Profile

Biography

Gyda’s research interests lie at the intersection of domestic conflict and international relations, specialising in the politics of non-state armed groups (especially rebel diplomacy and rebel group successor parties), international interventions, security, peacebuilding and democracy promotion. Her geographical expertise spans the regions of South and Southeast Asia and the Balkans. Gyda is the founder and convener of the Politics After War Research Network, an international network that serves as a contact point for collaborative activities and knowledge sharing among researchers and practitioners working in dynamics of rebel group transformation, state-building and peacebuilding after civil war. Gyda’s research has appeared in leading journals such as Political Geography, Government and Opposition and Party Politics as well as in several book chapters. To date, her research has been funded by the European Commission, the Research Council of Norway, the Philomathia Foundation and by several small grants and awards. 

Personal webpage: https://gydasindre.com

Twitter: @DrGydaSindre 

Career

Before coming to York, Gyda was a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Politics and International Studies (2015-2019) and Assistant Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway (2011-2015). Gyda holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Oslo (2011). 

Research

Overview

Gyda's current research is focused on the political dynamics after civil war, political parties, rebel group transformation, peace-building and democratization. Gyda is engaged in three main projects/research agendas:

Projects

1.Post-conflict political parties

This project, which was initially co-funded by a Marie Curie grant (608695 881) and the Research Council of Norway (240110), started out focusing on how rebel group successor parties adapt to peace-time politics relying on a range of examples in Asia (Sri Lanka, Indonesia and East Timor) and the Balkans (Kosovo and Bosnia Herzegovina). The aim of the project was to understand whether and how former rebel groups that transition into political parties following the end of civil war, impact on peace building and democratization in the decades after war has ended. The project also draws on collaborative partnerships with researchers working on party development in post-war contexts in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

To date, the project has resulted in two special issues (Civil Wars and Government and Opposition), an edited book (forthcoming), a series of journal articles, and a monograph (in progress).

Gyda's ongoing and planned work in this area concerns two broader questions of (1) how civil wars shape party system development and; (2) what explain successful and unsuccessful transitions to multi-party democracy in civil war affected countries.

2. Political legacies of mass atrocities 
Together with colleagues from the Norwegian Centre for the Holocaust and Religious Minority Studies (Dr Ellen Stensrud), University of York (Dr Claire Smith), and partners in Myanmar, Gyda is working on a new collaborative research programme that seeks to bring to the forefront how (past and present) genocides and mass atrocities impact on contemporary politics – especially on conflict resolution, reconciliation and democratization. The research group received seed funding towards a conference panel and subsequent workshop held in connection with the 14th Conference of the International Association for Genocide Scholars held in Cambodia in July 2019. The panel and subsequent workshop have laid the foundation for future collaborative research and activities on this topic.

3. Comparative perspectives on governance, democracy and development in Indonesia and Sri Lanka 
Previously, Gyda has been involved in several projects that has analysed the state of democracy, local governance and sustainable development in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. These projects also involved collaborations with NGOs and activist communities in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Gyda's ongoing work in this area concerns analysing and making sense of the interplay between liberal and illiberal civil society in the context of present-day Indonesian and Sri Lankan politics.

Supervision

Gyda would welcome PhD applications in these and related areas of study and encourage potential supervisees to get in touch.

Teaching

Undergraduate

In 2019/2020 academic year, Gyda is teaching the following undergraduate modules:

• 2^nd year: Democracy, Autocracy and the State (Convener, lecturer, seminars)
• 2^nd year: War and Peace (Spring term lectures and seminars)  
• 1^st year: Introduction to Democratic Politics (selected lectures, spring)  

External activities

Memberships

Gyda is the founder and convener of the Politics After War Research Network and initiator of a Politics After War Policy Dialogue, which seeks to provide policy guidance in processes of rebel-to-political party transformation and party support in post-civil war contexts. The PAW-Network includes both academics and practitioners.

Recent PAW-related events Gyda has organised include:

• Conference Section: Political Dynamics After Civil War, ECPR General Conference, Wroclaw, 4-7 September 2019 (with Matthew Whiting) 
• Workshop: FBA and PAW Network Research Workshop: Rebel-to-Party Transformation and Beyond. Folke Bernadotte Academy Stockholm 26-27 April, 2019. 
• Conference: Politics After War Research Network Conference. Rebel group inclusion and the impact on democracy: Jesus college, Cambridge 18-20 April 2018, SPIRE Network funding.

Editorial duties

In addition to journal special issues and books, Gyda regularly review articles for leading academic journals, such as American Political Science Review, Political Geography, Party Politics, and Democratization.

Invited talks and conferences

Gyda is frequently invited to present her work at international conferences and workshops.

Recent invited talks include:

• Workshop: Relational Peace at the Level of Political Parties, Varieties of Peace Workshop, Uppsala May 7-8, 2019.
• Plenary talk: The UN Genocide Convention at Seventy: The Politics of Mass Atrocity Prevention, the Norwegian Centre for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities: A new post-war rhetoric by former armed groups in politics?, Oslo Sept. 6–7, 2018.
• Plenary talk: 4th Annual Philomathia Symposium: Where Does Democracy Reside? St Cathrine’s College, University of Cambridge: Title: Can State-Building Ever be Post-Conflict? Nov. 9, 2017
• Plenary talk: Conference on Gender and Generational Transformations in Southeast Asia, Copenhagen April 16-17, 2015. Former rebel party governance practices in Aceh and East Timor: From patronage to representative politics?