Rebecca Brubaker

Dr Rebecca Brubaker is a Lecturer in Security and Conflict in Policy and Practice at the School of International Relations, University of St Andrews, having joined in 2025. With fifteen years of experience in international policy, she previously served as Director of Policy, Learning and Advisory Services at Interpeace (Geneva) and as a Senior Policy Advisor for the United Nations, leading portfolios in conflict prevention, transitional justice, and humanitarian affairs.

Her educational background includes a DPhil and MSc from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. She has held academic positions at Oxford University, Yale University, University of Virginia, Free University of Brussels, and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva).

Dr Brubaker's research spans critical domains in global affairs:

• Ethnicity and nationalism
• Refugees and forced displacement
• Ethics of humanitarian interventions
• Conflict resolution mechanisms
• UN peace and security architecture
• Transitional justice frameworks

Her recent publications demonstrate a pronounced shift toward technology-conflict intersections, particularly AI-driven disinformation's impact on peacebuilding in Sub-Saharan Africa and novel approaches to reversing ethnic cleansing. This trajectory reflects growing scholarly attention to digital threats in fragile states and historical solutions for population displacement.

Her Rhodes Scholarship remains a cornerstone achievement. Her work directly advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), with research cited in policy frameworks for conflict-affected communities.

Brubaker's advisory practice bridges academic rigor and policy implementation, evidenced by UN and Interpeace collaborations. She develops operational strategies for humanitarian-peacebuilding coordination, emphasizing local actor inclusion and ethical intervention norms.

Her international research network spans Cyprus, Turkey, Balkans, and Sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting deep engagement with field-based conflict resolution and emerging AI-security challenges through UNU partnerships.