swedish internationalist, she has found a home in a number of countries, including Egypt, China, the UK and Belgium.