Claire Smith

Claire Smith is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Postgraduate Research at the University of York's Department of Politics and International Relations within the Faculty of Social Sciences. Her research focuses on conflict management, international intervention, and peacebuilding in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Myanmar, with an emphasis on illiberal peacebuilding and post-war governance. She has extensive regional experience since 1997, collaborating with institutions like LSE, ANU, and Gadja Mada University through initiatives such as the GCRF Strategic Network on Comparative Peacebuilding in Asia. Claire holds a PhD in Development Studies from LSE, an MA from Columbia University, and a BA from Oxford University. Her work addresses mass atrocities, peacebuilding trajectories, and the political impacts of violence in illiberal contexts.

Education:

• PhD in Development Studies, LSE (2009)
• MA in International Affairs, Columbia University (2001)
• BA Hons in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, Balliol College, Oxford (1997)

Research Interests: Claire investigates illiberal peacebuilding dynamics, ethno-religious violence, and democratic transitions. Key projects include studying minority responses to mass atrocities with the Norwegian Centre for Holocaust and Minority Studies, analyzing trajectories of illiberal peace in Southeast Asia, and a book manuscript on Indonesia's peacebuilding politics during its democratic transition.

Funding & Collaborations: Her research has been supported by ESRC, The Asia Foundation, and The World Peace Foundation. She collaborates with international partners such as Umeå University and scholars from South and Southeast Asia.

Advising & Grants: Claire supervises PhD students in areas like peacebuilding and conflict management. She directs impactful projects like 'Pathways to Peace for Myanmar,' aimed at informing policymakers through policy briefs and podcasts.

Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary networks like the GCRF Strategic Network and the York Asia Research Network (YARN), fostering global collaboration on peacebuilding and conflict studies.