Mr Michael Semple

Visiting Research Professor

Phone: +44(0) 28 9097 3771
E-mail: m.semple@qub.ac.uk
Office: 19.01.002

Mr Michael Semple is a Visiting Research Professor at the Institute (August 2013 - July 2014).

Michael Semple has practised and written on humanitarian assistance and conflict resolution in Afghanistan and Pakistan. During the period 1988 to 2008 he worked in the region for international NGOs, the United Nations and the European Union. He was a member of the United Nations political team which helped implement the 2001 Bonn Accords and served as Deputy to the European Union Special Representative for Afghanistan 2004-08. Through his career Michael has sought to be a reflective practitioner. Since 2008 he has worked as a scholar and adviser on conflict resolution, with particular focus on the Afghan conflict. During 2009-2013 Michael was Senior Research Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School. He has participated in the United States Institute for Peace Afghanistan Pakistan Senior Advisory Group. He has directly advised key policy makers concerning the conflict in Afghanistan, particularly with regards to political engagement with the Taliban. Michael is a recognised analyst of the Afghan Taliban Movement. He is currently researching the evolving rhetoric of the Taliban's armed struggle and the challenges facing militant jihadi groups evolving towards a political role.

Selected Publications:

Books and chapters

  • “Challenges in the Afghan peace process, insights from Irish experience”, in The US-Taliban dialogue: Future Directions, edited by Dr. Muhammad Alahmari and Abdulaziz Alhies, Forum for Arab and International Relations, Doha, 2013
  • “Afghanistan and the war on terror”,  in Assessing the War on Terror, edited by M. Ayoob, Michigan State University, 2013
  • “Breach of Trust – the aftermath of Pakistan's 2010 floods”, Pattan, Islamabad, 2011
  • “Reconciliation in Afghanistan”, United States Institute of Peace, 2009

Journal Articles

Reports and conference papers

  • “The Taliban Movement and prospects for reconciliation in Afghanistan;” Carr Center Working Paper Series, October 1, 2011.
  • “Rhetoric of Resistance in the Taliban's Rebel Ballads;” Carr Center Working Paper Series, March 15, 2011.
  • “Taliban Perspectives on Reconciliation”, co-authored with Theo Farrell and Anatol Lieven, Royal United Services Institute, September 2012,
  • “The Afghan Peace Process – obstacles and opportunities”, co-authored with Stephen Carter, OSI, 2012,
  • “The rise of the Hazaras and the challenge of pluralism in Afghanistan 1978-2011”, Harvard Center for Islamic Studies, 2012
  • “Power to the periphery? – the elusive consensus on how to decentralise Afghanistan”, CIDOB, Barcelona, 2012
  • “Scenarios for Afghanistan post-2014”, CIDOB, Barcelona, 2013 (forthcoming)