Debbie Lisle

Debbie Lisle is a Professor in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen's University Belfast, affiliated with the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. Her work bridges International Relations, Political Sociology, and Visual Culture, focusing on failure, borders, security, and technology.

Research Interests:
- Productive Failure: Examines how failure is weaponized as a 'solution' by policymakers and contrasts this with marginalized 'already-failed' communities.
- Borders/Security Technology: Analyzes border technologies and their material impacts on migrants and security actors.
- Tourism & Militarism: Explores entanglements of leisure and violence, including her seminal book Holidays in the Danger Zone.
- War Representation: Investigates visual cultures of war through museums, film, and drones.

Publications & Activities:
- Authored 56+ publications including 2025's Border Trajectories and 2024's Interview on Political Sociology.
- Editor-in-Chief of International Political Sociology journal.
- Supervised projects on EU border tech, Troubles museum exhibits, and post-9/11 affective spaces.

Awards:
- IPS Best Book Award (2018)
- IPS Distinguished Scholar Award (2020)
- BISA Best PhD Thesis (2000)

Teaching & Engagement:
- Convenor for MA Global Security and Borders.
- Engaged in public discourse via podcasts (e.g., Hayseed Scholar) and media commentary on danger tourism and trauma politics.