Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies

Conflict, Security & International Order

Research networks

Our staff also contribute to many research networks:

Related publications

European Security journal cover

European Security is a quarterly academic journal.

Editor-in-Chief, Dr David Galbreath

Conflict and insecurity are complex social phenomena that pose challenging analytical and theoretical problems. Conflict is manifest at the domestic, transnational and international level, and has serious consequences for both existing forms of governance and representation; and for patterns of identify formation and political allegiance. Patterns of conflict, security and cooperation are also key determinants of international and regional order.

We are concerned with understanding and explaining the whole of the conflict cycle, from the origins of violent conflict to the development of peaceful cooperation. Our core themes are:

  • International security and inter-cultural dialogue
  • Contemporary European security and foreign policy
  • War, politics and society

Research focus

  • The causes of violent conflict and insecurity
  • The changing nature of war and violent conflict
  • Processes of conflict resolution and peace building
  • The nature of ‘peace’ (including ‘stable peace’), ‘durable peace’ and ‘just peace’
  • The ethics of war and peace
  • The transformation of foreign and security policy
  • Cooperation between the EU, OSCE and NATO
  • Organised crime
  • Changes in regional order

We take a broad and comprehensive approach to the contemporary security agenda, and embrace researchers utilising a variety of theoretical approaches and methodologies. At the same time, research on conflict and security involves a series of collaborative links across the Faculty and the University, and extensive networks with academics and practitioners nationally and internationally.

Recent work

We have embraced the European Union as an international actor in our most recent work, which includes:

  • The transformation of NATO
  • NBC proliferation
  • Shifting patterns of conflict and cooperation in the Western Balkans, Middle East and Latin America
  • Religion, conflict and international security
  • The relationship between peace, justice and security
  • The Spanish Civil War and the Second World War
  • Transnational crime organisations (Italian mafias, in particular, the Neapolitan Camorra)
  • The changing regional order in Latin America and regional integration

Core themes

International security and inter-cultural dialogue

Staff Research
Dr Alexander Kelle
  • Analysis of the evolution of multilateral security regimes, in particular the chemical and biological weapons prohibition regimes.
  • Impact of the revolution of the life sciences, in particular synthetic biology, on the discourse and policies to prevent chemical and biological warfare.
Dr Scott Thomas
  • Research programme centres on how the global resurgence of culture and religion transformation international relations. It challenges the existing constructions of culture, religion, and identity, and examines the impact of culture and religion on key areas in international relations - conflict, cooperation, diplomacy, peace-making, inter-religious dialogue, and economic development.
Dr Felia Allum
  • The threats of Transnational organised crime
  • Criminal mobility and its implications
  • Anti-Organised crime policies
Dr Gian Luca Gardini
  • Regional order in Latin America
  • Latin America as an emerging global actor
  • The foreign policies of Latin America
  • Compared regional integration and cooperation processes

Contemporary European security and foreign policy

Staff Research
Dr Lisbeth Aggestam
  • Europeanisation of foreign and security policy
  • Role theory analysis
  • Ethics and European Power
  • Identity Politics and Foreign Policy
Dr David Galbreath
  • Researches how international organisations shape the security-rights nexus.
  • Work has mostly focused on conflict prevention and resolution around events of ethnic tensions and nationalism.
  • Editor-in-chief of European Security since 2009.

War, politics and society

Staff Research
Dr Hanna Diamond
  • Participating in a collaborative project with the Imperial War Museum on women and war photography 1936-1946.
  • Interest in gender in her articles on German prisoners of war in France 1940-44 and the lives of French miners during this period.
Student research

Some of our student research projects also relate to this cluster.

 
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