Ruben Stewart Appointed Senior Fellow for Land Warfare at IISS

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has announced the appointment of Ruben Stewart as its new Senior Fellow for Land Warfare. He takes over the role from Ben Barry, who will continue with the Institute as an Associate Fellow.

In his new position, Stewart will lead IISS research on modern and future land warfare. His work will focus on land-based military capabilities, emerging technologies, and their impact on the battlefield. He will also contribute to IISS databases and publications on land warfare assessments.

Stewart brings more than 25 years of experience in military and humanitarian fields. He joins IISS from the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), where he advised on military affairs and worked with both state and non-state armed groups.

He previously served as an infantry officer in the New Zealand Defence Force and led United Nations peacekeeping forces in East Timor. He later held senior roles with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), coordinating humanitarian responses and working closely with military actors across conflict zones in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.