Yasin Ahmed Ismail is the Head of Research and Analytics at GLAFPOL, where he spearheads research and analysis on governance, security, and conflict in fragile states. With broad experience spanning Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya, Yasin has led numerous high-impact research projects that shape policy and operational strategies.

His background includes serving as a Safety Advisor in Khost, Southeastern Afghanistan, where he led a 22-person regional office following the Taliban's 2021 takeover. In this role, Yasin directed security and conflict analysis and provided safety advisory services for humanitarian operations across four provinces, three of which bordered Pakistan. Prior to this, he served as the Research Lead for the Somali Dialogue Platform at the Rift Valley Institute in Nairobi, managing research and analysis for a high-profile political dialogue programme on Somalia's post-conflict settlement.

Yasin holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Sciences Po Paris and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Affairs from Wake Forest University in the United States. During the 2022-2023 academic year, he was a Dean's Graduate Fellow in the Department of Political Science at The Ohio State University, where he conducted research and pursued Ph.D.-level coursework. His work has been published in outlets such as Al Jazeera English, World Politics Review, World Policy Journal, and openDemocracy.