A lone soldier with a gun stands in a desolate landscape

Peace, Conflict and Security research group

Researching issues of international peace and conflict

‌The Peace, Conflict and Security (PCS) research group is an interdisciplinary forum for sharing research, knowledge, and informed-practice that focuses on the intertwined fields of peace, conflict, and security studies.

Our work explores the changing character of security, contributes to knowledge of issues surrounding peace, conflict and security, and produces policy-relevant research to address them.

We organise internal and external events, offer opportunities for our members to present their research, and engage with external partners through our work.

We are a community that provides support and advice for our members and identifies opportunities for collaboration with internal and external bodies/individuals. We welcome new members, regardless of experience within academia, that are looking for counsel or potential partners in future work.

Our research

As a group, our research is not solely focused on militaries or warfare, in general. Our research topics are broad and multidisciplinary. Some of the themes that our members focus on include:

  • Security and development
  • Military history
  • Air power studies
  • War and film
  • Religious extremism
  • Insurgency and political violence
  • War and the body
  • The nature and 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
  • Historic and contemporary defence procurement

Publication highlights

Project highlights

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 policy making 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), Scuola Superiore Sant Anna, Pisa, and the US Embassy in London.

Research group leads

Matthew Lee Powell Portrait

Media ready expert

Dr Matthew Powell

Teaching Fellow

matthew.powell@port.ac.uk

School of Strategy, Marketing, and Innovation

Faculty of Business and Law

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Dafydd Lewis Townley Portrait

Dr Dafydd Townley

Teaching Fellow

dafydd.townley@port.ac.uk

School of Strategy, Marketing, and Innovation

Faculty of Business and Law

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PhD candidates

  • Sorina Toltica: Remote Warfare in Nigeria
  • Sophie Quintin Adali: Towards African Seapower? The Case of Senegal

We welcome enquiries concerning research degree applications related to the themes of peace, conflict and security. Please contact either Dr Matthew Powell or Dr Dafydd Townley for more information.