Dr Krijn Peters

Research Highlights

1. Jenkins, J., Mokuwa, E., Peters, K., & Richards, P. (2021). Rural–urban connectivity strengthens agrarian peace: Evidence from a study of gender and motorcycle taxis in Sierra Leone. Journal of Agrarian Change, 21(4), 776-795.

   https://doi.org/10.1111/joac.12423, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56922
2. Jenkins, J., Peters, K., & Richards, P. (2020). At the end of the feeder road: Upgrading rural footpaths to motorcycle taxi-accessible tracks in Liberia. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, 92, 100333

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.njas.2020.100333, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55183
3. Jenkins, J., Mokuwa, E., Peters, K., & Richards, P. (2020). Changing women's lives and livelihoods: motorcycle taxis in rural Liberia and Sierra Leone. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Transport, 173(2), 132-143.

   https://doi.org/10.1680/jtran.18.00162, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa51812

   http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/jtran.18.00162
4. Afukaar, F., Damsere-Derry, J., Peters, K., & Starkey, P. (2019). Rural Transport Services Indicators: Using a new mixed-methods methodology to inform policy in Ghana. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 3, 100074

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2019.100074, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa51813
5. Mustapha, S., Peters, K., & Tunis, N. (2018). Rural Transport Diagnostic Study in Sierra Leone - Final Report

   SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa51973

   https://www.gov.uk/dfid-research-outputs/rural-transport-diagnostic-study-in-sierra-leone-final-report

All Research

• Thesis title may change subject to analysis of data (current)

  PhD

  Other supervisor: Dr Dennis Schmidt

• Assessing Transitional Justice Mechanisms and their potential for supporting the Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Continuum in Postwar Sierra Leone – A missed opportunity (current)

  PhD

  Other supervisor: Dr Gerard Clarke

• Analysing Contemporary land tenure and the impact of Land Reforms on Rural peoples’ Livelihood in face of Customary Land in Zambia. (current)

  PhD

  Other supervisor: Dr Alison Hann

  Other supervisor: Dr Gerard Clarke

• EG-D10 Team Project & Individual Dissertation

  The module is where this program ultimately culminates with the final development stages and realisation of a team based project (as defined at the recruitment stage) with individual aspects considered and assessed as a final dissertation submission. The nature of the dissertation will be dependent on the nature of the specialisation of the participant. During the period of this module, a preparatory period will be followed by participants spending (or utilising remote engineering techniques) a period of circa. 3 weeks in-country delivering the project, with support from academic team leads and other supporting staff, stakeholders or collaborators. This will be concluded with a debrief and final dissertation writing period.

• EG-D11 Team Project & Individual Dissertation (Engineers)

  The module is where this program culminates with the final development stages and realisation of a team based project with individual aspects considered and assessed as a final dissertation submission. The nature of the dissertation will be dependent on the nature of the specialisation of the participant. During this module, a preparatory period will be followed by participants spending (or utilising remote engineering techniques) a period of circa. 3 weeks in-country delivering the project, with support from academic team leads and other supporting staff, stakeholders or collaborators. This will be concluded with a debrief and final dissertation writing period, a group presentation and an individual viva voce.

• PO-3320 Researching Politics 2

  Researching Politics 2 (RP2) is the follow-on module from RP1 and it acts as the culmination for the subject knowledge and transferable skills developed in that module. RP2 puts the creative emphasis in the hands of the students, with the module convenor and topic tutors giving guidance and feedback to facilitate the realisation of research conceived, developed, executed and presented by students. In this way, it tries to approximate the worlds of further study and work into which students will be progressing following the completion of their degree schemes. It is a module where all of the summative assessments are comprised of group work, although individual marks can be varied depending on each student¿s performance. Students are also required to submit an individual self-assessment, detailing what they have learned about their own strengths and weaknesses on the basis of the sustained group work. In RP2, you will extend and deepen the research undertaken in RP1 and continue to meet regularly in order to share ideas, opinions and sources in your groups. These meetings will include several where the topic tutor provides guidance and feedback as well as those where the meetings are student-led.

• PO-M25 Dissertation

  Individual research based, under the guidance of appointed supervisor.

• PO-M63 Rights-based Approaches to Development

  Rights-based approaches to development (RBAD) are now part of a new orthodoxy with respect to policy and practice in support of international development. They have become popular in part because they provide a language for analysing poverty as a complex and multi-dimensional phenomena and for analysing governance as a process that responds directly to people¿s needs, entitlements and rights. They direct attention to aspects of poverty which have traditionally been neglected in development policy at national and international levels. This module examines the background to rights-based approaches to development. Particular attention will is paid to the four separate arenas in which RBADs are now evident: development practice, development discourse; the policy commitments of donors and governments; and the obligations imposed on donors and governments by international human rights law. The module examines the implications of rights-based approaches for development policy and practice in the context of two contradictory phenomena: a system of international relations based on the principle of state sovereignty and the complex phenomenon of `globalis ation¿. Issues that arise in relation to the rights of indigenous peoples and children will be used as ways of examining the situation of vulnerable groups.

