Liam O'Shea
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Email: lo55
st-andrews.ac.uk
Biography
Liam O’Shea is an academic researcher studying crime and policing in the Former Soviet Union. He is currently conducting research on policing and police reform in Russia, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. Liam is also interested in political developments within these countries and, more broadly, the study of crime and security in developing countries.
Liam is currently completing a PhD at the University of St. Andrews’ School of International Relations. He holds a BA Social & Political Sciences from Cambridge University, an MA Conflict, Governance and Development from the University of York and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Russian Language from the University of Glasgow.
Before beginning his PhD at St. Andrews, he worked for two Labour MPs at the Westminster Parliament on a variety of issues, including UK development policy in conflict zones and the deployments of British police in developing countries. He also taught international relations whilst working as a Teaching Fellow at the OSCE Academy, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Thesis Title
Crime and policing in Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia: What are the causes of crime in these countries, what do local elites perceive to be the causes of crime, and how do these factors impact on democratic police reform?
Supervisor
Dr Rick Fawn
Research Interests
Liam’s current research project is a comparative study of crime, policing and police reform in Russia, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. He is analysing the causes of crime, in each country, and is focusing primarily on developments relating to contemporary policing practices. A crucial aspect of the study is to determine what local actors from the policymaking communities (i.e. politicians, bureaucrats, academics, police officials etc.) perceive to be the causes of crime and how they think it should be addressed. A supplementary objective is to ascertain the influence foreign aid and advice has on the reform processes underway in each of the cases.
Whilst a body of literature exists on security in the Former Soviet Union (FSU), it is focused largely on inter-state security, ethnic relations or organised crime. Relatively little work has been dedicated towards the study of ‘ordinary’ crime or policing. The approach of the project is to apply theory and methodology from criminology to international relations’ scholarship. Data has been gathered from prolonged fieldwork, documentation from local academic, official and media sources, and interviews with local actors. The project compares and contrasts understandings of crime and policing, developed from critical criminology, with the perceptions of local actors, who have the greatest impact upon policy. By analysing the reform processes and wider structural and social factors, the project’s aim is to provide a unique comparative study of policing and police reform in the FSU.
Liam’s broader research interests include the application of complexity or chaos theory to the study of crime and social order, public policy and the social sciences, in general.
Publications
Improving the UK's Contribution to International Policing, Policing, (2010) 4 (1): 38-46
Papers
"From militsia to police. To what extent are President Medvedev’s proposed reforms of the militsia a step towards democratic policing in Russia?"
2nd UK-Finnish Postgraduate Workshop: Critical Reflections on Russia and Eastern Europe (19th – 20th November, 2010), University of Glasgow
"Crime, Deviance and Social Order in Kyrgyzstan"
Central Asia and Caucasus Studies in the UK: Focusing on Communities,Societies and States (6th – 7th November, 2009), University of St Andrews
"Discipline and Punish and Security Sector Reform"
CRCEES 3rd Annual Research Forum (14th – 15th May, 2009), University of Glasgow
Grants
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) PhD Studentship (2007 – 2011)
Funded by a four-year studentship from the UK’s ESRC, through the Centre for Russian, Central and Eastern European Studies.
ESRC Overseas’ University Visit (February 2010 – April 2010)
Awarded a three-month PhD extension to complete an Overseas’ University Visit at the Center for Independent Sociological Research, St. Petersburg, Russia.
ESRC Language Extension (May 2010 – October 2010)
Six-month language extension to the PhD programme to improve Russian language skills.
Teaching
Teaching Fellow (September 2008 – December 2008)
OSCE Academy, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Designed and ran a module of the Master’s Programme Political Science, teaching international relations to students from across Central Asia.
