Hesna Al Ghaoui is an award-winning television journalist, filmmaker, former war correspondent, and author of three books, with a special interest in human behavior, fear, and resilience. She gained her doctoral JD degree at the ELTE University of Budapest, Faculty of Law. She has worked as a documentary filmmaker and foreign affairs correspondent, reporting from many countries, including conflict zones in Afghanistan, Sudan, Libya, Lebanon, Western-Sahara, and the Gaza strip.

Based on her experiences on the frontline and numerous interviews, Al Ghaoui researches and writes about the emotion of fear, how it affects our decisions, acts and choices. Her book “Fear Bravely” (2017) explores the power of fear from historical, physiological, social, and psychological angles. She argues that though fears shape our modern societies on many levels, nevertheless, fear can also be a blessing and serve as fuel to reveal our true capabilities and reach our goals. The book includes many real life stories and was published in Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg. Al Ghaoui, born in Hungary from a Syrian father and a Hungarian mother, also witnessed how past cultural traumas effect the mindset of people and the ways they handle hardships in their lives. She is currently researching post-traumatic growth as a Fulbright fellow at UC Berkeley.