The Department of Politics and International Relations welcomes Ntagahoraho Burihabwa to the first-of-its-kind UN Peace & Security Fellowship.
Research
Ntagahoraho's research explores how United Nations peacekeeping can adapt to a changing geopolitical environment marked by renewed great power competition, contested multilateralism, and increasing host-state assertiveness. It examines the evolution of United Nations peacekeeping across different geopolitical periods and aims to inform approaches that can help peace operations remain relevant and effective under contemporary conditions of heightened geopolitical constraint.
Interview
What motivated you to apply for and join the Fellowship?
Having worked on United Nations peace operations both at Headquarters and in the field for over a decade, I was particularly drawn to the Fellowship’s aim of bridging policy practice with scholarly reflection. The opportunity to engage with leading scholars and fellow practitioners to reflect on the future of peacekeeping is both timely and intellectually compelling.
How do you feel about coming to Oxford to study here for eight weeks?
It is a real privilege to spend time at Oxford and to be part of the inaugural cohort of this first-of-its-kind Fellowship. I am very much looking forward to engaging with the DPIR’s academic community, benefiting from Oxford’s renowned intellectual environment, and contributing to the important intersection between policy and research that the programme seeks to foster.
What are you most looking forward to during the programme?
I am particularly looking forward to the various opportunities for sustained intellectual engagement – both through my own research and exchanges with the other fellows as well as through discussions with scholars across Oxford. The chance to explore new relevant analytical perspectives and to test ideas in a rigorous academic setting is something I value greatly.
Could you tell us a little about your research and its aims?
My research examines how UN peacekeeping can adapt to an increasingly fragmented geopolitical order. Drawing on different strands of geopolitical scholarship, it moves beyond a purely institutional perspective to situate peace operations within broader debates in international relations. The study aims to contribute to ongoing discussions on how peace operations can be designed and implemented in ways that remain strategically relevant and effective in more geopolitically contested environments.
Biography
Ntagahoraho Burihabwa is a senior United Nations official, policy expert, and former military officer with extensive experience in peacekeeping, political affairs, and post-conflict governance. He currently serves as Special Assistant to the Deputy Head of Mission at UNIFIL in Lebanon, advising senior leadership on geopolitical developments, mission strategy, and crisis management while coordinating high-level diplomatic engagement.
Previously, he held roles with the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Department of Peace Operations, leading policy and planning on conflict resolution and disarmament programmes worldwide. Earlier in his career, he worked as a development consultant and served over a decade as an officer in the German Federal Armed Forces.
He holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Antwerp, has published research on postwar governance, and was named Germany’s Peacekeeper of the Year in 2024.