SANNIA ABDULLAH CLOSE (Ph.D.)
Writer. Researcher. Storyteller.
Exploring the intersection of ideas, human experience, and narrative through research, nonfiction, fiction, and children’s literature.
Welcome! you’ve stepped into a space shaped by rigorous inquiry, storytelling, and a deep commitment to understanding the human experience.
I’m Sannia Abdullah Close (pronounced SAAN-EEA), a professional writer, researcher, and published scholar. My work spans political science, international security, and organizational learning, with research featured in peer-reviewed journals and policy spaces.
At its core, my work has always been about one central question: How do humans make sense of the world under pressure, uncertainty, and change?
Authority & Work
My academic and analytical work examines complex systems, strategy, crisis behavior, and institutional decision-making, bringing clarity to environments often defined by ambiguity.
Through long-form writing, policy analysis, and research-driven narratives, I bridge the gap between:
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Systems and human behavior
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Strategy and lived experience
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Policy and public understanding
This is where analysis meets storytelling.
Experience & Expertise
Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family' —Kofi Annan
I bring over a decade of experience in military strategy, conflict, and crisis behavior, with a focus on how states can avoid escalation—particularly in nuclear environments. My current book examines pathways to prevent nuclear conflict, contributing to global security and risk reduction debates.
I began my academic career at Quaid-i-Azam University, where I taught and mentored students in strategic studies. Since then, my work has expanded through fellowships at leading institutions, including Sandia National Laboratories, the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, and Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation.
My research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and engaged audiences ranging from academia to institutions like the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Pentagon. I have also participated in Track-II dialogues and war-gaming exercises, gaining practical insight into crisis decision-making and conflict management.
Beyond academia, I bring a strong media and public engagement background—hosting television and radio programs, and currently leading the podcast Women with Ambition, where I share conversations with inspiring women across fields.
Philosophy: The Power of Storytelling
I believe storytelling is not ornamental, it is foundational.
The stories we tell others and more importantly, the stories we tell ourselves that shape how we:
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Interpret our past
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Navigate our present
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Imagine our future
Storytelling is how we make meaning. It is how ideas move, connect, and transform lives.
Children’s Books
Alongside my professional work, I write children’s literature as a passion project because storytelling, at its purest, begins early.
My series, Nuru Learns Big Things, is built around emotional awareness, curiosity, and gentle life lessons. These stories are designed to help children connect with their emotions and grow into thoughtful, self-aware individuals.
This work is not separate from my professional identity, it is one of its most meaningful expressions.
Creative & Ongoing Work
Beyond research and nonfiction, I explore fiction as a space to imagine new worlds, question systems, and push the boundaries of narrative.
Whether developing analytical work, storytelling platforms, or creative projects, I remain guided by one principle:
Stories have the power to clarify, connect, and transform.
Core Beliefs
Life has taught me a few enduring truths:
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We live in a constant exchange, what we give shapes what we receive
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What we resist often lingers; what we understand, we can transform
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Faith is not certainty, it is the strength to move forward regardless of outcome.
