Haian Dukhan is a Ph.D. Candidate in the School of International Relations/Centre for Syrian Studies at the University of Saint Andrews. He holds a master’s degree in International Development from the University of East Anglia.

Sinan Hawat is a London-based researcher specialising in complex emergencies and humanitarian aid. He obtained an M.Sc. in Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science, as well as postgraduate degree in Islamic Studies and Humanities from the Institute of Ismaili Studies. He works as a researcher on the Middle East for a number of NGOs and charities.