Dr. Alex Waterman,

Lecturer

Research

My research agenda investigates how actors, from state and non-state armed actors to ceasefire brokers, peacebuilders and civil society actors, understand and try to shape the complex moving parts, (in)formal rules and institutions that make up conflict-affected settings. This research – best encapsulated in my co- authored agenda piece published in Civil Wars (2020) reimagines these processes through the prism of ‘order’ - predictable rules, relationships and institutions that can tell us about how power and authority is constructed in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Through my academic research, editorial agenda with Civil Wars and policy engagement, I aim to force a rethinking of 1) the micro-dynamics of wartime political order and 2) the knowledge generation and dissemination processes that enables organisations (and global governance structures more broadly) to better capture and retain an understanding of these micro-dynamics, enabling better, more equitable responses to the enduring global challenge of civil war.To date, my research has unearthed these processes using original interview, archival and observational data from two forgotten conflicts in Northeast India - Assam and Nagaland (current book project, under review). My ongoing projects explore these processes across a broader global, comparative perspective. Research interests summary:- Order in Civil Wars- Knowledge Processes in Civil Wars- Ceasefires and Peace Processes- Insurgency and Counterinsurgency- Northeast India- South Asian Security