About

Dr Walt Kilroy is the Associate Director of the Institute and also Assistant Professor at the School of Law and Government in Dublin City University. His research interests include development, conflict, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding, and the interactions between these processes. His teaching has included these topics, as well as international media and reporting. His PhD looked at the way in which ex-combatants were dealt with after the wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa, through the programmes for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR). Field work for the thesis involved interviews with a wide range of actors in both countries, from local community representatives to international agency staff. The views of ex-combatants were also gathered through interviews, a survey, and focus group discussions in a variety of locations in Sierra Leone and Liberia. His thesis was awarded the Basil Chubb Prize for best PhD dissertation in political science in Ireland in 2012. The book based on it was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2015. Current research includes the protection of civilians by peacekeeping operations, with field work in Mali and South Sudan. He also coordinated a three-year €1 million Erasmus+ project called PESTUGE. This brought together eight universities to further develop the teaching of peace studies in the Republic of Georgia.

Research Interests

Africa, Civil Society, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Development, Ethnic Conflict, Governance, Security, Social Capital, Developing World Politics, UN, Peace, Transitional justice

Current/Upcoming Events

Standing Groups and Research Networks

• Human Rights and Transitional Justice