Dr. Robert Geist Pinfold is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at Gulf International Forum and Lecturer in Defence Studies (International Security) at King’s College London. Rob joined the Defence Studies Department and the School of Security Studies in 2025. Previously, he was a Lecturer in Peace and Security at Durham University. 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 a Research Fellow at the Peace Research Center Prague, 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 European Journal of International Security, the Journal of Global Security Studies, International Studies Perspectives, and the Journal of Strategic Studies. His full-length book manuscript, Understanding Territorial Withdrawal: Israeli Occupations and Exits, was published by Oxford University Press in 2023.

Alongside his academic outputs, he publishes regularly in Foreign Policy and War on the Rocks and has provided regular commentary for the BBC, France 24, RTE News, Al Jazeera, and many others. Rob is a scholar of international security. His work engages with several key themes, including: Israeli foreign and security policy, The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Contemporary Syria, Iranian foreign and security policy, Grand strategy, Military occupation and exit dilemmas, and Territorial disputes.