Michael Hardy

Michael Hardy is a Professor at Coventry University's Research Centre for Peace and Security, serving as Director of the Centre for Social Relations since 2011. He specializes in intercultural dialogue, community cohesion, and conflict resolution, with a focus on youth engagement and fragile states. Previously, he held leadership roles at the British Council, managing a £34M annual portfolio addressing global intercultural relations and civil society development.

• Education: Applied Economics background, former Head of Economics and Public Policy at Leeds Metropolitan University
• Leadership: Spearheaded British Council's global intercultural dialogue programs and designed community-led tension monitoring systems in Belfast
• Awards: OBE (2001), CMG (2010), Honorary Doctorate (2017)

Research interests include foreign policy impacts on domestic cohesion and the role of higher education in managing diversity. He has advised governments (e.g., Azerbaijan) and international organizations like the UN Alliance of Civilizations.

Grants and projects include evaluations of Palestinian public sector management, UK administration reforms in Cameroon, and pre-election tension monitoring in Kenya. He actively contributes to global forums, including the World Economic Forum in Davos and the Doha Forum.