Dr Nishank Motwani is a Senior Analyst for Defence and Security Policy at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Washington DC and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Middle East Institute. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a PhD in International Security from the Australian Defence Force Academy. Dr Motwani has extensive experience in security, conflict, and governance, with policy work focusing on strategic competition, countering violent extremism, and governance challenges. He has led multidisciplinary teams in Australia, the Middle East and has worked in Afghanistan for over a decade, providing insights into political and security dynamics. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and digital channels including War on The Rocks, Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, The Strategist, The National Interest, CTC Sentinel among others. He is frequently interviewed by the media including by CNN, BBC, ABC, VoA, Reuters, AFP, SCMP, the Guardian and others.