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I am the co-head of the “Democracy and Peace” program of UCL’s Policy Lab. Recently, I have been awarded a grant from UCL Innovation & Enterprise and Research England’s Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) for a project on “Where Will the Next War Break Out? Building an Innovation Network in Conflict Prediction”. Our Innovation Network brings together UK policymakers as well as experts from think tanks in a series of workshops organized by Chatham House, with the aim of establishing a lasting academic-policymaker community in the realm of conflict analysis and prediction.

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My current policy engagement builds on my previous experience as the project coordinator of a transnational “Research for Development” (“r4d”) project on “Ethnic Power Relations and Conflict in Fragile States", funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

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My frequent contributions in Swiss and Guatemalan newspapers on the topic of ethnic inequality and conflict earned me the NCCR Knowledge Transfer Award twice in 2011 and 2013. The NCCR Knowledge Transfer Award, conferred by the Swiss National Science Foundation, rewards researchers for special achievements in transferring academic knowledge into society and contributing to a public discourse on democracy.

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On podcast

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• “When does religion beget violence?” UCL Uncovering Politics. February 6, 2025. (Link to episode)

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On the radio

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• “Senegals Präsident Wade gibt sich geschlagen.” [“Senegal’s president Wade admits defeat.”] Echo der Zeit, SR DRS (Switzerland). March 26, 2012. (Link to interview)

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In the newspapers

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• “Y si mataran a Zury Ríos?” [“What if they killed Zury Ríos?”] El Periódico (Guatemala). March 26, 2013.  (Link to article)

  • In response to Zury Ríos’ letter to the editor: "Estimada Sra. Zury Ríos” [“Dear Ms. Zury Ríos.”] El Periódico (Guatemala). May 2, 2013.

• “Elfenbeinküste: Prekäre Rückkehr zum Frieden.“ [“Côte d’Ivoire: Precarious return to peace.”] Infosperber (Switzerland). October 21, 2012. (Link to article)

• “Kriegsverbrecher mit besten Siegeschancen.“ [“War criminal with best chances of winning elections.“] 20 Minuten Online (Switzerland). November 5, 2011. (Link to article)

• “Das System der weissen Eroberer.“ [“The system of the white conquerors.”] Tages-Anzeiger (Switzerland). September 29, 2011. (Link to article)

• “Guatemala: Die Herrschenden haben Mayas im Griff.” [“Guatemala: The ruling class has a firm grip on Maya people.“] Infosperber (Switzerland). September 24, 2011. (Link to article)

• “El Movimiento Winaq y la Democracia.“ [“The Winaq Movement and Democracy.”] El Periódico (Guatemala). September 9, 2011. (Link to article)

• “Afrikas nächste verpasste Chance?” [“Africa’s next lost opportunity?”] Tages-Anzeiger (Switzerland). December 24, 2010. (Link to article)