Ingrid Kirsten joined the VCDNP as a Senior Research Associate in September 2018. Prior to joining the VCDNP, Ingrid was a South African diplomat, her twenty-year career including a posting at the South African Embassy and Permanent Mission in Austria. She has also worked as researcher at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and managed stakeholder relations for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, DC and the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) in Vienna.

Ingrid completed an MA at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, USA, in 2004 and graduated from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 1990. She speaks English, Afrikaans and French and is proficient in German.

Ingrid is currently working on a project related to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear applications and the role of nuclear security. Her other research interests include the role of the IAEA in transferring peaceful applications of nuclear technology to its Member States, the role and influence of G77 Member States within the IAEA, the Nuclear Suppliers Regime (NSG), and nuclear disarmament

You can find Ingrid's latest publication "Creating an Environment for Expanded Access to Peaceful Uses: Fostering Supportive Nuclear Safety and Security Cultures" here.