Associate Fellows
Julia Pickhardt is a researcher and practitioner specializing in mediation and political agency in the Middle East. Her work combines over a decade of professional engagement in high-level political dialogue with academic research on the dynamics of multipolar mediation. She has designed and implemented dialogue initiatives across the region, including the Iran–Saudi Dialogue Initiative at CARPO, political dialogue platforms in Iraq with forumZFD, and Track II engagements on Syria at swisspeace. Her most recent work at CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation focused on advancing inclusive peace processes in Yemen, where she collaborated closely with senior representatives from conflict parties and major political groups. Julia holds a BA in Arabic/Islamic Studies and Politics from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and an MA in Conflict and Development Studies from the Graduate Institute Geneva. Since September 2025, she has been pursuing her PhD at the Graduate Institute on political agency in multipolar mediation set-ups.
Multitrack and multipolar mediation; political agency and political dialogue; political development and peacebuilding; Yemen; Syria; Iraq
& Mustafa Karahamad (May 2021): ‘Overcoming Gulf rivalry? Challenges and chances of Saudi-Iranian dialogue", in: PRIF blog. Available online.
et al. (January 2020): Beyond the Tracks? Reflections on Multitrack Approaches to Peace Processes, swisspeace, CSS ETH Zürich, Folke Bernadotte Academy and HD Centre. Available online.
(January 2017): ‚Über Nacht wieder beste „Freunde“?‘, in: WeltTrends, pp. 14-16.
