Associate Professor of History, York St John University I am an Associate Professor in History and Associate Head of the History, American Studies and War Studies programmes. I gained my PhD in History from the University of Leeds in 2013 and came to York St John University soon after. My research interests are broadly in the political and International histories of the early Soviet state and Stalin era. My first book, The Red Army and the Great Terror: Stalin's Purge of the Soviet Military, provided a new explanation for Stalin's purge of the Red Army in 1937-1938. Taking a broader view of Soviet civil-military relations from 1917, I argued that this purge was launched from a position of panic and weakness, rather than being simply an expression of Stalin's desire to consolidate power. The book argues that without the military purge, there would have been no escalation of the Great Terror in 1937. My second book, The Soviet-Polish War and its Legacy: Lenin's Defeat and the Rise of Stalinism explored how the Soviet-Polish War of 1919-20 shaped the early Soviet state in the 1920s. The Bolsheviks' stunning loss of this war in August 1920 encouraged authoritarian responses during a critical transitional decade. In short, rather than moderate the regime as often assumed, the loss of the war did the opposite. The aftershocks of war contributed to the emergence of a repressive totalitarian system and ultimately the transformation of the Revolution. My current project looks at how the Bolshevik Party interpreted and aligned with established international humanitarian law after the 1917 revolution. Rather than entirely eschew established conventions, the Bolsheviks put both the Geneva and Hague conventions into practice, to differing degrees. Focusing chiefly on the Soviet Red Cross, the project will produce a new history of Soviet humanitarianism in the 1920s. Postgraduate supervision: I welcome contact from potential postgraduate students, especially in the following areas: Soviet political and international history The Stalin era Totalitarianism Modern European International history
PhD in Law, postdoctoral researcher (Univ. of Strasbourg), guest researcher (Univ. of Aarhus, Denmark), Université de Strasbourg PhD in Law, member of the CEIE (UR7307), University of Strasbourg, guest researcher (Univ. of Aarhus, Denmark) Docteur en droit public, membre du CEIE (UR7307), enseignant à l'Université de Strasbourg, chercheur invité (Univ. de Aarhus, Danemark)
PhD Candidate, Technological University of the Shannon I am a devoted scholar with a strong interest in leadership dynamics and work behaviours, currently pursuing a PhD at the Technological University of the Shannon: Midland Midwest. My research, inspired by my Master's in General Business Studies and the global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, focuses on the relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement in the context of remote work, encapsulating my dual commitment to personal growth and societal contribution.
Senior Researcher, The Nordic Africa Institute Papa Sow is currently a Senior Researcher at the NAI-Nordic Africa Institute (Uppsala, Sweden) and he collaborates with IFAN (Institut Fondamental d‘Afrique Noire) University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar Senegal. His main lines of research are Migration dynamics, society and culture, and Natural resources and Environment. He worked and participated in several research projects in Europe and in West Africa, and published in international journals. Previous jobs: Consultant and Research Associate at the Catalan Fund for Cooperation and Development, Spain (2005-2006). Researcher at The Open University of Catalonia, Spain (2007-2009), Marie Curie Research Fellow at CRER - Center for Ethnic Relations– University of Warwick, United Kingdom (2009-2011). Senior Researcher at the Centre for Development Research – University of Bonn – (2012-2017). Senior Researcher at IFAN, University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar (2017-2020).
Centennial Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Architecture and Planning, Centre for Urbanism and Built Environment Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
Research Fellow, Charles Sturt University Dr Peita L. Richards is a current recipient of the Office of National Intelligence, National Intelligence Postdoctoral Grant, 2023 (project 202308). Her research is focused on extending methods developed in her doctoral research to the national intelligence priority area of “measuring reliable behavioural indicators of multiple social identity features in real world settings”. Since submitting her PhD in 2022, Peita worked across post-doctoral research associate roles, where she supported projects focused on Indigenous communities. Her work included policy briefs for professional organisations on online safety for employees from diverse backgrounds; policy evaluations of social media training programs for Indigenous children entering high school; and policy evaluations of Aboriginal led, community-based programs to combat family violence. A Wiradjuri woman herself, Peita also worked as a Research Associate on an ARC Linkage Grant, investigating potential interventions to support Indigenous girls who runaway or are reported missing during their teenage years. A NESA accredited teacher, over the last nine years, Peita has taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level, across three universities. She has been active in units of criminology, peace and development, Indigenous studies, social psychology, international law, international security, and social research methods. Additionally, she has worked extensively with dedicated First Nations mentoring and tutoring supporting programs across two universities, assisting students in a one-to-one capacity to achieve their own academic and professional goals. Prior to entering education, Peita worked in the United States, where she undertook a variety of roles in political communications. Building upon a professional communications background in Australia, she was able to develop policy analysis and development skills; liaise with stakeholders; and communicate findings to a diverse range of audiences. Peita is strongly committed to, and passionate about, solutions based research.
