Tugela Pepin is a geopolitical and global security analyst specializing in international security, Islamic extremist groups, and women’s rights in the Middle East. Currently a security researcher at Control Risks, she critically examines political detentions, hostage diplomacy, and kidnap trends in the Middle East and South Asia. During her tenure as Director of Operations at the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum, she managed and designed a range of cross-cultural projects and initiatives exploring emerging political, economic and security developments in the Middle East, including the Files From Exile project under the remit of the Women’s Leadership Initiative. Her previous research has covered a range of topics including the Israel-Palestine conflict, strategic narratives employed by state and non-state actors, and the use of emerging technologies in counterterrorism approaches in the Middle East. Beyond her professional pursuits, she advocates for youth political participation and gender equality across the globe through her voluntary positions as a Programme Consultant for the North African Policy Initiative and representative for UN Women UK (CSW24). She holds an MSc in International Relations and a BA in Theology from the University of Bristol.