The Middle East Conflict: Reshaping the Global Order and New Zealand’s Future
Expert Panel
Wednesday, 18 March 2026 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Christchurch
On Zoom
Join our panel of experts in this improptu online session for an analysis of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region.
Featuring special guests Dr. Geoffrey Miller and Mahdi Ghuloom.
Dr Geoffrey Miller is a New Zealand geopolitical analyst. In December 2025 he graduated from the University of Otago with his PhD in Politics for his thesis Unlocking the Middle East: New Zealand’s Relations with the Gulf States in the 21st Century. The thesis was placed on the University of Otago's list of Humanities Exceptional Doctoral Theses, placing it in the top 10 percent of all theses examined. Dr Miller has lived in Germany and the Middle East and is a long-time learner of Arabic.
Mahdi Ghuloom is a Junior Fellow for Geopolitics at ORF–Middle East, focusing on Gulf States’ economic competitiveness, political institutions, and diplomacy. He previously worked as a Regional Security Analyst at Le Beck International and as a researcher at the Bahrain Prime Minister’s Office and the Bahrain Economic Development Board. He is soon to graduate from an MSt in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford and holds an MSc in Policy Analytics (Exeter) and a BSc in Economics and Politics (Essex).
This event will be moderated by Sandeep Sharma, Chair NZIIA, Christchurch
Join our panel of experts in this improptu online session for an analysis of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region.
Featuring special guests Dr. Geoffrey Miller and Mahdi Ghuloom.
Dr Geoffrey Miller is a New Zealand geopolitical analyst. In December 2025 he graduated from the University of Otago with his PhD in Politics for his thesis Unlocking the Middle East: New Zealand’s Relations with the Gulf States in the 21st Century. The thesis was placed on the University of Otago's list of Humanities Exceptional Doctoral Theses, placing it in the top 10 percent of all theses examined. Dr Miller has lived in Germany and the Middle East and is a long-time learner of Arabic.
Mahdi Ghuloom is a Junior Fellow for Geopolitics at ORF–Middle East, focusing on Gulf States’ economic competitiveness, political institutions, and diplomacy. He previously worked as a Regional Security Analyst at Le Beck International and as a researcher at the Bahrain Prime Minister’s Office and the Bahrain Economic Development Board. He is soon to graduate from an MSt in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford and holds an MSc in Policy Analytics (Exeter) and a BSc in Economics and Politics (Essex).
This event will be moderated by Sandeep Sharma, Chair NZIIA, Christchurch
Membership
NZIIA membership is open to anyone interested in understanding the importance of global affairs to the political and economic well-being of New Zealand.