Dr. Zahid Shahab Ahmed is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Deakin University in Australia. He received his PhD from the University of New England (UNE) in Australia. He has an MA in Peace Education from the UN-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica, and an MA in Sociology from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad in Pakistan. He has taught peace and conflict studies at universities in Australia and Pakistan. Since 2003, he has been working with local and international development agencies in South Asia, in particular in Pakistan, on various peacebuilding and development projects. He has published and presented papers on a wide range of issues, such as Islam, human rights, peace & conflict, regionalism, and regional security.