Dr. Robert Geist Pinfold is a Lecturer in Defense Studies (International Security) King’s College London. Dr. Pinfold joined the Defense Studies Department and the School of Security Studies in 2025. Previously, he was a Lecturer in Peace and Security at Durham University and a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Haifa. Rob was awarded his PhD in War Studies from King’s College London in 2018. In addition to his role at King’s, Rob is also a Research Fellow at the Peace Research Center Prague and the Herzl Center for Israel Studies, both based at Charles University in Prague, and an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Rob’s work has been published in numerous academic journals, such as the Journal of Global Security Studies, International Studies Perspectives, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, and Mediterranean Politics. His full-length book manuscript, Understanding Territorial Withdrawal: Israeli Occupations and Exits, was published by Oxford University Press in 2023 and won the European Association of Israel Studies Academic Achievement Award in 2024. Alongside his academic outputs, he has written policy briefings for War on the Rocks and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and has provided regular commentary for France 24, RTE News, the BBC, and many others. He is also a regular analyst for Al Jazeera’s coverage of the Syrian Civil War.
