Participants and Biographies

Sergio Catignani (Italy) is a Lecturer in International Security, University of Leiden. On 1 July 2009 he will become Lecturer in Strategic and Security Studies and the Director of the new MSc in Strategic and Security Studies programme at the University of Sussex. Dr. Catignani has also served as a counter-insurgency military advisor to the US Army’s 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division. He is the recent author of Israeli Counter-Insurgency and the Intifadas: Dilemmas of a Conventional Army (Routledge, 2008) and co-editor of Israel and Hizbollah: An Asymmetric Conflict in Historical and Comparative Perspective (Routledge, Nov. 2009). He has published articles in the Journal of Strategic Studies, Terrorism and Political Violence, Parameters and The Royal United Services Institute Journal. His research interests focus on organizational change, contemporary military operations (particularly counter-insurgencies) and Middle East security issues.

Poul-Erik Christiansen (UK) is a Research Assistant at the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, based at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He received his MA from the Centre, with a thesis (dissertation) on a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone for the Middle East. He helped initiate the Centre’s research programme on the Middle East Zone in 2006 and works mainly on issues of disarmament and non-proliferation.

Thomas B. Cochran (US) is a senior scientist in the nuclear program and holds the Wade Greene Chair for Nuclear Policy at NRDC. He served as director of the nuclear program until 2007. He initiated NRDC’s Nuclear Weapons Databook Project. He also initiated a series of joint nuclear weapons verification projects with the Soviet Academy of Sciences. These include the Nuclear Test Ban Verification Project, which demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing seismic monitoring to verify a low-threshold test ban, and the Black Sea Experiment, which examined the utility of passive radiation detectors for verifying limits on sea-launched cruise missiles. He has served as a consultant to numerous government and non-government agencies on energy, nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear reactor matters. He is a member of the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Research Advisory Committee. Previously he served as a member of DOE’s Environmental Management Advisory Board, Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Board and Energy Research Advisory Board, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on the Clean Up of Three Mile Island and the TMI Public Health Advisory Board. Dr. Cochran is the author of a number of important papers and publications, he received his Ph.D. in Physics from Vanderbilt University in 1967. He was assistant Professor of Physics at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, from 1967 to 1969, Modeling and Simulation Group Supervisor of the Litton Mellonics Division, Scientific Support Laboratory, Fort Ord, California, from 1969 to 1971, and from 1971 to 1973, he was a Senior Research Associate at Resources for the Future. Dr. Cochran has been with NRDC since 1973. He is the recipient of the American Physical Society’s Szilard Award and the Federation of American Scientists’ Public Service Award, both in 1987. As a consequence of his work, NRDC received the 1989 Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Cochran is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the AAAS.

Raphael Della Ratta (US) serves as the Project Manager at Partnership for Global Security. For the past eight years at PGS, Mr. Della Ratta has been responsible for analyzing the evolution of key U.S. and international responses to global security challenges, including the global expansion of proliferation prevention programs and activities; monitoring U.S. and international nuclear security program budgets and funding trends; tracking implementation and the pace of progress of these programs, and developing harmonized standards and approaches to improve global security. Prior to joining PGS, Mr. Della Ratta worked as a journalist for a trade newsletter Participants Biographies 64 organization, where he reported on the Congressional budget and appropriations process and tracked the implementation of nonproliferation programs.

Gugu Dube (South Africa) works for the Arms Management Programme (AMP) at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria. Her current work within AMP’s “Africa’s Development and the Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction” project focuses on reviewing and developing national and international controls on the transfer of security equipment and in particular incapacitants used for torture and ill-treatment. Recently, she researched the Oslo Process that led to the negotiation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and attended various events to garner Africa’s support for this global instrument which prohibits the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm. Gugu has a post-graduate degree in International Relations.

Hassan Elbahtimy (Egypt) is PhD candidate War Studies Department Kings College London. He’s writing his thesis on different regional policies to address the nuclear security dilemma in the Middle East. Hassan also works as a researcher in the Nuclear Arms Control Program at VERTIC. Hassan has university degrees from Cairo university 2003, American University in Cairo 2006 and Kings College London 2007. In 2006, he was awarded the United Nations Disarmament Fellowship.

