Spotlight on International Experts and Senior Fellows

IISS Manama Dialogue Spotlight on International Experts and Senior Fellows:

Rahul Roy-Chaudhury and James Hackett

In preparation for the forthcoming IISS Regional Security Summit, The Manama Dialogue, spotlights on IISS Senior Fellows and Experts will be distributed bi-weekly. The Manama Dialogue will be held in Bahrain from 11 to 13 December 2009.

This week, we are pleased to feature additionally Rahul Roy-Chaudhury and James Hackett. Mr Roy-Chaudhury and Mr Hackett are available for interviews now regarding The IISS Manama Dialogue. Please see below for information on these two gentlemen. To request an interview or receive accreditation to attend The Manama Dialogue security summit, email dialoguepress@iiss.org.

Additional information on The Manama Dialogue can be found at: http://www.iiss.org/conferences/the-iiss-regional-security-summit/

Rahul Roy-Chaudhury

Senior Fellow for South Asia

Expertise: South Asian political and security issues, regional nuclear and missile issues, regional terrorism, maritime and naval affairs, energy security, civil-military relations

Background: Rahul Roy-Chaudhury is the Senior Fellow for South Asia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, where he manages its South Asia programme. Earlier, he served in the National Security Council Secretariat in the Prime Minister's Office in India. Prior to his official appointment, he was on the faculty of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi. He has also been a Senior Research Fellow at the International Policy Institute at King's College, London.

He is on the visiting faculty of the National Defence College and the Foreign Service Institute (New Delhi), and the College of Naval Warfare (Mumbai). He is the research supervisor for South Asia for the Royal College of Defence Studies, London. In 1996–2000, he was the Indian representative to the ‘Maritime Cooperation Working Group’ of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific.

James Hackett

Editor of The Military Balance and Head, Defence Analysis Department

Expertise: Military capabilities, defence acquisitions, and armed forces

Background: James first studied for a BA in English Literature and History, and then went up to Cambridge to read for the MPhil in International Relations, where he obtained a Daniel Vincent Prize for the best Middle Eastern dissertation in his year. Subsequently, he worked as a Research Assistant in Persian studies, and at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, both in Cambridge. This was followed by a spell at the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, where he was latterly a Deputy Editor and Senior Information Officer.

The Military Balance is the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 170 countries world-wide. It is an essential resource for those involved in security policymaking, analysis and research.