Welcome! Thank you for visiting my website. I am a Max Weber Fellow and Part-Time Assistant Professor in Qualitative Methods at the European University Institute, based in Florence, Italy. I received my DPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford in 2024. Previously, I was a PhD Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). I am also a Fellow at the Centre on Armed Groups, based in Geneva.

I am a political scientist researching civil war, political violence and peace-building. Currently I study civilian agency, action and behaviour in contemporary war zones.  I have conducted fieldwork in Mali, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Somalia. 

My doctoral thesis examined how civilians responded to a local jihadist rebellion affiliated to JNIM in Central Mali. The thesis draws on immersive fieldwork with war-affected people from Central Mali which I conducted in Bamako between September 2021 - April 2022. In 2025, the thesis was awarded the Michael Nicholson award for Best Thesis in International Studies from the British International Studies Association. 

Prior to starting my PhD at Oxford, I have been a Research Fellow at NUPI, where I conducted research on insurgencies in the Sahel and peace operations in conflict affected contexts mainly in Africa. At NUPI I was seconded to the African Union, in the Peace Operations Division as a Policy Officer between 2016-2017. Prior to joining NUPI, I have interned in various non-governmental organisations, such as Human Rights Watch in London and Relief International in Colombo. I have a bachelor in European Social and Political Studies, specialising in International Relations and French from University College London and an MSc in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Email: natasja.rupesinghe@eui.eu

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