Oliver has a Ph.D. in Politics and International relations from Dublin City University, focusing on customary land and forestry rights in India and Bangladesh. He is a Fellow of the Oxford Research Group’s Sustainable Security Program, specializing in climate change and its implications for global security. He is a member of the UN Environment Program’s Geneva-based Science Policy Platform. He has worked for several International NGOs and multilateral organizations, including Oxfam, Save the Children and UN Environment.
October 2013 – November 2017
Dublin City University, Ireland Ph.D. Politics and International Relations.
- Passed viva voce examination on 23rd January 2018 (minor corrections).
- Examiners: Prof Willem van Schendel, University of Amsterdam and Prof John Doyle, Dublin City University.
- Thesis title: “Between the City and the Village: the differential impact of the Predatory and Absentee State on Indigenous Land Rights and Deforestation in Bangladesh and India.”
- Completed a total of one year of fieldwork in Bangladesh and India.
- Teaching tutorials on Global Political Economy to undergraduates.
September 2010 – May 2011
University of Amsterdam M.Sc. Contemporary Asian Studies (merit)
- Thesis title “Minority Rights and Human Security: compatible or mutually exclusive? The case of agrarian relations in the East Khasi Hills,” based on three months field work in Northeast India.
September 2001 – August 2005
Hatfield College, Durham University B.A. (hons) Modern Chinese Studies (2:2)
Scanlan, O. and Reeve, R. “Written evidence in response to the Defence Committee inquiry ‘The Government’s Brexit position paper: Foreign policy, defence and development, a future partnership’”, United Kingdom Defence Committee, 23rd January 2018.
Scanlan, O. and Reeve, R. “Written evidence in response to the Defence sub-committee inquiry ‘Defence in the Arctic’”, United Kingdom Defence Committee, 9th January 2018.
Scanlan, O. “Dance of the Giants: Asia’s Indigenous Peoples Between India and China”, Sustainable Security, 25th October 2017.
Scanlan, O. “The Case for integrating a Climate Security approach into the National Security Strategy”, Oxford Research Group, 30th August 2017.
Scanlan, O. “Hung parliament raises questions on UK security policy,” OpenDemocracy, 7th May 2010.
Scanlan, O. “Europe faces stark choice between dissolution and cohesion after Greek crisis,” OpenDemocracy, 21st May 2010.
Scanlan, O. “Confusion continues as NATO assumes leadership of Libya no-fly zone,” OpenDemocracy, 25th March 2011.