Oliver Yule-Smith

Dr Oliver Yule-Smith is a Researcher at the Centre for Grand Strategy, Department of War Studies, King’s College London. His work focuses on 20th-century British foreign policy, grand strategy, applied history, and conceptions of international order. He holds a PhD examining British officials’ China policy development from 1922–1984, and completed a doctoral placement in the UK Cabinet Office’s Strategy Unit. His research bridges historical analysis with contemporary policy challenges, emphasizing strategic foresight in statecraft.

Education:

• PhD in War Studies (King’s College London), thesis: ‘The Problem of China and the British Official Mind, 1922–1984’

Research interests include British national strategy evolution, applied historical methodologies, and geopolitical shifts in international order. Recent publications analyze UK-China relations, diplomatic continuity, and grand strategy formulation. His collaborations include co-authoring policy papers for the Cabinet Office’s Integrated Review.

Awards: No scientific awards mentioned.

Advising & Grants: No advisees listed. No grants explicitly cited.

He contributes to the Centre for Grand Strategy’s mission to integrate historical expertise into modern diplomacy, co-authoring commentary such as ‘Towards a Tradition of British Statecraft’ (July 2023).