• PO-M64 Violence, Conflict and Development

  Violence and conflict have been enduring and widespread obstacles to the promotion of sustainable development throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, and the 21st century looks set to continue this pattern. This module examines the roots and causes of conflict and violence in developing nations and explores how and why such conflict emerge even between hitherto seemingly peacefully co-existing communities. The module asks what impact protracted and violent conflict can have upon development prospects and democratisation processes, and examines national and international responses to violence and conflict mediation processes and systems. The module also explores soome of the arguments surrounding the use of aid in conflict situations, and examines the extent to which development aid and emergency relief can assist in perpetuating a state of conflict.

• PO-M75A Introduction to Development Studies

  We are increasingly moving towards a globalised world. Nevertheless, there are still huge socio-economic and political differences between countries and within countries. A key question for many nations in the Global South is how to achieve inclusive and sustained socio-economic development and reduce poverty. Engineering solutions have and still are considered as essential in achieving this: building roads and bridges or providing water-pumps or electricity are seen as important ways to alleviate a nation and its people out of poverty. But at the same time it is recognized that just providing these solutions is not sufficient: education and training are equally important for development, as is for instance ensuring gender equality. The scholarly discipline of Development Studies has studied this important question of how to develop countries for the last 70 years or so. Over these decades many different models and approaches have been tried, by national governments but also by supra-national bodies such as the World Bank or the IMF as well as by Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society groups, such as Oxfam or Action-Aid. In this module an overview of Development as a planned intervention is provided, and the different development models and approaches are critically assessed. We also look ahead to the Sustainable Development Goals, which have replaced the Millennium Development Goals as the global agenda for development.

• PO-M76 Socio-economic and political implications of engineering solutions

  Engineering solutions are developed for what is often a highly complex socio-economic and political environment. For engineering solutions to be implemented in the Global South, unfamiliarity with the local culture and practices further adds to this complexity. Many sound solutions and interventions from an engineering perspective have failed to deliver the outcomes, or delivered unintended and non-preferred outcomes, because the engineers were not aware of this context (or choose to ignore it). This module will provide an introduction to the most common pitfalls and how these can be overcome. It then allows the students to get a hands-on experience with the complexity of the context in which their engineering solutions do take place, via an especially designed simulation exercise, making them aware of cultural barriers, conflicting political interests and policies and non-collaborative donor and state institutions.

• PO-M77 Monitoring & Impact Evaluation for International Development

  Engineering solutions are designed to make an impact in the real world, and for many engineering solutions for the developing world this impact is ultimately poverty reduction and enhancing the quality of people's lives. But how and when do we measure the anticipated impact of an intervention. When do we know if something really has worked and made a difference? And will thinking about the impact - and how to measure this - help us to better understand the present or pre-intervention state - the base-line condition. And equally important, once the intervention is under way, how can we ensure that all actors work according to plan and that both contingencies and unexpected developments are detected and dealt with rather than derailing the process. A rigorous and scientific approach to monitoring and evaluation is key to achieve the gold standard in development interventions.

• PO-M78 Tools for International Development

  This module is a practical skills-orientated course aimed at enhancing the planning and management capabilities of those already working in development or wishing to become development professionals. An important focus is on skills acquisition, and there is a strong emphasis on student-led learning, planning exercises, individual and group presentations, and case-study work. It is the only module open for non-engineers in the Semester 2 streams. It builds on some of skills acquired in Semester 2 module 'Monitoring & Impact Evaluation" but also introduces a whole set of new tools for international development, aimed to increase the success rate and impact of any development intervention, whether of an engineering nature or social or economic one.

• PO-M93 Analysing Politics and International Relations

  This module aims to introduce students to the core methods of data collection and analysis. In addition to discussing selected research methods drawing on the previous research on research methodologies, it offers an opportunity to practice using them for small-scale real-life research. The module contributes to the students¿ understanding of research methods and to their ability to choose research methodologies appropriately for their future MA dissertations and develops their practical research skills for a dissertation and in the future workplace.

• PO-M96 Development in Practice

  We are increasingly moving towards a globalised world. Nevertheless, there are still huge socio-economic and political differences between countries and within countries. A key question for many nations in the Global South is how to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development and reduce poverty. The scholarly discipline of Development Studies has studied this important question of how to develop countries for the last 70 years or so. Over these decades many different models and approaches have been tried, by national governments, by supra-national bodies such as the World Bank or the IMF as well as by Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society groups, such as Oxfam or Action-Aid. In this module an overview of Development as a planned intervention is provided, and the different development models and approaches are critically assessed. Furthermore, this module offers practical skills and an introduction to development tools, aimed at enhancing the planning and management capabilities of those already working in development or wishing to become development professionals. An important focus is on skills acquisition, and there is a strong emphasis on student-led learning, planning exercises, individual and group presentations, and case-study work.

