ACONA Fellows 2025-2026

Ali Alkis is a nuclear security professional and PhD candidate based in Türkiye. He is a Junior Associate Fellow at the NATO Defense College and NTI’s Emerging Nuclear Security Leader. He also serves as WINS Ambassador to Türkiye, a Ploughshares Fund–Horizon 2025 Nuclear Futures Fellow, and a member of Harvard’s Ukraine Nuclear Security Working Group. Ali contributes to research on nuclear policy, nonproliferation, nuclear piracy, and Türkiye’s security landscape. As a Gender Champion at the GCNP, he supports inclusivity in the field. His past work with King’s College London and ongoing outreach efforts inform broader nuclear security discussions.

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Maria Del Carmen Corte is a Project Manager at the Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence within the NNSA, U.S. Department of Energy. She leads priority nuclear security programs in Mexico and Kyrgyzstan, enhancing border security, radiological detection, and counter-smuggling efforts in close partnership with military, law enforcement, and diplomatic stakeholders. She previously served as an NNSA Graduate Fellow via PNNL, supporting operations in Uzbekistan and Peru. Prior to NNSA, she edited and produced satellite imagery reports on North Korean security infrastructure at HRNK. Maricarmen holds a master’s degree focused on international security, technology policy, and humanitarian affairs from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, where her studies included research-focused field work in South Korea and additional research in Eurasia and Japan. She also holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Digital Media from Texas Tech University.​

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

MSc student in Digital International Affairs at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and current IAEA Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow. With several years of experience as an international law expert at a national nuclear regulatory authority, her work focuses on nuclear safeguards, IAEA legal instruments, and compliance assessment. Her research explores digital technologies in nuclear verification and the role of international legal mechanisms in promoting non-proliferation and disarmament. She holds an MA in International Law from the University of Tehran and a BSc in Computer Software Engineering. Her interests also include gender, migration, and human rights in global security frameworks.

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Alina is an expert in international relations and security and currently serves as a political analyst at the NATO Representation to Ukraine. She previously worked as a senior consultant at the National Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Ukraine and has additional experience in civil service and working freelance in the fields of foreign policy and security. She is a 2024 Think Visegrad Fellow at PISM, researching Russia’s strategic culture, and a graduate of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. Alina holds a PhD in Political Science two master’s degrees in National Security Strategic Management and in International Relations. She is a Visiting Lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine.  She regularly publishes in media outlets, including the Atlantic Council.​

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Sahil Jain is a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. He recently served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State and has held overseas assignments at U.S. Embassy Beijing, U.S. Consulate General Mumbai, and U.S. Embassy Lima. Domestically, he has worked in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, on the National Security Council, and as a Legislative Assistant in Congress. Sahil holds degrees from The George Washington University and Syracuse University, and speaks Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, Punjabi, and Spanish.

 

ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Kudakwashe Mapako is an International Law Researcher, A member of the African Nuclear Disarmament Verification Hub coordinated by the University of Witwatersrand’s Radiation and Health Physics Unit and Verification, Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC). Previously a Research Officer at the African Center for Science and International Security (AFRICSIS) in the arms control and non-proliferation programme where he contributed to various projects on the universalization and strengthening of nuclear legal instruments on the African continent. Mapako also participated in the 2024-25 CTBTO-CENESS Research Fellowship. He holds a Master of Laws Degree specializing in International Law from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) Major in International Law (Cum Laude) from Zhejiang Gongshang University, China. ​

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Jørn is the main adviser on Foreign Affairs and Defense Policy for the Norwegian Labour Party's Parliamentary Group. In this role, he provides strategic guidance to Members of Parliament on key security issues and contributes to shaping policies that address Norway’s complex security environment. He is a former Norwegian diplomat with a particular interest in Geopolitics, Security Policy and Peace & Reconciliation, with postings to Pakistan, South Africa, and the Permanent Delegation of Norway to NATO.​

 

ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to September 2026

Sidra Rehman is a Senior Research Analyst at International Affairs Division of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). She holds M. Phil and M. Sc Degrees in Defense and Strategic Studies from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. She has contributed in various national and international publications. Her research focuses on strategic stability, arms control and emerging technologies. In her line of work at PAEC, she has also been engaged in PAEC’s international collaborations for peaceful applications of nuclear technologies and management of PAEC’s activities with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). ​

