Read more about our Contributors

Tushar Joshi is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, focusing on the domestic drivers of Indian foreign policy toward China (2014–2024). His research examines how leadership perceptions, strategic culture, state-society relations, and domestic institutions shape India’s policy choices.  He is also a Research and Policy Officer at the Australia India Institute, and writes and speaks regularly on Indian foreign policy, particularly issues related to China and the Indo-Pacific.   His analysis has appeared in leading platforms, including The Hindu, The Australian Financial Review, Observer Research Foundation, The Strategist (ASPI), The Interpreter (Lowy Institute), and The Diplomat. Tushar has held research fellowships at the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi - India’s premier think tank - and at the Department of Political Science, Lund University (Sweden).

Kim Heriot-Darragh is a strategic and defence analyst. He joins AII following a 14-year career in government. While posted to the Australian High Commission in New Delhi (2019-23), he became the first Australian civilian to graduate India’s year-long National Defence College course. He previously served with the Australian government in Washington DC, and deployed as a civilian on military operations in Timor-Leste and Afghanistan. A former Indonesian linguist, he holds a Master of International Law.

Zahra Niazi is a Research Associate at the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad.

Dr Yves-Heng Lim is a Senior Lecturer in the School of International Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney.

Amber Wright is studying MSc Global Development, Poverty and Inequality at the University of Manchester, UK. She is an aspiring PhD candidate and aims to continue researching global development, peacebuilding, and poverty and inequality through frameworks of feminism, abolition, care, border politics, and more. She places particular attention on social justice for racialised and marginalised communities globally.

Wahyu Tini Astuti, M.Si, is the GEDSI Coordinator at KONEKSI. She has years of experience working on GEDSI and development programs, supporting inclusive initiatives and strengthening partnerships. She has expertise in GEDSI mainstreaming, inclusive program management, and stakeholder engagement, and has contributed to capacity-building, knowledge-sharing, and monitoring efforts to support more equitable and sustainable development outcomes.

Indry Oktaviani, MA, is the Senior Manager for GEDSI at KONEKSI. She has years of experience dedicated to advancing gender equality and feminism. Her expertise spans public policy advocacy, awareness-raising, and research, focusing on integrating gender justice, disability inclusion, and environmental perspectives. She has been working with CSOs focused on gender-based violence, particularly child marriage and sexual violence.  

Sorang Saragih serves as a Senior Consultant for GEDSI Networks and Program Coordinator at KONEKSI. She is also a PhD candidate in the Department of International Relations at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at The Australian National University. Prior to her roles at KONEKSI and ANU, Sorang worked at the grassroots level with NGOs, churches, and local activists. She helped document the experiences of women victims/survivors of violence in conflict and post-conflict settings, using participatory action research methods, and advocating for their rights with various institutions. She holds double MA degrees in Global Politics from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines and in Gender and Peacebuilding from the University for Peace in Costa Rica. Sorang also earned her bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Indonesia.

Dr Marilyn Metta is a social anthropologist, researcher and trauma practitioner with over 25 years’ experience working with culturally diverse, First Nations, and marginalised communities in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region in addressing sustainable development, gender equity, diversity and inclusion. As an internationally award-winning author and researcher, she has published widely on gender rights and social justice issues and best practice research methodologies. She serves in the Advisory Group to the Western Australian Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the Indo-Pacific Research Institute at Murdoch University in Western Australia. She is currently the Head of GEDSI and Strategic Partnerships at KONEKSI, a knowledge and innovation partnership program between Australia and Indonesia.

Zohaib Altaf is Associate Director at the Centre for International Strategic Studies Azad Jammu and Kashmir (CISS AJK), Pakistan. His work focuses on nuclear strategy, deterrence stability, and emerging military technologies. He has written for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the Stimson Center, The Diplomat, and the South China Morning Post. He is also an alumnus of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA), National Defense University, Washington, DC.