Dr Malaka Shwaikh is an associate lecturer at the University of St Andrews, where she teaches and researches peacebuilding with decolonial and intersectional perspectives. She has over six years of experience in academic and consultancy roles, working at the intersection of prison studies, hunger strikes, resilience, and the Middle East. 
Her mission is to challenge the dominant narratives and practices of peace and conflict studies, and to contribute to the decolonization of knowledge production and dissemination. She has published multiple articles and book chapters on the politics of hunger strikes, the limits of resilience, and the Palestinian question. She holds a PhD in Middle East Politics from the University of Exeter, where she graduated with no corrections in May 2019.