I am Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham, England, UK. A political scientist by background, I specialise in the management of contemporary security challenges, especially in the prevention and settlement of ethnic conflicts and in post-conflict state-building in deeply divided and war-torn societies. I have extensive expertise in the former Soviet Union and the Middle East, and have also worked on a wide range of other conflicts elsewhere, including in Africa and in Central, South and Southeast Asia. Bridging the divide between academia and policy-making, I have been involved in various phases of conflict settlement processes, including in the disputed territories in Iraq, in Transnistria and Gagauzia (Moldova), and in Yemen.Recent Publications
Recent Talks
- COVID-19: What Future for Connectivity in the OSCE Region? OCEEA Webinar
- Economic Diplomacy and Connectivity: What Role for the OSCE? 25th Ministerial Council of the OSCE
- The OSCE in Moldova: From Confidence Building to Conflict Settlement? Workshop of the OSCE Network
Monographs
Edited Volumes
Notes
Decentralization Reloaded in Ukraine?
History is often said to repeat itself or at least to rhyme. Decentralization in Ukraine has been on and off the agenda of successive governments since the country’s independence in 1991. Much like previous attempts to decentralize power, President Zelenskiy’s draft decentralization law has become embroiled in long-established power struggles and had to be withdrawn.
Connecting Human Rights and Conflict Resolution in Eastern Ukraine
How can international human rights protection mechanisms be employed in the gray zone of armed conflict in weak states? This question is particularly relevant for the war in eastern Ukraine where for five years residents have been without state aegis for their most basic human rights.
In Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy must tread carefully or may end up facing another Maidan uprising
It’s been six years since the start of the Euromaidan revolution in Ukraine, which led to the ousting of then-President Viktor Yanukovych. By the time his successor Petro Poroshenko was elected in May 2014, the domestic political scene in Ukraine and the geopolitical dynamics in the contested EU-Russia neighbourhood surrounding it had fundamentally altered.
Tweets