J. Edward Conway
Room: currently off-site
Office Hours
Tel: please email
Email: jc555@st-andrews.ac.uk
Biography
As a doctoral candidate at the University of St Andrews, my focus is on the political risk management strategies of mining companies in Central Asia. I look at the "exceptions" to the rules that political risk indices relay to us about what makes a country "risky" through case study work on successful multinationals operating in these so-called "risky" regions. Along with my research, I work from time to time as a reserach assistant for my advisor, Sally N. Cummings, helping out on projects such as her forthcoming Understanding Central Asia: Politics and Contested Transformations (Routledge, 2012) and her collaborative editorial project with Ray Hinnebusch comparing Central Asia to the Middle East, Sovereignty After Empire (Edinburgh University Press, 2011).
Aside from my doctoral research, I work as an independent political risk consultant in research and investigations to private industry and various governments, with a focus on political risk management strategies for mining companies in Central Asia. Recent projects include authoring Political Risk Management and Mining in Kazakhstan (Government of Canada, 2012), a guide for existing and prospective Canadian mining companies and/or investors in Kazakhstan (available upon request), and participating in a roundtable at the American University of Central Asia on the implications of the 2014 NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan to the region.
In addition I recently had an article in Foreign Affairs analyzing the mining sector in Afghanistan, titled, "How Afghanistan Can Avoid the Resource Curse," available here.
Prior to my doctoral studies, I was with the US Department of Defense as a counterinsurgency analyst. I served two deployments to Iraq, the first in Baghdad (2007) with the Iraq Threat Finance Cell and the second in Balad (2009) with a Joint Task Force. I have a BSc in Psychology from Davidson College in North Carolina, a Master of Letters in Middle East and Central Asia Security Studies (2008) from the University of St Andrews, and I am a graduate of the Summer Languages Institute at the University of Virginia in intensive Russian (2010).
Languages: English (native); Spanish (intermediate); and Russian (beginner/intermediate)
Thesis Title
The Political Risks of Mining in Central Asia
Supervisor
Thesis Topic
Political Risk; Mining; Central Asian Politics; International Business Studies (IBS); International Political Economy (IPE)
Research Interests
Recent interviews:
- In mid-April 2011, the World Politics Review interviewed me on the political situation in Iraq, available here.
- In May 2011, in advance of Glencore's IPO, I was interviewed by the BBC World Service radio for my knowledge of Kazzinc, a lead, zinc and gold mining operation in the remote city of Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan majority owned by Glencore.
- After the killing of Usama Bin Laden, the World Politics Review asked me to comment on the emotional significance of the event, available here.
Research focus areas (past & present):
- Political, tax, legal and operational risks for businesses in Central Asia
- Energy and metals mining in Central Asia
- Foreign assistance to Kyrgyzstan
- Narcotics networks operating in southern Afghanistan
- Powerbrokers / corruption / shadow governance in southern Afghanistan
- Shiite politics in Iraq / Shiite insurgent groups in Iraq
- Oil infrastructure in Iraq
- Threat finance / money laundering / informal banking in Middle East
I also continue to follow quantitative intelligence analysis techniques such as:
- Social Network Analysis
- Decision Analysis
- Influence Network Modelling
Publications
Conway, J. E. (2012). "Kyrgyzstan in 2015: One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward," Central Asia - Caucasus Institute Analyst, Mar. 7.
Conway, J. E. (2012). "How Afghanistan Can Avoid the Resource Curse," Foreign Affairs, Feb. 29.
Conway, J. E. (2012). Political Risk and Mining in Kazakhstan (Astana: Government of Canada). AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST -- PLEASE EMAIL.
Conway, J. E. (2011). "Resurrecting the bargain: uranium mining in Kazakhstan," presented at the European International Business Academy in Bucharest, Romania, Dec. 8.
Conway, J. E. (2011). "The Heat of the Afghan Night," Wall Street Journal, Sep. 30.
Conway, J. E. (2011). "How Glencore does what is does in Kazakhstan," Central Asia - Caucasus Institute Analyst, Apr. 13.
Conway, J. E. (2011). “Op-Ed: Coming to grips with ‘regime stagnation’ risk,” Wall Street Journal, Mar. 31.
- See the Kazakh Ambassador to the U.S. response here.
Conway, J. E. (2011). “Review: Moralizing the corporation: transnational activism and corporate accountability,” In-Spire, Nov. 30.
Conway, J. E. (2010). “Political Risk in the Political Marketplace,” guess speaker at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Nov. 9.
Conway, J. E. (2010). “New political risks arise with next generation of metals mining in Kazakhstan,” Central Asia – Caucasus Institute Analyst, Nov. 9.
Conway, J. E. (2010). “Corporate Social Responsibility and Mining in Central Asia,” guest speaker at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee, UK, May 5.
Conway, J. E. (2010). "Qais al-Khazali: A Shiite Insurgency 'Last Hurrah' in Iraq?," World Politics Review, May 5.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “Message of Jordanians: Al-Qaeda not Islam," Metro (Boston, New York & Philadelphia), Nov 11.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “Allawi—key to secular Iraq,” Metro (Boston), Oct. 5.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “Basra, Iraq: ripe for rebellion," Metro (Boston), Sep. 29.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “To get job in Gaza is catch-22,” Metro (Boston), Sep. 22.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “Constitution is Iraqi death warrant,” Metro (Boston), Sept. 14.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “Rice offers words of hope for Middle East,” Metro (Boston), Jun. 23.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “A kinder, gentler look at uranium,” Metro (Boston), Jun. 7.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “Election may change Middle East,” Metro (Boston), May 16.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “McGuffin in Middle East," Metro (Boston), Apr. 27.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “Innovation, not drilling, will solve energy crisis,” Metro (Boston), Apr. 11.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “Calling Beijing’s bluff on Taiwan is foolish,” Metro (Boston), Apr. 4.
Conway, J. E. (2005). “The nuclear game of hawks and doves,” Metro (Boston), Mar. 21.
Refereed Articles
Munger, M. P., Owens, T. R. & Conway, J. E. (2005) “Are boundary extension and representational momentum related?” Visual Cognition, 12 (6), 1041-1056.
Grants
Research Grants:
- St Andrews School of International Relations Research Grant (2011)
- St Andrews School of International Relations Research Grant (2010)
- Staley Endowment (2004)
- Robert T. Stone Fund for Environmental Studies (2004)
- Robert T. Stone Fund for Environmental Studies (2003)
- Yarborough Grant (2003)
- Robert T. Stone Fund for Environmental Studies (2002)
Scholarships, Awards & Honours:
- Certificate of Appreciation for Service in Iraq (US Department of Treasury, 2010)
- Global War on Terror Civilian Service Medal (US Department of Defense, 2009)
- Team of the Year: Operations Support Team (US Department of Defense, 2007 and 2008)
- Ernest Ransome III Scholar (2007-8)
- Joint Meritorious Unit Award (US Department of Defense, 2007)
- Special Act Award (US Department of Defense, 2005)
- John D. Kelton Award in Psychology (Davidson College, 2004)
- John Derieux Award for Outstanding Research (North Carolina Academy of Sciences, 2003)
- National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellowship (2003)
- Burlington Honor Scholar (2002)
- McKeown Scholar (2000)
Teaching
IR 2005: Introduction to International Relations Theory (2010)
