Barry Ryan

Biography

For the past number of years my research has gradually evolved from its initial empirical focus on policing and liberal internationalism towards a more critical stance on the relationship between police, war and global security. My early research on police reform in the Balkans demonstrated how international security was increasingly defined and being addressed on policing rather than traditional military terms. Exploring the historical development of this emergent dimension of international relations led me from an interest into how space is governed/policed towards studies of maritime security. Hence, my current research is concerned with spatial strategies of security and the maritime environment and the implications for IR theory of a critical turn towards the politics of sea.

I have worked as a development worker for a number of years in northern Namibia. I have also worked with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations Development Programme and with Irish Aid on security reforms in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Caucus region. I am a member of the editorial boards of Capital and Class, Journal of the Indian Ocean Region and Regional Security (University of Belgrade).  Prior to joining SPIRE in September 2009, I have lectured at the University of Limerick, Dublin City University and at Lancaster University in the fields of International Relations theory, Security Studies and Conflict studies.

My research article ‘Reasonable Force: the emergence of global policing power’, published in Review of International Studies, received the British International Studies Association Best Article 2013 award.

Research and scholarship

• The Balkans
• Police Power and IR
• Security/Development nexus
• Statebuilding and Liberal Peace
• Critical security studies

Teaching

• Contemporary International Relations Theory
• Policing International Order
• Introduction to Global Politics
• Perspectives in International Relations
• The Theory of Global Security

PhD Supervision

I am interested in supervising doctoral dissertations that explore themes in global security and critical theory.

Please see my research and scholarship tab for more details about my area of expertise.

Further information is available on studying in SPIRE, including funding available for pursuing a doctoral research degree.