Prabin B. Khadka, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Essex, specializing in the Political Economy of Conflict. He received his PhD in political science from New York University in 2020, and an M.A. in international security from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 2011. His research examines how international interventions shape social cohesion and conflict dynamics, focusing on peacekeeping, counter-insurgency, and countering violent extremism within broader political and economic frameworks. He also investigates the nexus between climate change, conflict, and migration, using experimental methodologies such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs), survey experiments, and lab-in-the-field behavioural games to assess attitudes and behaviour in fragile environments, particularly in the Horn of Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. His work has been published or is forthcoming in leading journals, including American Political Science Review (APSR), American Journal of Political Science (AJPS), International Studies Quarterly (ISQ), Journal of Peace Research (JPR), and Defense and Peace Economics. Some of his notable publications include “Why Protectors Become Predators: The Logic of Civilian Abuse by Peacekeepers” (ISQ, 2025), “Social Reintegration of Former al-Shabaab Militants: How Formal Channels Help Mitigate Threat Perceptions” (JPR, 2025), and “Intrinsic Social Incentives in State and Non-State Armed Groups” (APSR, 2023). He is an invited researcher with J-PAL, a research member with EGAP, a primary researcher with Inclusion Economics Nepal, an affiliated researcher with the University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (UCIGCC), and a fellow with the Institute for Integrated Development Studies Nepal(IIDS). Before academia, Dr. Khadka served in the Nepal Army for 14 years as a Combat Engineer Officer, focusing on infrastructure development in rural Nepal. During the Maoist Conflict, he specialized in Bomb Disposal Operations, leading the removal of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and overseeing the clearance of minefields as part of the 2006 peace settlement. He also served as a UN peacekeeper in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2003 & 2008). After transitioning from the military in 2009, he worked with international organizations, including the UNDPKO, UNDP, UNU, the World Bank, and the Danish Refugee Council, across Africa, the Middle East, Nepal, and New York. Recently, he supported UNDP Somalia and the Somali Ministry of Justice in measuring SDG 16.3 outcomes and is currently assisting the UN in Ukraine with their Mine Action Strategy. Dr. Khadka earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from New York University (2020) and an MA in International Security from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service (2011).