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)
International Security
Civil Wars and Conflict Resolution (with a focus on Colombia)
Latin American Politics
(Counter)insurgency theory and practice
Research Summary
Oliver's doctoral project analyses the origins and development of the Colombian armed conflict (circa 1964) leading to the 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).… read more
Recent Publications
Current Research
Oliver's doctoral project analyses the origins and development of the Colombian armed conflict (circa 1964) leading to the 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The research analyses changes to political economy, including the formation of world order, to explain how such dynamics have shaped the strategies and actions of key agents in Colombia's security and peace-making environment. By conceptualising political developments as linked to underlying processes of state-making and world order, the research aims to bridge the structure-agency dilemma and contribute to explaining the outcomes of war and peace. Oliver's doctoral project is supervised by Professor Andreas Bieler and Professor Antoni Kapcia.