Dr. Amit Kumar
Research Fellow, Rabdan Academy, UAE; Security & Strategic Studies Expert, CENJOWS, India.
Amit Kumar is a foreign and security policy researcher specialising in border security, strategic infrastructure, and corridor security in conflict-prone regions. His work focuses on the intersection of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, particularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan (CPEC), with cross-border militancy, supply chain vulnerabilities, and geopolitical risk. He has extensive experience analysing the security of critical infrastructure, transport networks, and borderlands, with a particular emphasis on the role of state and non-state actors in shaping regional connectivity frameworks. His research bridges counterterrorism, geopolitical strategy, and infrastructure governance, offering policy-relevant insights for both academic and strategic communities. Amit has worked with international institutions across Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia, and contributes regularly to leading academic and policy platforms on issues related to China, Afghanistan, and regional security dynamics.
Qualification
PhD in Security & Strategic Studies, Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani.
Research Interests
- Border security and cross-border militancy.
- China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
- Security of strategic infrastructure and transport corridors.
- Counterterrorism and Insurgent Networks.
- Authoritarian Politics, AI, Surveillance and Multilateral Organisation.
Publications
- Latest Journal Articles (Accepted/Published):
- External Patronage and Security Crisis: How Afghanistan Influenced China's Xinjiang Security Policies (2012-2024)? - Bandung: Journal of the Global South (Q1, Accepted).
- Varghese, V., Kumar, A., & Ramachandran, V. (2024). From Crisis to Cure: The Afghan Refugee Dilemma, Security, and Technological Interventions. Asiascape: Digital Asia, 11(3), 180-214. https://doi.org/10.1163/22142312-bja10062 (Q1)
- Kumar, A., & Ramachandran, V. (2025). Situating Afghanistan in China's GDI-BRI matrix: Taliban rule, Chinese ambitions, and the regeography of development. Politikon. https://doi.org/10.1080/02589346.2025.2518711
- Kumar, A., & Ramachandran, V. (2025). China‑Taliban security ties. Journal of Strategic Security, 18(2), 178-199. https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.18.2.2406
- Kumar, A., & Ramachandran, V. (2024). China’s Afghan Odyssey: From War to Prosperity in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan. China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies. https://doi.org/10.1142/s2377740024500143
- Kumar, A., & Ramachandran, V. (2024). Unpacking the Nexus: Taliban’s control over affiliated terror groups. Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies. https://www.aissonline.org/en/publication/details/113
- Kumar, A., & Ramachandran, V. (2024). Political Expediency or Humanitarian Crisis? The Journal for Interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies, 10(2), 169‑191. https://doi.org/10.26351/JIMES/10-2/3
- Journal Articles (Out for Review):
- Recalibrating Security: China-Taliban Bilateral Relationship under the Global Security Initiative Framework – International Politics.
- Probing Bagram: US Force Projection and Taliban Diplomacy in a Multipolar Afghanistan - Middle East Policy.
- Tell Me How This Ends: War Termination in the US-Israel - Iran Conflict- Middle East Quarterly (Middle East Forum)
- Quantifying Taliban-Afghanistan’s Military Might: An Analysis amid Regional Security Challenges (Book Chapter - Springer)
- Reimagining the Security Paradigm in the Af‑Pak Region: Exploring China’s Taliban Conundrum -Strategic Analysis (Accepted).
- Commentaries/Op-ed/Policy Insights:
- Kumar, A. (2026, January 16). How Western unity on Taliban Afghanistan is quietly fracturing. Lowy Institute. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-western-unity-taliban-afghanistan-quietly-fracturing
- Kumar, A. (2025, September 22). On the 4th anniversary of Taliban 2.0: Amrullah Saleh reflects with Amit Kumar. 8AM Media - Hasht e Subh Daily. https://8am.media/eng/on-the-4th-anniversary-of-taliban-2-0-amrullah-saleh-reflects-with-amit-kumar/
- Kumar, A., & Harrison, J. (2025). How India’s disavowal of SCO statement signals a new realism in global politics. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/upsc-current-affairs/upsc-essentials/indias-disavowal-of-sco-statement-signals-a-new-realism-in-global-politics-10076371/#
- Saini, C., & Kumar, A. (2025). Lunch at White House, hunger at home: Asim Munir’s NY trip show what’s wrong with Pakistan. Firstpost. https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/lunch-at-white-house-hunger-at-home-asim-munirs-ny-trip-show-whats-wrong-with-pakistan-13902445.html
- Kumar, A., & Malhotra, A. (2024). Resolving Taliban‑Afghanistan’s legitimacy crisis. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/04/17/factoring-ethnicity-in-talibans-quest-for-legitimacy-an-anthropological-rewiring-of-the-power-structure/
- Ramachandran, V., & Kumar, A. (2024). Afghan‑Sino relations. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/01/17/afghan-sino-relations-a-different-mindset-a-different-outcome/
- Kumar, A., & Garg, A. (2024). China’s Geopolitical Footprint - The Saudi‑Iran Accord and Regional Realignment. Oraganization for Research on China & Asia. https://orcasia.org/article/593/chinas-geopolitical-footprint
- Kumar, A., & Filipowicz, K. (2023). EU’s Diplomatic Push in Central Asia. The Warsaw Institute Review. https://warsawinstitute.review/news-en/european-unions-diplomatic-push-the-rapid-advancement-in-engagement-with-central-asia/
- Kumar, A. (2023). The twin threats: TTP & TTA. Afghan Diaspora Network. https://afghandiaspora.org/2023/09/29/the-twin-threats-tehrik-e-taliban-pakistan-and-tehrik-e-taliban-afghanistans-strain-on-pakistans-national-security/
- Kumar, A., & Kobylińska, U. (2023). Poland’s de‑risking strategy (Polish). Wszystko Co Najważniejsze. https://wszystkoconajwazniejsze.pl/amit-kumar-urszula-kobylinska-wspolpraca-z-indiami/
- Vejdani, H., & Kumar, A. (2023). Analyzing the state of Afghan journalism. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2023/08/analyzing-the-state-of-afghan-journalism/
- Kumar, A., & Vejdani, H. (2023). Afghan women’s status continues to diminish. The Sunday Guardian Live. https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/afghan-womens-status-continues-to-diminish