Visionary Leaders

Kawser Ahmed, PhD

Kawser Ahmed, PhD, is an educator and researcher in peace and conflict studies whose work focuses on understanding social conflict and supporting its peaceful transformation.

Through his service in United Nations peacekeeping operations in conflict zones, he gained practical experience in peacebuilding, mediation, and transformative dialogue to help resolve intergroup conflict. His research explores social resistance, terrorism, and extremism in both local and global contexts.

He has undertaken research projects on community-focused conflict intervention, refugee crises, and youth extremism in Western and non-Western settings. After completing a SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Winnipeg, he became an adjunct professor in Political Science at the University of Winnipeg and at the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Manitoba.

Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he leads the Conflict and Resilience Research Institute Canada, a not-for-profit organization.

His commitment to community extends to volunteer board service with the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC) and Mediation Services in Winnipeg. He is also a member of the Winnipeg Mayor’s Multifaith and Culture Liaison Circle and a Rotarian.