Research Affiliates

Ziad Al Achkar is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. His research focuses on the use of digital technologies in support of peacebuilding and humanitarian action, and the evolving relationship with the private technology sector. In particular, Ziad researches how the pursuit of Legibility shapes and influences the behavior of humanitarian organizations. Before starting his Ph.D., he co-founded the Signal Program on Human Security and Technology at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative to focus on the use of Information Communication Technologies in conflict analysis and support of humanitarian operations. At BEP, Ziad will be gathering evidence of effective war prevention strategies, developing related BEP partnerships, and building the BEP resource library for practitioners, donors, policy makers, and scholars.

Engy is a PhD Candidate at George Mason’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and a visiting fellow at Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, where she researches the political economy of conflicts in the MENA region, with a focus on Syria and Yemen. Her academic work focuses on intrastate conflicts, the Middle East, government-business relations, institutional structures, elite networks, and structural violence.

As a PhD candidate in public policy at the Schar School of Policy and Government, my research primarily focuses on mass mobilization and democracy, with a strong interest in addressing inequality, gender parity, and Asian American issues. My recent publications have been featured in journals such as PLOS One, Development and Society, and The Journal of Labor Studies (published in Korean). My academic journey began with a focus on sociology during both my BA and MA studies at Korea University. I am excited to contribute to the BEP (Better Evidence Project) research team.