Research Staff

Robert Forster

Doctoral Researcher

Current projects

Nov 2020 - Dec 2024

Effects of Externalisation

Social scientist with interest in governance, peacebuilding, forced migration, and the Middle East.

Robert is the Doctoral Researcher on CMI on the project, ‘Urban Displacement, Development and Donor Policies in the Middle East’ (URBAN3DP). He is writing his PhD on the contemporary history of Tripoli, Lebanon, investigating what is means to be displaced in one's city of origin/residence.

Before joining CMI, Robert was a Research Associate with the Political Settlements Research Programme at the University of Edinburgh and a core contributor to the PA-X Peace Agreement database (2015-2019). His work focused on mediation, peace agreement design, peace processes and political transition following crisis. He was also a researcher on the UN Women project, 'Enhancing Women’s Leadership for Sustainable Peace in Fragile Contexts in the MENA Region' (2016-2019) and an Edinburgh team member on the Yemeni Voices project.

Robert’s work has appeared in Middle East Journal, the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, and Middle East Policy. He hold degrees from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He is an associate of the FCDO-funded PeaceRep Project.

Most recent publications