Experts on countries of origin by country

Niki Alsford is Professor of Anthropology and Human Geography, and Director for the Institutes for the Study of the Asia Pacific (ISAP), and the Institute for Area and Migration Studies (AMIS) at the University of Central Lancashire. He is a Research Associate at the Centre of Taiwan Studies at SOAS and an Associate Member of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford. In 2023, he was selected as the Ewha Global Fellow at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea. Alsford's research focuses primarily on Taiwan, Korea, and the Pacific Islands. He is the book series editor for the Taiwan Series at BRILL, the Korean series at Routledge, and a new series on Asia Pacific Cultures, Communities, and Landscapes at Palgrave Macmillan.  Alsford is the author of Taiwan Lives: A Socio-Political History, published by the University of Washington Press in 2024. 

Alsford’s research focuses primarily on comparative anthropology within the Asia Pacific region. Chief among these is an engagement with Austronesian migration and the maritime cultures of Pacific islands. His present work is bridging a cognitive divide in environmental discussions between Indigenous knowledge and climate science. Alsford is a registered… Read more

Dr. Baird is a Professor of Geography and Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also the coordinator of the Hmong Studies Consortium at UW-Madison, and the PI for the Lao American Archive Project at UW-Madison. Dr Baird was previously the Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at UW-Madison, and remains on the Center's Steering Committee. He is also affiliated with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison.

Dr. Baird has been living, working and conducting research in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia since the late 1980s. He’s lived in Laos for 15 years, and in Thailand for 10 years. He remains active in conducting research in all three countries. Dr. Baird’s areas of interest include, but are not limited to, environmental issues, Indigenous Peoples and ethnic minorities, politics, development studies, marginalization, poverty, cross-border issues, insurgency, social services, and immigration.

Cate Buchanan specializes in mediation and process design, and inclusive conflict analysis. Country foci in 2025 are Burma/Myanmar and Thailand. Previously, from 2015-17, she was Senior Adviser to the Nyein (Shalom) Foundation Myanmar supporting national dialogues and peace negotiation approaches. In 2018/19 she was a member of the UN Mediation Support Unit’s Standby Team of Experts. In 2020/21 she was a Senior Adviser to the Office of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen. Over 2021-2024, along with other consultancy works, Cate was Conflict Adviser to the Myanmar Livelihoods and Food Security Fund. From 2001-2013, she was a Programme Manager and Senior Adviser with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. In 2025, Cate manages an initiative to eliminate conflict-related sexual violence in Myanmar as well as a peace coaching process. She also provides advice to the European Institute for Peace; UN Women Afghanistan; the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Support Unit for Gender Equality and others. 

C. Christine Fair is a Professor in the Security Studies Program within Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. She previously served as a senior political scientist with the RAND Corporation, a political officer with the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan in Kabul, and a senior research associate at the United States Institute of Peace.  Her most recent book is In Their Own Words: Understanding Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (Hurst/Oxford University Press, 2018/2019).  She has authored, co-authored and co-edited several books, including Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army’s Way of War (Oxford University Press); Pakistan’s Enduring Challenges (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015), Policing Insurgencies: Cops as Counterinsurgents (Oxford University Press, 2014); Political Islam and Governance in Bangladesh (Routledge, 2010); Treading on Hallowed Ground: Counterinsurgency Operations in Sacred Spaces (Oxford University Press, 2008); The Madrassah Challenge: Militancy and Religious Education in Pakistan (USIP, 2008), and The Cuisines of the Axis of Evil and Other Irritating States (Globe Pequot, 2008), among others.  

She is a member of Women in International Security, International Studies… Read more

Jordyn Haime is a skilled China-focused journalist and researcher whose work sheds light on religion, civil society, and human rights under complex political conditions. Her field reporting and academic research bridge the gap between investigative journalism and policy insight. With deep regional knowledge, Mandarin proficiency, and practical training experience, Jordyn is a valuable asset for organizations covering East Asia’s most sensitive social and political issues and empowering ethical, fact-based reporting on China’s global impact.

N'Deane Helajzen is a Serbian-Australian anthropologist and leading expert in human rights, gender equality, and women's empowerment, with a particular focus on conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, international humanitarian law, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), ethnic conflict, and genocide. She is the founder and director of Ethnovision, a storytelling agency based between Belgrade and Sarajevo, dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalised communities.

With over 25 years of experience, N'Deane has worked in 32 countries—primarily post-conflict regions across the Asia-Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe. Her expertise spans advising governments, multilateral agencies, and international organisations on refugee issues, minority rights, and inter-ethnic relations, offering practical, strategic insights informed by years of hands-on experience.

N'Deane has also contributed expert country reports for asylum and immigration cases, specialising in LGBTQI+ rights, political oppression, social discrimination, human trafficking, and sexual and gender-based violence. Her reports have been instrumental in successful refugee claims from the former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and… Read more

Joshua Kurlantzick is Senior Fellow for South Asia and Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he studies South Asian and Southeast Asian politics and economics, with a particular focus on democracy, authoritarianism, human rights, and political transitions. Experienced country of origin expert for all nationals from Southeast Asia and China; specialist from one of the leading think-tanks in the world. Have provided expert witness reports for fifteen years for asylum cases in the UK, Europe, and US for nationals from across South, Southeast, and Northeast Asia – related to political issues, trafficking, slavery, gangs, religion, and many other issues. Also have provided expert witness reports for non-asylum immigration cases for nationals from South, Southeast, and Northeast Asia.

The Expert is an academic researcher and independent consultant whose expertise ranges from the study of Vietnamese and South East Asian socio-political issues to global labour exploitation and migrant workers' rights.

Orisa Shinta is an experienced environmental management and sustainable development professional with a proven track record supporting climate adaptation, community livelihoods, and participatory environmental planning across Southeast Asia. She has successfully combined technical knowledge with deep community engagement to design and deliver impactful donor-funded projects. Orisa’s commitment to sustainability and inclusion, along with her strong communication and facilitation skills, make her an excellent partner for organizations aiming to advance local climate resilience and sustainable natural resource management.