Peace Conflict and Security Research Group
The Peace, Conflict and Security (PSC) research group is an interdisciplinary forum for sharing research, knowledge and research practice focused on the intertwined fields of peace, security and conflict studies.
The group supports the University's cross-Faculty Security and Risk theme, and our work exploring the changing character of security contributes to knowledge of these issues and produces policy-relevant research to address them.
We also organise events, offer opportunities for PhD students to present their research and engage with external partners through our work.
Our research
Our members focus on research areas including:
- Security and development
- War and film
- Religious extremism
- Insurgency and political violence
- War and the body
- The character of warfare
- International relations theory
- Emotion and terrorism
- African security
- Gender and security
- Multinational warfare and coalitions
- Cyber security
- Weapons of mass destruction
- Socio-technical Security
Projects
Our current work includes Professor Tony Chafer's project, "Mobilising multinational military missions for intervention in Africa".
Our members have collaborated with Chatham House and FCO Research Analysts on insecurity and violent extremism in the Sahel. Our work has already generated input into policymaking in Nigeria and the UK, and has further potential for policy impact.
We have strong international links with organisations, such as the West Africa Peace and Security Network, University of Ibadan (Nigeria), Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), and Scuola Superiore Sant Anna, Pisa.
Research group leads

Media ready expert
Dr Melita Lazell
- Job Title Associate Head (Research and Innovation) and Principal Lecturer in Political Economy
- Email Address melita.lazell@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Area Studies History Politics and Literature
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Dr Patricia Shamai
- Job Title Associate Head (Students), Senior Lecturer in International Relations, and Course Leader MA International Relations
- Email Address patricia.shamai@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Area Studies History Politics and Literature
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Our members

Dr Ed Stoddard
- Job Title Subject Leader, Politics and International Relations
- Email Address Ed.Stoddard@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Area Studies History Politics and Literature
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Professor Tony Chafer
- Job Title Professor of African and French Studies
- Email Address Tony.Chafer@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Area Studies History Politics and Literature
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Media ready expert
Dr Tom Smith
- Job Title Senior Lecturer and Principal Lecturer
- Email Address Tom.Smith@port.ac.uk
- Department Strategy Enterprise and Innovation
- Faculty Faculty of Business and Law

Dr Aaron Pycroft
- Job Title Reader in Criminal Justice and Social Complexity and Course Leader – DipHE in Community Justice
- Email Address Aaron.Pycroft@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Dr Aishling McMorrow
- Job Title Lecturer in International Relations
- Email Address Aishling.McMorrow@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Area Studies History Politics and Literature
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Dr David Norman
- Job Title Lecturer in International Relations
- Email Address David.Norman@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Area Studies History Politics and Literature
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Mr Giorgio Bendoni
- Job Title Senior Teaching Fellow
- Email Address giorgio.bendoni@port.ac.uk
- Department Economics and Finance
- Faculty Faculty of Business and Law

Media ready expert
Mr Ian Piper
- Job Title Senior Teaching Fellow in Accounting and Financial Management
- Email Address UP12169@myport.ac.uk
- Department Accounting and Financial Management
- Faculty Faculty of Business and Law

Media ready expert
Dr Karen McBride
- Job Title Reader
- Email Address karen.mcbride@port.ac.uk
- Department Accounting and Financial Management
- Faculty Faculty of Business and Law
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Dr Leah Alexandra Fox
- Job Title Principal Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Investigation and Associate Head (Student experience)
- Email Address leah.fox@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Dr Mark Youngman
- Job Title Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Course Leader MA International Relations
- Email Address Mark.Youngman@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Area Studies History Politics and Literature
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Media ready expert
Dr Mohammed Ibrahim Shire
- Job Title Senior Lecturer in Security and Risk
- Email Address Mohammed.Ibrahim-Shire@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Dr Moufida Sadok
- Job Title Lecturer in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity
- Email Address moufida.sadok@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Dr Naheem Jabbar
- Job Title Senior Lecturer in Sociology
- Email Address naheem.jabbar@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Education and Sociology
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Mr Peter Bednar
- Job Title Senior Lecturer
- Email Address Peter.Bednar@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Computing
- Faculty Faculty of Technology
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Professor Peter Lee
- Job Title Theme Director (Security and Risk)
- Email Address peter.lee@port.ac.uk
- Faculty Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Dr Richard Kapend
- Job Title Senior Lecturer in Criminology & Quantitative Research Methods
- Email Address richard.kapend@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Dr Rinat Khusainov
- Job Title Senior Lecturer and Associate Head of School (Research and Innovation)
- Email Address Rinat.Khusainov@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Computing
- Faculty Faculty of Technology
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Dr Stephen Harper
- Job Title Senior Lecturer
- Email Address Stephen.Harper@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Film Media and Communication
- Faculty Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Dr Vasileios Karagiannopoulos
- Job Title Reader in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity
- Email Address vasileios.karagiannopoulos@port.ac.uk
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor

Media ready expert
Dr Veronika Poniscjakova
- Job Title Teaching Fellow
- Email Address Veronika.Poniscjakova@port.ac.uk
- Department Strategy Enterprise and Innovation
- Faculty Faculty of Business and Law
PhD candidates
- Danielle Hayter: Exploring the drivers and character of French Security Policy in West Africa since 2012
- Sorina Toltica: Remote Warfare in Nigeria
- Busra Nisa Sarac: The Representation of Female Victims of the Islamic State
- Sophie Quintin Adali: Towards African Seapower? The Case of Senegal
We welcome PhD applications related to the themes of peace, conflict and security. Please contact Ed Stoddard to discuss PhD research opportunities with us.