Dr Jeni Whalan

Research Summary

My research focuses on peace operations, fragile states, postconflict economies and international security governance. I work at the intersection of international security and development, with a particular interest in how international institutions (global and regional, formal and informal) shape outcomes. I also have a strong interest in issues of public policy, including questions about the design, implementation and evaluation of foreign, security and development policy.

My forthcoming book 'How Peace Operations Work' investigates what helps and hinders peacekeepers from achieving the change they want in postconflict societies. It focuses on the power relationships between peace operations and host communities, examining the kinds of influence peacekeepers possess. Finding that local legitimacy is a potent source of power for peacekeepers, it identifies how peace operations are legitimized -- and delegitimized -- in the eyes of local people, and to what effect. The book includes in-depth case studies of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

I hold a DPhil and MPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford, where I studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Prior to joining UNSW, I worked for the Australian Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Department of Defence. I am a Research Associate of the Global Economic Governance Programme, University of Oxford.

Teaching

ARTS2751 - International Development
ARTS2752 - The Local Politics of Development
SOCW7852 - The Politics of International Aid

Publications

(forthcoming) 'How Peace Operations Work: Power, Legitimacy and Effectiveness', Oxford University Press

2012 'Evaluating Peace Operations: the case of Cambodia' Journal of International Peacekeeping, 16(3-4)

2011 ‘The United Nations and the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’ (with M. Smith and P. Thompson) Security Challenges, 7(4): 27-38

2011 ‘Aid for education in Solomon Islands’ Prospects, 41(2): 237-247

2010 ‘The power of friends: the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI)’ Journal of Peace Research 47(5): 627-637

Affiliations and Memberships

Founding member, Security Council Analysis Network (SCAN)

Research Associate, Global Economic Governance Programme, University of Oxford.