Summary of expertise

  • disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants
  • post-war settlement reconstruction
  • disaster management
 

Dr Alpaslan Özerdem

BSc (ITU, Istanbul), MSc (South Bank), PhD (York)
Recipient of Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Awards 2007
Senior Lecturer

Contact details

Room: D/108d
Tel: +44 (0)1904 43 2643
E-Mail: ao102@york.ac.uk

Biography

Dr Alpaslan Özerdem teaches in the areas of post-conflict recovery and politics of humanitarianism, and he is Convenor of MA in Post-war Recovery Studies Course at the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU).

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Teaching

  • The Politics of Humanitarian Action in War-Torn Areas
  • States, Development & Conflict
  • Conflict and Recovery Module on MA in Conflict, Governance and Development
  • MA in Post-war Recovery Studies

Research interests

With field research experience in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, El Salvador, Kosovo, Lebanon, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and Turkey, Dr Özerdem’s research interests centre around post-conflict reconstruction, reintegration of former combatants and disaster management. He has also taken an active role in the initiation and management of several consultancy and commissioned research projects at the PRDU.

Successful applications for research support:

  • The British Academy (2009). ‘Identity, Ideology and Child Soldiering: Community and Youth Participation in Civil Conflict: A Study on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mindanao, Philippines’.
  • The University’s Research Priming Fund. (2008): For a fact-finding visit on the voluntary recruitment of child soldiers in Mindanao, Philippines.
  • The University’s Research Priming Fund, (2008): For the exploration of 'Non-western Approaches to Social Reintegration of Former Combatants in Sierra Leone and Liberia’.
  • The British Academy, (2003): For the investigation of state-civil society relationships in the provision of relief and reconstruction assistance in earthquake affected areas.
  • United States Institute for Peace, (2002) (with Professor Sultan Barakat): For the exploration of the DDR process in the context of Kosovo with a particular reference to the economic and political reintegration of Kosovo Liberation Army combatants.

Recent Advisory Experience:

  • July 2008: Preparation of a DFID working document on the reinsertion assistance for former combatants.
  • March-September 2008: Preparation of the IOM’s Information, Counselling and Referral Service (ICRS) Handbook for Former Combatants.
  • July 2006: Evaluation of ‘Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme’ of the IOM Afghanistan.
  • June 2005: Re-structuring of the IOM’s ‘Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme’ in Afghanistan.
  • May 2003: Facilitation of a one-week ‘Post-conflict Reconstruction Challenges’ module at the Internal Disaster Management Course in Accra, Ghana
  • August-September 2002: Evaluation of the CARE International’s ‘Participatory Physical Rehabilitation in Rugova Valley’ Project in Kosovo

Selected recent publications

(November 2009) (with Richard Bowd) (eds.) Participatory Research Methodologies in Development and Post Disaster/Conflict Reconstruction, London: Ashgate
(2008) Post-war Recovery: Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration, (London, I.B. Tauris).
(2007) (with Tim Jacoby) 'The Role of the State in the Turkish Earthquake of 1999', Journal of International Development.
(2006) (with Tim Jacoby) ‘Disaster Management and Civil Society: Earthquake Relief in Japan, Turkey, India', (London, I.B. Tauris).
(2006) (with Abdul Hai Sofizada) ‘Sustainable Reintegration to Returning Refugees in Post-Taliban Afghanistan: Land-related Challenges', Conflict, Security & Development, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp:75-100.
(2006) 'The Mountain Tsuami: Afterthoughts on the Kashmir Earthquake', Third World Quarterly, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp 397-419.
(2004) (with Mark Knight) 'Guns, Camps and Cash: Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reinsertion of Former Combatants in Transitions from War to Peace', Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 41, No. 4, pp.499-516
(2003) 'From a 'terrorist' group to a 'civil defence' corps; the 'transformation' of Kosovo Liberation Army', International Peacekeeping, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 79-101.

Supervision

Alpaslan Özerdem has supervised research students working on security sector reform; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants; and post-conflict reconstruction:

  • Richard Bowd (completed): From Combatant to Civilian: The Social Reintegration of ex-Combatants in Rwanda and the Implications for Social Capital and Reconciliation
  • Wale Osofisan (completed): The Role of Regionalism in Post Conflict Political Reconstruction: Liberia and Sierra Leone
  • Sukanya Podder (ongoing): Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Child Soldiers and the Problem of Re-recruitment: A Cross Country Analysis
  • Victor Asiedu (ongoing): From combat to community: a study of how community-based approach to DDR can contribute more effectively to peace-building – the case of Sierra Leone
  • Danny Singh (ongoing): An Approach to Linking Reforms in Security and Justice Sectors: with a specific reference to Afghanistan

More details available on Dr Özerdem’s PRDU website.