Harsh Dayal
Research Associate
Biography
Harsh Dayal is a Research Associate at Hegemoniq, specialising in insurgency, counterinsurgency (COIN), and the political logic of armed conflict. His research probes the limitations of military power, examining why COIN campaigns often fail to secure legitimacy and how strategic narratives shape the behaviour of both state and non-state actors.
With a regional focus on Afghanistan, he is particularly interested in the conditions under which insurgent movements consolidate authority and what the failures of externally imposed order reveal about the deeper structure of political legitimacy. He is currently a Research Scholar at the Central University of Punjab, where his work bridges empirical analysis with insights from philosophy and political thought.
Beyond his primary research, he is deeply interested in the intersections of warfare, terrorism, and human agency, often drawing upon the works of Friedrich Nietzsche to sharpen his understanding of power dynamics in conflict zones.
Contact
harshdayal@hegemoniq.com