• WS-200 Contemporary Wars and Conflicts

  This module introduces and critically explores contemporary warfare and conflict, from post WWII up to the present War on Terror. It considers the de-colonization/independence wars; the Cold War proxy conflicts; post-1990 New Wars and the War on Terror.

• WS-303 The Aftermaths of War

  A peace-accord is no guarantee for the absence of violence or armed conflict in the future. This module will look into the crucial post-war phase and discusses the major challenges that have to be tackled to consolidate the peace. The module is divided into three blocks; the first block starts with the cessation of the fighting, discussing how ceasefires and peace-accords are negotiated and how nations then deal with the disarmament and demobilisation of often large numbers of fighters. The second block will discuss the various challenges in rebuilding a post-war country, the reconstruction of its infrastructure (eg roads, schools, hospitals) as well as the rehabilitation of its soft infrastructure (educational and vocational training, government services, etc). The last block will look at how the state and its affected population will deal with the legacy of the war.

• WS-M95 War, Identity and Society

  This module is the companion module to HUPM03. It takes a pluri-disciplinary approach to understanding the impacts of war on society and vice-versa. The module evaluates the ways in which conflict changes and reshapes society and analyses the problems of war, its representations and its social outcomes. 'War' in thus not viewed solely in terms of military history, but rather through a broader context of changing social, economic and cultural trends both as a motor for change and as part of those broader changes. The module is taught over a ten week period. The weekly two hour sessions include at least an hour of seminar style `teaching¿, to make sure that there is ample time for discussions, questions, student presentations, etc. Hence, it is expected of all students to read the compulsory reading for each session beforehand, so that meaningful discussions can take place. .

• PI on an ESRC/DFID funded research on Finding traction: using an 'upgrading footpaths to motorcycle taxi accessible tracks' construction and maintenance manual to increase impact and reach. 2020

• PI on a CHERISH-Digital Economy funded research on Smart and innovative transport and value-chain solutions in Kenya 2019

• Co-I on a GCRF SU funded research on Infrastructure improvements and e-mobility to enhance sustainable livelihood development in the mountain and hill regions of Nepal. 2019

• PI on a GCRF SU funded research on Urban food security, small holder farmers and motorcycle taxis. 2019

• PI on a GCRF SU funded research on At the end of the Feeder road (pilot II): assessing the socioeconomic impact of upgrading rural footpaths (baseline study). 2019

• Co-I on an Impact Initiative/DfID funded activity on the relation between urban food security in Africa’s secondary cities and rural-urban mobility using intermediate forms of transport: informing policy. 2019

• PI on a GCRF SU funded research on Marginalised Youth, Peacebuilding and Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa: how to Assess and Unlock the Potential of rural and peri-urban Motorcycle Taxi Riders to contribute to the Achievement of the Sustainable Developmen 2019

• PI on a ReCAP/DfID funded research looking at Opportunities and Obstacles for Gender Mainstreaming in rural Motorbike Taxi Services in Sierra Leone and Liberia. (2017-18) 2017

• Co-I on an EPSRC funded SU Research Impact Fund on First Aid and “Last Mile” Transportation for Burns Patients in Africa 2017

• Co-I on an EPSRC funded SU Research Impact Fund on Identifying Engineering Challenges and Potential Solutions for Track Construction for Intermediate Means of Transport as part of Sustainable and Community Driven Development in Liberia. 2017

• ReCAP/DfID International Technical Advisor for the diagnostic study on rural transport services in Sierra Leone. 2017

• ReCAP/DfID International Technical Advisor for the diagnostic study on rural transport services in Ghana. 2016

• PI on an ESRC/DfID funded research on Assessing the Impact of Track Construction for Motorbike Taxis on Poverty Alleviation and Peacebuilding in Post-war Liberia. 2015

• Associate Prof in post-war reconstruction, rural development, Department of Political and Cultural Studies, Swansea University

  2013 - Present

• Visiting Research Fellow, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre, Accra Ghana

  2012 - Present

• Lecturer in armed conflict and post-war reconstruction, Department of Political and Cultural Studies, Swansea University

  2010 - 2013

• Visiting Fellow International Crimes and Criminology, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, VU University, Amsterdam The Netherlands

  2010 - 2011

• Lecturer in International Development and Head of PG Teaching, Centre for Development Studies, Swansea University

