Noel Anderson

Noel Anderson is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, specializing in international relations, intervention, limited war, and counterinsurgency. His research examines how external interventions shape internal conflicts, with a focus on competitive intervention dynamics in civil wars. He holds a Ph.D. from MIT's Security Studies Program and a B.A. from the University of Toronto.

Professor Anderson’s research explores the strategic logic behind third-party interventions, emphasizing how 'not losing' often outweighs 'winning' for external actors to avoid escalation. His current book project theorizes competitive intervention’s role in prolonging civil wars and altering global conflict patterns. His work appears in journals like the British Journal of Political Science and Survival, and he has contributed to policy platforms like War on the Rocks.

His research is supported by SSHRC, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and the Smith Richardson Foundation. Anderson’s career includes roles at the Irish Department of Justice and the Independent Monitoring Commission in Northern Ireland. He has also held a postdoctoral fellowship at Dartmouth College’s Dickey Center.