As of the 1st of October 2022 Clingendael’s Conflict Research Unit warmly welcomes three research heavyweights: Megan Price, Andrew Lebovich and Ornella Moderan.

Megan Price is the new Head of the Conflict Research Unit. Megan is an international Security & Rule of Law specialist with over 15 years’ experience in research and analysis on stabilization policy and programming in conflict-affected settings. Having joined the Clingendael Institute in 2012 as a Research Fellow, Megan has contributed research on international policies and strategies for supporting security reform, armed violence reduction and rule of law reform in challenging settings. The main thrust of her research focuses on security provision as a negotiated political process, and the role of informal and non-conventional actors in statebuilding. In 2017, Megan was named Head of the Knowledge Platform for Security and Rule of Law (KPSRL), and oversaw the significant expansion of that community, which convenes over 5,000 security & rule of law scholars, policymakers and programming specialists. At the KPSRL she worked to strengthen exchanges across different continents and communities of practice, encouraging constructive debate and collaborative learning to improve international security and rule of law policy and implementation.

Megan has field experience in Kosovo, Liberia, the Philippines, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Guatemala, Kenya and Afghanistan.

She succeeds Mariska van Beijnum who headed CRU for years. “I am happy to leave Clingendael’s Conflict Research Unit in such professional hands at a time when its work is more urgent than ever”, states Van Beijnum.

Andrew Lebovich previously worked for the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) as a policy fellow. His research focuses on security and political issues in the Sahel (and North Africa) with a particular emphasis on religious mobilisation, armed conflict, and sources of local political and religious legitimacy. “The ongoing deterioration of the security and political environment in the Sahel and West Africa is of enormous concern, and an issue of growing importance to the international community. Clingendael is known for the high quality and depth of its research, and I am very excited to be joining such an excellent team and to help further this vital work.”

The work of Ornella Moderan focuses on political and security dynamics in the Sahel and West Africa. Before joining Clingendael, Ornella headed the Sahel programme and Bamako office of the Institute for Security Studies, leading a professional team of researchers covering issues ranging from political dynamics of post-coup transitions, to options for dialogue with proscribed groups. Moderan holds a Masters in International Security and a graduate degree in Criminology.

Find here the latest research by our conflict research unit.