Richard Caplan

Richard Caplan is Professor of International Relations at the Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR), University of Oxford, and an Official Fellow of Linacre College. His academic career spans several decades with significant contributions to the field of international relations, particularly in the areas of international organizations, conflict management, and peacebuilding.

Professor Caplan holds an MA and PhD from the University of London. His academic journey has included visiting positions at prestigious institutions including the European University Institute (EUI), University of Konstanz, University of Pavia, Princeton University, and Sciences Po (Paris).

Professor Caplan's principal research interests focus on international organizations and conflict management, with particular emphasis on peacekeeping and post-conflict peace- and state-building. His work explores critical questions about how international institutions manage conflicts, the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations, and the complex processes of rebuilding societies after conflict. His research has significantly contributed to understanding the challenges of measuring peace, the dynamics of international administration in war-torn territories, and the recognition of new states in contested contexts.

Professor Caplan has received considerable recognition for his scholarly contributions through fellowships and grants from leading organizations including the British Academy, the British Council, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Folke Bernadotte Academy, the John Fell OUP Research Fund, the Leverhulme Trust, the MacArthur Foundation, the Oxford Martin School, and the US Institute of Peace.

As a dedicated educator and mentor, Professor Caplan has supervised numerous graduate students including Ishrat Hossain, Ebenezer Azamati, Michaela Coplen, Lucy Maycox, John Helferich, Gwendolyn Whidden, Alejandro Posada Téllez, Colm Trant, Salma Daoudi, Nadila Ali, and Katharina Engel. His current research focuses on the aftermath of UN peacekeeping operations through the ESRC-funded "After Exit" project, which investigates conditions in countries following the withdrawal of large-scale UN peacekeeping missions.

Professor Caplan leads the "After Exit" research team, which includes collaborators from Oxford, Cornell University, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Previously, he contributed to the Oxford Martin Programme on Transboundary Resource Management, which explored cross-border cooperation on natural resource management in the eastern Nile River Basin and the Jordan River Basin.