hania Paffenholz is Director of the Inclusive Peace and Transition Initiative at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. She is a political scientist by training and received her Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Frankfurt, Germany (1996) focusing on mediation and peacebuilding in armed conflicts.

Thania Paffenholz is an internationally recognised expert in support of peace processes with 25 years of work experiences both as an academic and a policy advisor. She has supported peace processes in many countries in Africa and Asia. Her publications are read by academics and practitioners alike.