Visit Dr Gyda Sindre's profile on the York Research Database to:
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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
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).
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:
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.
Gyda would welcome PhD applications in these and related areas of study and encourage potential supervisees to get in touch.
In 2019/2020 academic year, Gyda is teaching the following undergraduate modules:
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:
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.
Gyda is frequently invited to present her work at international conferences and workshops.
Recent invited talks include:
Feedback and Guidance hours, Online appointments (Spring term) -Tuesdays 14:00-15:00 & Thursdays 16:30-17:30