Established Academic 2025
Dr Marissa Quie (Affiliated Lecturer, Human Social and Political Sciences, Department of Sociology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences)
The Cambridge Awards
for Research Impact and Engagement
About the researcher
Dr Marissa Quie is a Lecturer in Politics, Director of Studies in Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. She is an expert in Migration, Peace and Conflict Studies. Dr Quie’s main research interests focus on peace, and on the intersections between peace, gender, security, and regional approaches to conflict resolution. Her work engages with themes of participation and protection that shape debates on women and other marginalised groups.
She has undertaken extensive consultancy work for the United Nations and the Government of Afghanistan, and served as an Advisor to the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme initiated in 2010. She has also mentored Afghan students at both the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. She is currently engaged in a research project analysing the appeal of Islamic State to British women.
The Vice-Chancellor's Awards
for Research Impact and Engagement
About the researcher
Dr Marissa Quie is a Lecturer in Politics, Director of Studies in Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. She is an expert in Migration, Peace and Conflict Studies. Dr Quie’s main research interests focus on peace, and on the intersections between peace, gender, security, and regional approaches to conflict resolution. Her work engages with themes of participation and protection that shape debates on women and other marginalised groups.
She has undertaken extensive consultancy work for the United Nations and the Government of Afghanistan, and served as an Advisor to the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme initiated in 2010. She has also mentored Afghan students at both the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. She is currently engaged in a research project analysing the appeal of Islamic State to British women.
It is the best program I have ever seen in my all knowledge life which helped us more in English language not only English also sports and medical part. Thanks again for your best program and supporting us in this situation we have in Afghanistan!
A student on the programme in Afghanistan
What is the research?
Women in Conflict – Afghanistan
"Women in Conflict - Afghanistan" initiative based at the University's Refugee and Crises Hub is a continuation of her decades long efforts and has created significant impact through innovative remote learning for women affected by conflict, offering masterclasses and mentoring circles that support education and resilience in crises.
The programme has reached hundreds of Afghan students both inside Afghanistan and in third countries such as Turkey and Pakistan. Some graduates have progressed to international scholarships, further study, and emerging leadership roles, demonstrating the programme’s transformative reach.
The Women in Conflict Programme was created to counter this erasure by sustaining focus on Afghan women’s rights and agency during a period of unprecedented repression. This initiative builds on a long trajectory of research on Afghan women, forced migration, and inclusive peace processes, including earlier work with the previous Afghan government during negotiations with the Taliban.
In that context, Dr Quie’s research concentrated on gender, peacebuilding, and the conditions required for durable peace. The current programme extends this research by providing a sustained platform for analysis, advocacy, and practical support at a time when traditional channels for engagement have collapsed. The research and collaboration address the urgent challenge of the systematic exclusion of Afghan women from public life under conditions that now amount to gender apartheid.
Following the Taliban’s takeover, Afghanistan has faced an acute and enduring crisis in which women and girls have been disproportionately and deliberately targeted. Yet this crisis is frequently displaced in global news cycles by other international emergencies, resulting in diminishing international attention and shrinking avenues for advocacy.
I genuinely appreciate how engaging and thoughtfully designed this program is. It’s not just informative, but also inspiring. I find myself excited to learn more each day, and I can already see how it’s helping me grow personally and professionally.
A student on the programme in Afghanistan
