Afeeya Akhand is a researcher at ASPI focusing on South Korean foreign policy, Indo-Pacific security and social cohesion. She is also an Emerging Associate with the ANU National Security College.

Afeeya’s insights have been featured in print and on radio through ABC and SBS News, and she has spoken at Australian and international conferences. She has also worked in the Department of Defence and a consultancy for government and defence industry clients.

Afeeya is committed to the promotion of cultural diversity and intersectionality in foreign policy and national security. She is the Secretary of Women in International Security – Australia and is a committee member of Careers in Colour, a not-for-profit dedicated to advancing the inclusion of people of colour in Australian workplaces.

Afeeya holds a Masters in International Security specialising in Korean language from the University of Sydney and Bachelors in Laws with Honours and Finance from the Australian National University. She was a finalist on the 2024 Young Women to Watch in International Affairs list.