Meet the new Postgraduate Network (PGN) committee

We’re delighted to introduce you to the new PGN committee for the next academic year. 

Assala Khettache, Chair 

Assala Khettache is a doctoral candidate in International Politics at Aberystwyth University. Her research focuses on the operations of Russian private military companies within various African contexts. Grounded in extensive fieldwork, Assala’s work integrates interdisciplinary approaches from psychology, sociology, and international relations, with a particular emphasis on moral injury studies. Assala completed her bachelor’s degree in international relations in Algeria as national valedictorian. She then earned her master's degree from the Social Sciences University of Ankara. In 2021, she was awarded an Erasmus research fellowship at the Defence Studies Department of King's College London. 

Currently, Assala is a consultant for the Royal United Services Institute and teaches at Aberystwyth University. She is fluent in Arabic, French, English, Turkish, and Amazigh, and is learning Russian. Previously, she served as an assistant to the Editor-in-Chief of Insight Turkey and managed an international research project focused on the Libyan crisis. 

Daksh Sharma, Vice Chair 

Daksh is a second year PhD student at the Clinton Institute at University College Dublin. Previously, a gold medalist in Computer Science as an undergraduate coupled with Masters in Geopolitics and International Relations, he has in-depth research experience in areas related to the intersection of Science, Technology and Geopolitics. His masters thesis explored the non-kinetic threats to outer space security which developed his interest in cyber technologies and their impact on international alliances and relations. Daksh holds a keen interest in all things technology and is always exploring how emerging technologies interact with international relations and create implications for international security. 

Konstantinos Manakos, Communications Officer 

Konstantinos is a second-year PhD student in International Relations at Northumbria University, where he focuses on the socio-political implications of emerging digital technologies. His doctoral research specifically examines the EU's Digital Sovereignty initiative, analyzing its impact on the EU, its Member States, and the broader international community. Before starting his PhD, Konstantinos worked as a field-research manager and supervisor at the Hellenic National Centre of Social Research. He has contributed to various national and EU-funded research projects. In regard to his academic background, he holds a BA in Political Science and Law from the University of Mannheim, complemented by two MA degrees: one in Governance and International Relations from Aston University, and another in Governance of Complex Technical Systems from Bamberg University. 

Andrea Gimeno Solaz, Events and Elections Officer 

Andrea is a second-year PhD student in Politics and International Relations at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on the economic inequality implications of Aid for Trade programmes for recipient developing countries, focusing both on the role of flows and implementation strategies. Her broader areas of interest include the (international) political economy of development, in particular the influence of the global trade regime and its institutions (formal and informal) in shaping relations of uneven power and conditions of uneven development among countries. 

Prior to starting her PhD, Andrea obtained a first-class MA Hons in Politics with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh, and a cum laude MSc in Political Economy from the University of Amsterdam. She was awarded the Barbara Wootton prize for the best undergraduate dissertation in social sciences using quantitative methods. She currently holds a studentship from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences (SGSSS) to support her doctoral research. 

Aboabea Akuffo, Post Doctoral Officer 

Aboabea Akuffo holds a PhD from the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford, UK. Her expertise primarily lies at the intersection of Sociology of Education, Gender, and Family. Her research interests are diverse and interdisciplinary, extending beyond her core areas to include Political Economy Critique, Climate Change and its cultural implications, Global Economic and Taxation Politics, and Cultural Sociology. Her scholarly work is distinguished by the application of a variety of innovative qualitative methodologies. She leverages grounded theory methods, feminist methodologies, and both sociological and historical approaches to critically explore and address complex social issues particularly uncovering the nuanced interactions between social structures and individual agency, especially in relation to education, gender dynamics, and the impact of global economic policies on low resource countries.

Through her work, Aboabea aims to contribute to the development of more equitable and inclusive policies, particularly in the context of education and gender equality. She is also dedicated to producing research that not only advances academic knowledge but also has practical implications for improving societal well-being.