Kochar is a Fulbright foreign student from Iraqi Kurdistan pursuing an M.A. in political science at the Maxwell School. He previously worked as a researcher with Insight Iraq, a think tank focused on mapping Iraq’s parliament and political dynamics.

For seven years, he served with the National Democratic Institute, managing programs on governance, political parties, information integrity and democratization across Iraq and the broader Middle East. He also worked with Geneva Call, where he focused on engaging non-state actors with the rules and laws of war to advance peacebuilding and humanitarian objectives.

His experience spans elections and campaigns, political parties, parliamentary development, disinformation, minority and youth inclusion, and institutional reform. In 2025, he was recognized as one of the Middle East Policy Council’s 40 Under 40 awardees for his contributions to strengthening democratic governance and fostering ties between the United States and the Middle East.

At Maxwell, his research interests focus on populism, democratization and the challenges of governance in post-conflict states.