Alain Coppolani

Alain Coppolani is a Lecturer at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO), teaching Geography of Afghanistan (2022–2023). He is a PhD candidate in Geopolitics and Economics (Afghanistan) at INALCO since 2021, funded by a doctoral contract and supervised by Matteo de Chiara (CeRMI). A former soldier deployed to Afghanistan, his academic work focuses on the intersection of resource geopolitics, Islamic discourse, and pandemic response in conflict-affected regions.

His research interests include:

• Geopolitical implications of agricultural commodities like saffron in Afghanistan
• Economic impacts of natural resources in war-torn nations
• Islamic interpretations of public health crises
• Role of religious authorities in pandemic management
• Political economy of the Taliban movement

His 2020 publication on the Taliban's alignment with WHO's pandemic measures highlights their strategic use of health protocols for political legitimacy. Coppolani has also presented on Afghan postal history and Pashto language analysis. He volunteers at the Center for Studies and Documentary Research on Afghanistan (CEREDAF).