I am Professor of Peacebuilding and Co-Director of Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations. I have nearly 20 years field research experience in the politics of humanitarian interventions, conflict prevention, disaster response, security sector reform, reintegration of former combatants and post-conflict state building. My expertise spans some of the most unstable regions across the globe including Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, El Salvador, Kosovo, Lebanon, Liberia, Nigeria, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Turkey.

With practical and academic experience of nearly 20 years in conflict and peace studies, Professor Özerdem has engaged in the development and implementation of strategy, policy making and evaluation in the areas of humanitarianism and post-conflict reconstruction. He has extensive experience in researching, advising, teaching, and publishing in the politics of humanitarian interventions, role of faith in conflict prevention, youth in peacebuilding, rising powers in peace and conflict, disaster management, security sector reform (SSR), reintegration of former combatants and post-conflict state building.

Professor Ozerdem teaches methods of conflict and political analysis in a wide range of operational environments in the context of war-to-peace transition. Also, the analysis of the challenges faced in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building processes, and approaches for designing effective post-conflict reconstruction responses through tailor-made policies and strategies. He has taught as guest professor at a number of universities in Austria, India, Italy, Norway, Thailand, Turkey and the UK and has supervised over 15 PhD/MPhil and 100 MA theses.

Professor Ozerdem has published extensively in peer-reviewed international journals and is author/editor of a number of key publications in peace and conflict studies. He is also President of Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN) and edits the online, open access Journal of Conflict Transformation and Security (JCTS).