Prior to joining LSTM, Ian was an LSE Fellow and Co-Director of the International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies programme at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he taught modules on humanitarianism and forced migration. Ian holds a PhD in International Development from the University of Oxford and an MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies from the LSE.
Ian's research focuses on the politics of non-state actors, resilience, and public service delivery during periods of conflict or natural disaster. Drawing on fieldwork in Kosovo, his PhD examines how people navigate between competing ‘parallel state’ authorities during conflict, with a focus on three public services closely tied to statebuilding: education, healthcare, and justice. In a follow-up project in Tanzania, he examines how people living in informal settlements have adapted community-based financial institutions to better cope with increased flooding. Beyond academia, Ian has worked on issues related to resilience, natural resources, and community engagement for the World Bank, NGOs, government, and environmental consultancies.
Ian teaches on the Humanitarian Studies programme and is course convenor for TROP 704 (Contexts and Developments in Humanitarianism).