N.A. (Nazanin) Zadeh-Cummings, Dr

Stream 1: North Korean Wellbeing

This stream of research is focused on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea). I am particularly interested in international movements seeking to support wellbeing of North Korean people. My main focus in this space is humanitarian work inside the country, but I am also interested in wider people-focused engagement as well as human rights advocacy work.

Funded projects

• Transitional Justice in Korea: A Role for Australia?

Collaborators: Dr Danielle Chubb (Deakin University), Dr Sarah Son (Sheffield University)

Funded by the Academy of Korean Studies, this project considers how Australia may support current and future transitional justice initiatives on the Korean peninsula. The project included public lecture by the Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry, The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG, and North Korean defector and human rights activist, Timothy Cho. The lecture is available to view on Youtube: Human rights and the future of justice in North Korea | Timothy Cho and Michael Kirby - YouTube

• Transnational Engagement with North Korea: The Potential for Experience Based Learning

Collaborator: Mr James Banfill (Chulalongkorn University)

Funded by IFES/MOU, this project explored the potential of experiential learning, through workshops, simulation ,and/or serious games, to inform and prepare individuals for effective engagement with North Korea.

Selected publications and media

• Son, S. A., Zadeh-Cummings, N., and Chubb, D. (2025). 'Participatory Transitional Justice as Anticipatory Project: North Korea, Diasporas and Uncertain Futures,' International Journal of Transitional Justice. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijtj/ijaf006

• Zadeh-Cummings, N., Janz, K., Banfill, J., Barret, J., and Bennett, I. (2023). ‘(Re)Engagement with the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Dialogue and planning for future opportunity.’ Centre for Humanitarian Leadership report. Available at: https://centreforhumanitarianleadership.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IFES-brief.pdf [Korean version available at: https://centreforhumanitarianleadership.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IFES-brief_KO.pdf].

• Corrado, J., featuring James, S., Zadeh-Cummings, N., and De Angelis, M. (2023, 4 December). ‘New Perspectives: Emerging Leaders Reframe North Korea Policy.’ Discussions with the Next Gen Korean Peninsula Specialists [podcast]. National Committee on American Foreign Policy. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6muh679nLJe81zwy40tqoL?si=uycVz-g4TWCck68_RTeXhg&nd=1&dlsi=e92a70f2089c41b3  

• Chubb, D., and Zadeh-Cummings, N. (2023). ‘International engagement with North Korea: Disability, human rights and humanitarian aid,’ Third World Quarterly, 40(1), 134-151.

• Zwetsloot, J., featuring Chubb, D., and Zadeh-Cummings, N. (2023, 24 January). ‘Distinguishing between North Korea humanitarianism and human rights – Ep. 272.’ North Korea News Podcast. https://www.nknews.org/(...)rights-ep-272/924132

• Zadeh-Cummings, N. (2022). ‘Humanitarian (Re)engagement: Supporting North Korean Human Security in the Age of COVID-19,’ in The Future of the Korean Peninsula and Beyond: Next Generation Policy Perspectives. National Committee on American Foreign Policy. Available Open Access at: https://www.ncafp.org/(...)nsula-and-Beyond.pdf

• Thornton, S., featuring Zadeh-Cummings, N. (2022, December). ‘Humanitarian (re)engagement: supporting North Korean human security in the age of COVID | Dr. Nazanin Zadeh-Cummings.’ Discussions with the Next Gen Korean Peninsula Specialists [podcast]. National Committee on American Foreign Policy. https://open.spotify.com/(...)hTTqgw6JxCzGw-w&nd=1

• Zadeh-Cummings, N., Son, S., and Chubb, D. (2022). ‘Preparing for transitional justice in North Korea.’ Australian Journal of International Affairs, 76(2), 121-129. Available Open Access at: https://www.tandfonline.com/(...)0357718.2021.2022597

• Banfill, J., Barrett, J., Vitantonio, C., and Zadeh-Cummings, N. (2021). ‘Opening Doors in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.’ Humanitarian Leader, working paper 15. Available Open Access at: https://doi.org/(...)hl2021volno0art1314.

• Zadeh-Cummings, N., and Harris, L. (2020). ‘Impacts of Sanctions against North Korea on Humanitarian Aid.’ Journal of Humanitarian Affairs, 2(1). Available Open Access at: https://doi.org/10.7227/JHA.033.

Stream 2: Global Humanitarian Issues

In addition to the specific context of the DPRK (above) and the specific thematic area of humanitarian education (below), I have a stream of work on global humanitarian issues including issues of power, governance, and the construction of humanitarian concepts.

Funded projects

• Changing the way the world responds to humanitarian crises: train current and future humanitarian leaders as innovative thinkers and dynamic achievers

Collaborators: : Action Against Hunger, Centre for Humanitarian Leadership, Ms Mary Ana McGlasson (Deakin University), A/Prof Cai Wilkinson (Deakin University), Ms Justine De Rouck (Deakin University), Ms Manika Saha (Deakin University)

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), this project included practical teaching for humanitarian workers to further refine their leadership skills, alongside research for humanitarian leadership development.

Selected publications and media

• Saha, M., Zadeh-Cummings, N., McGlasson, M. A., and Brockington, S. (2024). ‘“For them it’s not the work, it’s the life”: humanitarian leadership development in the Global South,’ Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 9(article n.10). Available at: https://rdcu.be/dRKd6

• Coghlan, R., Zadeh-Cummings, N., Petrova, M., and Spiegel, P. (2024). ‘The “new-old” dimensions of caring in humanitarian response: The opportunity for public health palliative care to advance humanitarian-development nexus, decoloniality, and localization thought.’ INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organisation, Provision, and Financing, 61. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00469580241277443

• Zadeh-Cummings, N. (2023). ‘Humanitarian aid,’in Elgar Encyclopedia of Development, M. Clarke and X. Zhao (eds.), Edward Elgar Publishing, 341-345.

• Zadeh-Cummings, N. (2022). ‘Through the looking glass: Coloniality and mirroring in localisation.’ Humanitarian Leader, working paper 031. http://doi.org/10.21153/thl2022art1693

• Zadeh-Cummings, N. (2021). ‘Why Diversity Matters for Humanitarian Negotiation.’ Centre for Humanitarian Leadership. Available at https://centreforhumanitarianleadership.org/(...)tarian-negotiation/ .

Stream 3: Humanitarian education and pedagogy

This emerging stream of research focuses on issues of teaching humanitarianism, particularly in higher education. Connected to this stream, I am the co-chair of the Humanitarian Education and Pedagogy Working Group at the International Humanitarian Studies Association.

Selected publications and media

• Zadeh-Cummings, N., Bakama Bope, E., and Grace. R. (2025). 'Humanitarian access,' in An Introduction to Humanitarian Action, K. Radtke and K. Roepstorff (eds.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003350279
• Stibral, A. A., Zadeh-Cummings, N., and Clarke, M. (2022). ‘Mastering humanitarianism? A survey of postgraduate humanitarian courses.’ Higher Education, 84, 741-760. Available Open Access at https://link.springer.com/(...)7/s10734-021-00797-2
• Parkinson, K. M. featuring Zadeh-Cummings, N. and Grieder, E. (2023, 23 March). 'Navigating Humanitarian Training Pathways in 2023. Humanitarian Leadership Academy's Podcast. https://www.humanitarianleadershipacademy.org/(...)ng-pathways-in-2023/