Department of Politics and International Relations
Dr Claire Smith
Director of Postgraduate Research and Senior Lecturer
Visit Dr Claire Smith's profile on the York Research Database to:
- See a full list of publications
- Browse activities and projects
- Explore connections, collaborators, related work and more
Profile
Biography
Claire's research interests lie in the comparative politics of conflict management, international intervention and peacebuilding in the context of democratic transition - especially in Southeast Asia. Her main focus is on the politics of illiberal peacebuilding and post-war governance in contested states, as well as understanding ethno-religious violence and mass atrocities. Her geographical expertise is Southeast Asia, in particular Indonesia and Myanmar. She has been working in the region since 1997, with professional research experience in Indonesia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Cambodia and Lao PDR.
Claire co-founded and co-convened the GCRF Strategic Network on ‘Comparative Peacebuilding in Asia’, with co-funding from the Asia Foundation and the ISRF. This international network was co-led by scholars from LSE, ANU, and Gadja Mada University, and partnered with scholars and practitioners from South and Southeast Asia, including NUS, NTU, University of Colombo, University of Yangon, and Prince of Songkla University. The network supported novel, policy-relevant and interdisciplinary research on liberal and illiberal transitions from ethnic conflict and authoritarianism, and included guided field visits in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Indonesia.
Claire’s research also covers the political impacts of and responses to mass atrocities in illiberal contexts, in collaboration with the Norwegian Centre for Holocaust and Minority Studies; and on the enduring legacies of illiberal peacebuilding in Southeast Asia, with collaborators at Umeå University, Sweden. Claire’s research has appeared in leading conflict and peace journals such as Conflict, Security and Development, Third World Quarterly, Global Responsibility to Protect and Peacebuilding. Her research has been funded by the ESRC, The Asia Foundation, and The World Peace Foundation.
Claire’s latest project, Pathways to Peace for Myanmar, maps the potential for domestic, regional and international pathways to peace for the escalating conflict in Myanmar. This impact-focused project aims to inform and engage with UK based policymakers and stakeholders working on Myanmar by producing policy-focused and accessible research outputs, including background papers, podcasts and summary posters.
Career
Before she joined York in 2011, Claire was a Teaching Fellow at LSE and SOAS, University of London. She has also held Visiting Fellowship at the LSE and the University of Indonesia. Claire has a PhD in Development Studies from LSE (2009), an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University (2001) and a BA Hons in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Balliol College, Oxford University (1997).
