Brendan O'Leary

Brendan O'Leary is the Lauder Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as Chair of the Department since July 2024. He holds dual appointments as an Honorary Professor of Political Science at Queen's University Belfast and serves on the Governing Authority of University College Cork. O'Leary is an Irish, European Union, and US citizen with extensive academic and practical experience in political science.

• BA (Oxon), First Class in PPE
• PhD (LSE), Robert McKenzie Prize winner
• FRSA, MRIA (hon)

O'Leary's research focuses on nationalism, ethnic conflict regulation, power-sharing systems, and constitutional design in deeply divided societies. His work spans theoretical contributions to consociational theory and practical applications in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Kurdistan, Somalia, and other conflict zones. He has developed expertise in territorial restructuring, electoral systems design, and multinational federalism.

His publications reveal consistent focus on power-sharing mechanisms across diverse contexts. The articles demonstrate strong thematic continuity in analyzing consociational arrangements, with increasing attention to Irish unification scenarios, Brexit implications, and comparative federalism. His research combines theoretical innovation with practical policy relevance, particularly in designing constitutional arrangements for divided societies.

Awards and honors include:

• Juan Linz prize of the International Political Science Association (2014)
• Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy (2016)
• James S. Donnelly Sr. best book prize (2020)
• Brian Farrell best book prize (2023)
• Ira H Abrams Memorial Prize for Distinguished Teaching (2025)

O'Leary has supervised 36 PhD students across institutions including LSE and UPenn, with many now holding prominent academic and policy positions globally. His advisory work spans the UN, EU, Kurdistan Regional Government, and governments of the UK and Ireland. He has been instrumental in constitutional design processes including the Northern Ireland peace process, Iraqi Constitution, and Kurdish autonomy arrangements.

He leads the Public Opinion Committee of ARINS (Analyzing and Researching Ireland North and South), a joint initiative of the Royal Irish Academy and University of Notre Dame, focusing on potential scenarios for Irish unification.