Ivar Vargas Rivas

Dr Ivar Vargas Rivas is a Tutor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science. He is also an Associate Fellow of Advance HE and affiliated with the International Relations Research Group, Centre for Security Research (CeSeR), Political Studies Association (PSA), and European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR).

Education:

• PhD in Politics, University of Edinburgh (2024)
• Master of International Relations (First Class Honours), University of Melbourne (2015)
• BSc in Public Administration and Political Science (Highest Distinction), Universidad de Concepción (2011)

His research explores the intersection of humanitarianism and warfare through the lens of autonomous weapons regulation. Key themes include AI governance, laws of war, and political ethnography of UN negotiations. His forthcoming monograph Humanising War: Killer Robots, the United Nations and the Paradoxes of Humanitarianism (Edinburgh University Press, 2025) analyzes NGO activism and international policy dynamics around lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS).

Recent publications focus on AI ethics and military technology governance. He has received competitive scholarships from Becas Chile and research funding from the University of Edinburgh. His teaching spans courses on International Security, War and Justice, and Research Design in Politics.

Scientific Awards & Funding:

• 2025 EUSA Teaching Award nominee for Teacher of the Year
• 2024 RATE Award nominee (Social Sciences)
• 2024 IntroAP Teaching Development Program
• 2019-2021 PhD Research Support Funds (University of Edinburgh)
• 2019 US Department of State IVLP Fellowship
• 2019 & 2013 Becas Chile international scholarships
• 2011 Universidad de Concepción Excellence Scholarship