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Alice Saltini is an AI-Nuclear Policy Advisor at the Institute for Security and Technology and a Non-Resident Expert on AI at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), specializing on the impact of AI on nuclear decision-making. She advises governments and international organizations on managing AI-related nuclear risks, focusing on mitigating the challenges of integrating AI into military and nuclear systems. She has published widely on these issues and developed a general-purpose risk assessment framework for analyzing AI-nuclear risks. Previously, she served as a Policy Fellow with the European Leadership Network and completed stints with the CTBTO and CNS. ​

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Kirill Shamiev is a Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, where he focuses on Russian civil-military relations, defense sector development, and West-Russia relations. Before joining ECFR, he held a progressively senior role at Verian Group, an international consultancy specializing in public sector research and evaluation. He holds an MA and PhD in Political Science from Central European University (Vienna, Austria) and a BA from the Higher School of Economics (St. Petersburg, Russia). He is the author of Imperfect Equilibrium: Civil–Military Relations in Russian Defense Policymaking, forthcoming in January 2026.​

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Fei Su is a Researcher with SIPRI’s China and Asia Security Programme. Prior to joining SIPRI, she lived and studied in Seoul for three years, where she strengthened her fluency in Korean. She holds an MA in Public Administration from the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University, focusing on governance. Her research interests focus on regional security issues in East Asia with a special interest in North Korea, China’s foreign and security policy, maritime security, cybersecurity and AI-nuclear nexus.​

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Dr. SUN Chenghao is a fellow and head of U.S.-Europe program, associate professor at Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University, council member of the Chinese Association of American Studies and member of Munich Young Leaders. He was a visiting scholar at Yale Law School in 2024. His research interests include China-U.S. relations, transatlantic relations, AI and global governance, etc. Dr. Sun teaches a graduate-level course on Transatlantic Relations in Tsinghua University. He has co-authored dozens of reports and books. Dr. Sun is a social media influencer in China on Weibo with around 1 million followers and also the founder of the English Newsletter ChinAffairsplus.​

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Senior Icelandic diplomat with over 15 years of experience representing Iceland across key multilateral forums, including the UN, Council of Europe, and international fisheries negotiations. Deep knowledge of the United Nations and proven leader in advancing human rights, gender equality, institutional reform and development cooperation. Chaired negotiations on fisheries management in the North-East Atlantic and played a pivotal role in Iceland’s presidency of the Council of Europe during a defining moment for the organization.

Experienced in international negotiations, intergovernmental affairs, and leading cross-regional initiatives. Passionate about promoting sustainable development, strengthening multilateralism, and building consensus in complex political environments.

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

James is currently pursuing a PhD in International Studies at the University of Washington. His research examines how emerging technologies and domestic motivations shape China’s space strategy and nuclear policy. He has over a decade of experience in strategic deterrence across various roles within the U.S. nuclear enterprise. His work seeks to improve understanding of crisis dynamics and strategic stability. James holds a BA in International Studies from Texas A&M University and an MS in Political Science from the University of Nebraska.​

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Sebastian Wiedmaier serves as Field Officer with the UN Verification Mission in Colombia (UNVMC). In his current capacity as Acting Liaison Officer (OiC), he leads a field-based team facilitating cooperation amongst national authorities and civil society to advance the implementation of security guarantees, reintegration and reconciliation efforts under the Colombian Peace Agreement. Previously, he worked with the Political Affairs and Protocol Department of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), supporting multilateral disarmament diplomacy. Prior to entering the multilateral field, he was engaged as Project Manager in the private sector. Sebastian holds a Master’s degree in European Studies from the University of Passau. 

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026

Natalia Zhurina is a specialist in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, currently serving as the Research and Education Officer at the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL). She holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations with a specialization in scientific and technical cooperation from the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (formerly Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), and a master's degree in International Affairs with a focus on Strategic Studies from King’s College London. Prior to joining OPANAL, Natalia gained several years of experience in Moscow, working at the Embassy of Peru in the Russian Federation and later at the Commercial Office of Peru.

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ACONA Fellowship Term: July 2025 to June 2026