Linda Slapakova

Linda Slapakova is a senior analyst with RAND Europe in the area of defence and security. Her research focuses chiefly on the defence workforce and armed forces personnel issues; emerging security and information threats; and the impact of emerging technologies in defence and security. She coordinates RAND Europe's body of work focusing on the defence workforce and skills. 

Since joining RAND, she has managed a range of projects for UK- and EU-based clients working across the defence and security portfolios, and is experienced in a range of qualitative and futures methodologies including horizon scanning, evaluation, qualitative data collection and case study analysis. Her recent work has focused on helping the UK Ministry of Defence navigate the demands and challenges of trends associated with the future of work, supporting the development of guidance on cross-government working, research on diversity in the UK and US armed forces, and a range of studies examining the opportunities and challenges associated with AI, autonomous systems and other technologies in defence and security.

Prior to joining RAND, she conducted research on peacekeeping, conflict resolution and counter-terrorism with organisations in Brussels and the UK including the Crime Terror Nexus Project, the Institute for Economics and Peace, and the Centre for European Policy Studies. She holds an M.Phil. in international relations from the University of Oxford and a B.A. (summa cum laude) in international affairs (European peace and security studies) from Vesalius College Brussels.