Contact
Biography
Oliver Dodd is an ESRC sponsored PhD candidate in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham where he is a member of the Centre for Conflict, Security and Terrorism (CST). Prior to undertaking his doctoral studies, Oliver received a BA in Political Studies from Aberystwyth University, an MA in International Relations (with Distinction) from the University of Nottingham, and an MA in Social Science Research (with Distinction) from the University of Nottingham. For his second master's degree, Oliver was awarded the 2019 MA dissertation prize for the highest-graded dissertation by the Centre for Conflict, Security and Terrorism (CST), which was presented to him by the former Director of MI5, Lord Jonathan Evans. In that MA dissertation, Oliver analysed Colombia's armed conflict and 2016 peace agreement, while seeking to connect (counter)insurgency theory and practice with political-economic developments. Oliver has also conducted significant ethnographic research in key areas of Colombia's armed conflict.
In terms of media experience, Oliver regularly writes about Latin American politics and Colombia's armed conflict for newspapers and magazines and has been interviewed about his research by various platforms, including television, radio, research institutes, and podcasts.
Expertise Summary
International Political Economy (with a focus on Latin America)
Armed conflict and peace-making in Colombia
(Counter)insurgency theory and practice
Latin American guerrilla movements
Covert action and hybrid warfare
RMA as it pertains to (counter)insurgency and targeted assassinations
Research Summary
Supervised by Professor Andreas Bieler and Professor Antoni Kapcia, the doctoral research analyses the origins and development of Colombia's armed conflict leading to a peace agreement in 2016.… read more
Recent Publications
Current Research
Supervised by Professor Andreas Bieler and Professor Antoni Kapcia, the doctoral research analyses the origins and development of Colombia's armed conflict leading to a peace agreement in 2016. Specifically, the research analyses change to the political economy, including the influence of international order, to understand how such dynamics have shaped the strategies and actions of key agents in relation to Colombia's armed conflict and the 2016 peace agreement. In terms of learning lessons, the project will uncover the type of political-economic conditions that help to explain the development and decline of the Colombian armed conflict.