Thijs joined the Central Asia programme at the Platform for Peace and Humanity in November 2022. His research work concentrates on the role of multilateral organisations in Central Asia.

Thijs holds an MA in International Relations from Central European University (CEU). From July to December 2022, Thijs (has) worked as junior fellow at the Institute for Caucasus Studies at the University of Jena (Germany), where he examined European efforts at resilience-building and peace-building in post-war Armenia. Previously he worked as an intern at International Crisis Group. While his academic interests lie at the intersection of Critical Security Studies and International Political Sociology, his policy work relates more concretely to conflict analysis, international organisations, security sector governance, peace and development projects, and the interplay between domestic politics, expert networks, and security policies.

• Peace and Conflict Studies
• Critical Security Studies
• International Development and Statebuilding
• Knowledge Production / Politics of Expertise
• Sociological Theory

• South Caucasus
• Central Asia
• Russia
• South-eastern Europe

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• Georgian