Professor Harmonie Toros

About

Harmonie Toros is professor of politics and international relations at the University of Reading. Her research focuses on two main areas: conflict analysis and resolution, particularly in contexts of political violence, and the human experience of war. In conflict analysis, she investigates nonviolent responses to terrorism and political violence and the potential for conflict transformation through negotiations.

She also researches whether and how the human experience of war can be included in the International Relations scholarship and the place for autoethnography in the study of war. A former international reporter, she returned to academic in 2003 to investigate the possibility of negotiations with non-state armed groups, primarily linked to al Qaeda. She reported on political violence in Europe, the Middle East and North America, and was frustrated by the way counter-terrorism policies were designed and implemented. She wanted to see if non-violent approaches could transform these conflicts. Her research revealed that in some cases negotiations can transform these conflicts, thus avoiding the high death tolls and destruction caused by many CT policies and practices around the world. She has since advised the United Nations, NATO, and national governments on negotiations with non-state armed groups in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. More recently, she has turned to investigating the potential for negotiations in defence-related cyberattacks.

Prior to joining the University of Reading, she held appointments at the University of Kent, the University of Queensland (Australia) and the University of Canterbury (New Zealand).