Mohamed Said Elbanhawy (Egypt) is the former Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Sri Lanka and Maldives, a post he held from 1990 until 1994. Most recently, Ambassador Elbanhawy served as a member of the High Court of Moralities, a branch of the High Court of Egypt. Prior to this position, Ambassador Elbanhawy has been very active in the international legal community and in Egyptian public service. He was a member of the United Nations observer mission for the 1996 elections in Liberia. Ambassador Elbanhawy has played many roles in the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ legal department, including director of the department. From 1985-89, he was the Assistant Secretary General of the Afro-Asian Legal Consultative Committee in New Delhi. In other roles at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Elbanhawy served as Counselor to the North American Department, Counselor to the International Organizations Department, First Secretary of the Judicial Department, and Head of the Disarmament Division. In addition, he worked in the Legal Division of the Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. His two other embassy posts were in Peru and Saudi Arabia. He is a member of Cairo Bar Association, the United Nations Association, the American-based International Lawyers Association and is a member of the Egyptian Council of Foreign Relations. Ambassador Elbanwahy holds an L.L.M. in Law from Cairo University and has completed Postgraduate Studies in Public International Law at Cairo University, the Hague Academy for International Law, as well as New York University.

Ali Fahmy El-Saiedi (Egypt) is the former Minister of Industry and Technological Development (2001-2004) and the former Minister of Electricity and Energy (1999- 2001) in the Arab Republic of Egypt. Currently, he serves as member of the board at Banque Misr, the Arab Organization for Industrialization, and the Egyptian Water and Wastewater Regulatory Agency. He is President of the Energy Committee of Egypt’s National Democratic Party (NDP), member of the Standing Advisory Group on Nuclear Energy (a part of the IAEA), Executive Adviser to the Board at Power Generation Engineering and Services Company. In addition, he is actively involved in philanthropic work in Egypt and serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Bank Misr’s Foundation for Community Development and Welfare. Prior to his terms as Minister, he served in leading positions in numerous companies ad committees. Throughout much of Dr. El Saiedi’s time with these groups, he taught in the fields of Power Generation, Nuclear Power, and Radioisotope Applications at Alexandria 65 University, Helwan University, and Mansoura University. He was also an Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Kansas State University. Dr. El Saiedi holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cairo University, an M.S. in Reactor Physics and Technology from Birmingham University, and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois.

Zuheir Elwazer (Palestine) is the Palestinian Ambassador in Vienna, he serves as the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV). Zuheir Elwazer presented his credentials today to Antonio Maria Costa, Director-General, UNOV. Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Elwazer was serving as Ambassador to the Government of Finland as the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) representative (1984).He was additionally serving as non-resident Ambassador to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (1992). Mr. Elwazer has served as a Member of the Palestinian National Council (1996); Member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council (1989); and Member of the Executive Committee of the General Union of Palestinian Students (1979).

María José Espona (Argentina) is a professor at the National Defense School in Argentina. Ms. Espona’s current research focus on biological weapons and infectious disease in South America. She has taught a number of courses on science and technology in international affairs at Argentine universities, including the National Defense School, Maimonides University, and the National University of La Plata. In addition, she has published many articles in English and Spanish on the threat posed by chemical and biological weapons. Ms. Espona has actively participated in international conferences on chemical and biological warfare and bio-terrorism. María Espona holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires.

Aksel Ethembabaoglu (Nethrlands) is now working at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a junior researcher on non-proliferation. His research is directed towards completing his dissertation for his MA at the Department of War Studies of King’s College London. His degree focuses on international developments in science and security. Aksel also holds a BSc. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Amsterdam

Esmat A. Ezz (Egypt) is a Professor at the Military Medical Academy in Cairo. Dr. Ezz is a retired Major General in the Egyptian Armed Forces and served from 1971-1985 as director of the Egyptian Armed Forces’ scientific research branch. In the past, he was a lecturer at the University of Alexandria and the University of Ein Shams. Dr. Ezz is a toxicologist and radiation biologist as well as a specialist in the fields of chemical and nuclear weapon disarmament and defense. During the 1980s, he was involved in the United Nations’ efforts in combating WMD. He was appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations in 1981 to serve as Chairman of the group of experts charged with investigating allegations of the use of chemical weapons. From 1988 to 1989, Dr. Ezz served as chairman of the Group of Consultant Experts established in pursuance of the general Assembly Resolution 42/37C to develop further technical guidelines and procedures available to the UN Secretary General for the timely and efficient investigation of reports concerning possible use of chemical and bacteriological (biological) or toxin weapons that may constitute a violation of the 1925 Geneva Protocol or other relevant rules of customary international law. Dr. Ezz has served important roles in various scientific societies including Chairman of the Committee of Scientific & Technological Information of the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research. Dr. Ezz received his M.B., B.CH, and D.M. from the University of Alexandria before receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.