  2005 - 2010

• Research Assistant, Wageningen University & Research Centre

  2001 - 2005

• Research Coordinator, Save the Children Fund UK

  2000 - 2001

• Blog: Urbanisation, motorcycle taxi transport and food-security in Africa’s ‘secondary cities’(2019) The Impact Initiative for International Development Research.
• Policy Brief (2018): Upgrading Footpaths to Motorcycle Taxi accessible Tracks: Accelerating Socio-economic Development in rural Sub-Saharan Africa
• Motorcycle taxis – the fast track to prosperity for Liberian villages (January 2019)
• At the end of the feeder road: assessing the impact of track construction for motorbike taxis on agrarian development in Liberia (The Impact Initiative)
• Policy Brief (2018): Enabling women to become Motorcycle Taxi Operators: Opportunities and Obstacles in Rural Sierra Leone
• Policy Brief (2018): Enabling women to become Motorcycle Taxi Operators: Opportunities and Obstacles in Rural Liberia 
• Motorcycles and Rural Transport in Africa (2017) video by TheWaterChannel.
• Improving rural lives through the Liberian motorbike boom (PDF, The Impact Initiative) 
• Youth, Jobs and the Role of the Public Sector in Developing Countries. Salzburg Global Seminar Newsletter.

• 2006 Max Plank Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany.
• 2006 Institute for Applied International Studies, Norway.
• 2007 University of Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom
• 2007 Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford
• 2008 Dutch association for Criminology, the Netherlands
• 2008 International Peace Research Institute, Norway
• 2009 VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• 2009 Institute for Security Studies, South Africa
• 2009 German Institute for Global and Area Studies, Germany
• 2009 NWO-Wotro Science for Global Development, Ethiopia
• 2009 University of York, United Kingdom
• 2010 Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain
• 2010 University of Sussex, United Kingdom
• 2010 University College London, United Kingdom
• 2010 Danish Institute for International Studies, Denmark
• 2010 International Catalan Institute for Peace, Spain
• 2011 University of Vienna, Austria
• 2012 Sabbatical/Visiting Fellow Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre
• 2013 IISS, United Kingdom
• 2015 Salzburg Global Seminar, Austria
• 2016 ESRC/DFID Impact Initiative, South Africa
• 2016 Clingendael Institute for International Relations, the Netherlands
• 2017 Ministry of Roads and Highways, Ghana
• 2017 Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority, Sierra Leone
• 2017 ESRC/DFID Putting Children First, Ethiopia
• 2017 ReCAP/DFID Inter-Regional Implementation Meeting, Uganda
• 2018 Global Challenges Research Council Meeting, Kenya
• 2018 Gender Summit 14, Rwanda
• 2018 Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority, Sierra Leone
• 2018 Ministry of Public Works, Liberia
• 2018 ESRC/DFID Impact Initiative, India
• 2019 Impact Initiative for International Development Research, Kenya

• Amaechi Okonkwo: Agency or Structure? Nigerian University Students' Perspectives of Influences on Sexual Risk Taking. (PhD awarded 2009)
• Olatunji Olateju: 'Neo-Communitarianism and Speconomy as models for development in Sub-Saharan Africa. (PhD awarded 2013)
• Ibrahim Alomari: Primary Education, Conflict and Policy Implications in the Gaza Strip. (PhD awarded 2014)
• Emrah Ozdemir: Post-Conflict Statebuilding as an International Counterinsurgency Policy: a Critical Analysis of Afghanistan. (PhD awarded 2017)
• Patience Bentu: Promoting Development through Gender Equality in Politics: A case study of UNDP's "Democratic Governance for Development" Project in Nigeria. (MPhil awarded 2017)
• Benedict Koledoye: Decentralisation and the Challenges of Sustainable Development in Nigeria. (PhD awarded 2018)
• Rakiya Mamman: Social Analysis and the Development Enterprise: A case of World Health Organisation Country Programme in Nigeria' (awarded 2018)
• Ulas Inci: A Political Economy Analysis of Turkey's Agricultural Structure in the Conflict-affected region of South-eastern Anatolia. (PhD awarded 2019)
• Jack Jenkins: From Weapons to Wheels. Assessing the Impact of Track Construction for Motorbike Taxis on Rural Youth and Peacebuilding in Liberia (PHD awarded 2019)
• Christopher Morris: British Counterinsurgency and Security Sector Reform: The Long-term Consequences of Prioritising Security over Development (ongoing)
• Chanda Mwamba: Analysing Contemporary land tenure and the impact of Land Reforms on Rural peoples’ Livelihood in face of Customary Land in Zambia: a case study of Southern Province (ongoing).
• Hadson Kargbo: Assessing Transitional Justice Mechanisms and their potential for supporting the Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Continuum in Post – War Sierra Leone (ongoing).
• Joe Rees: Evaluating how governments gentrify their cities for major world-stage events – The case studies of Rio de Janeiro, London and Cardiff (ongoing).