Dr Alexander Gilder

Dr Alexander Gilder is Associate Professor of International Law and Security at the University of Reading and Associate Faculty in the School of Humanitarian Studies at Royal Roads University (Canada).

Dr Gilder specialises in international peace and security, primarily focusing on UN peacekeeping and human security in military operations, particularly those of NATO and its member states.

One of the few international lawyers working in the peacekeeping space, his research is necessarily interdisciplinary, drawing on perspectives from law, peace and conflict studies, and international relations. Alex investigates various aspects of UN peacekeeping including stabilization, counter-terrorism, the rule of law, the protection of civilians, and security sector reform.

His book, Stabilization and Human Security in UN Peace Operations (Routledge 2022), includes an analytical framework of human security that he applied to UN missions in Mali, CAR and South Sudan. He has used this framework in his work with the NATO HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, where he has advised on the Military Contribution to Human Security (MC2HS) and co-authored policy on how NATO HQ ARRC operationalises human security in its operations. In his role as Academic Consultant at NATO HQ ARRC, he has engaged with various branches of UK defence on similar workstreams related to ‘Human Security in Defence’ (Joint Services Publication 985).

He has held visiting positions at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University (Canada), Leuphana Universität Lüneburg (Germany), Gujarat National Law University (India), and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Hargeisa (Somaliland). He has guest lectured on topics of international law and global governance on the London Law Programme of the University of Notre Dame (USA) and the University of Virginia Summer Program at University College, University of Oxford.