Dr Lily Hamourtziadou
Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Security Studies
School of Social Sciences
- Email:
- lily.hamourtziadou@bcu.ac.uk
- Phone:
- +44 (0)121 331 6379
For 20 years Lily has researched and taught international politics and security. She is principal researcher for leading NGO Iraq Body Count, twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Lily’s works contributes to peace efforts and humanitarian causes, increases awareness and understanding of world politics. Being able to apply her education to the practice of human security has meant that her work has helped achieve positive changes in policy, humanitarian response or planning and contributes to the on-going assessment of conflict. She is regularly consulted and interviewed on global and national security matters by the media and international organisations.
Areas of Expertise
- International Relations theory
- Nationalism
- Middle East
- Security
- Irregular Warfare
- The War on Terror
- Human Rights
- Casualty Recording
Qualifications
- BA (Philosophy, English)
- MA (European Studies)
- PhD (Politics and International Relations)
Teaching
Undergraduate
Britain and Terrorism; threat and response
This third-year module examines a range of terrorist threats, from those associated with the conflict in Northern Ireland to those driven by Islamic extremism. The module examines methods employed in the battle against terrorism, from negotiation through to overt and covert military operations.
Human Rights
This third-year module provides students with an opportunity to explore the concepts, debates, literature and research relating to the theory and application of rights with a particular emphasis given to the ‘human rights idea’. The module encourages students to develop an informed, systematic and critical approach to thinking about human rights with respect to two central themes (a) the theoretical foundations of the contemporary ‘human rights idea’; and (b) the politics and practice of human rights application and enforcement.
Intelligence and Security since 1945
This second-year module explores the history, structure and roles of the British Security Service since 1945, through a study of threats to the British State from the period of the Cold War and the threat of Soviet Communism to recent Islamic Jihadism. It encourages students to form a critical understanding of the problem of managing covert threats within a democratic and open society, to evaluate key concepts such as secrecy and surveillance, counter espionage, subversion, accountability and openness, and consider critically the effectiveness of the range of methods used by the Security Service.
Masters Courses
Terrorism, Political Violence and Extremism
This module offers the opportunity to deepen understanding of the sources, dynamics and consequences of contemporary political violence, and to consider the significance of terrorism and conflict within the broader realm of politics and international relations (IR). It will also critically analyse the policies and politics of preventing and countering terrorism at both the national and international levels. The module will examine and explore some conceptual, theoretical and methodological themes associated with contemporary conflict locating these themes within a historical survey of civil war, insurgency and armed political resistance.
Research Methods
This module is designed to enable students to develop an understanding of the research process and the nature and variety of research methods together with the need for an evidence base to guide decision making process. The design of the module allows for face-to-face and blended learning. Its characteristic features are to encourage students to see qualitative and quantitative methods as equally valuable and often complementary and to involve students, wherever possible, in using and applying the methods
MA Dissertation
This module provides students with the opportunity to carry out a self-directed, empirical and critical investigation of a specific Criminology or Security Studies topic. The overarching purpose of the module is that it will allow students to put into practice theories and concepts learned on the programme, and hence the module provides students with an opportunity to study a particular topic in depth, a forum to show evidence of independent investigation, an opportunity to combine relevant theories and suggest alternatives, to plan and manage a project within deadlines as a transferable skill.
International Institutions and Security
Cooperation among countries in order to create a peaceful world has been pursued for over a century. However, the creation of international institutions has also provoked unexpected and expected international security problems. This module examines the link between International Institutions and Security Studies. It also examines Institutionalism theories and illustrates several case-studies. This module will address specific questions that are relevant both for practitioners and academics working in the security arena in the 21st century.
Security and International Relations Theory
This module is designed to develop within students a detailed understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of Security Studies in International Relations through a critical examination of the various different schools of thought that exist within the discipline. This module serves a core function within the MA Security Studies programme giving students the requisite knowledge and understanding to appreciate the major discussion and debates within the field as well as a deep understanding of the nuance, diversity and complexity contained within the essentially contested nature of security. The module begins with a discussion surrounding the nature of security before moving on to consider a wide array of different theories that take students from the orthodoxy surrounding the study of security to the explicitly critical approaches.
Research
Currently writing a book on Iraq:
Body Count: The War on Terror and Civilian Deaths in Iraq.
The book tracks and explores civilian deaths in Iraq following the 2003 invasion by the US-led coalition. It is a recounting of the conflict through the counting of its victims. It highlights the importance and the challenges of casualty recording, it maps the insurgency in Iraq and the ensuing civilian deaths, the struggle between military power and ideology, the increasing radicalisation in failed states like Iraq, the seeking of security through hegemony, and the cycle of violence following the deconstruction of Iraq.
Preparing report on ‘Country of Origin: Iraq’ for European Asylum Support Office.
Writing article on Neoliberalism, Globalisation and Iraq for Security Dialogues.
Working on review of The Geopolitics of Turkey-Kurdistan Relations for Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies.
Publications
Monographs
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2020) Body Count: the war on terror and civilian deaths in Iraq, Bristol University Press. https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/body-count
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Gokay, Bulent (2020) ‘The Promised Spring; death and neoliberalism in Iraq’, Security Dialogues 11 (1), pp, 45-60
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Jackson, Jonathan, ‘Winning Wars; the triumphs and myths of technology’ Journal of Global Faultlines 6 (2) December 2019 - February 2020, pp. 127-138 https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/jglobfaul.6.2.0127?seq=1
Hamourtziadou, Lily ‘Security Challenges of the 21st Century: new challenges and perspectives’ Journal of Global Faultlines 6 (2) December 2019 - February 2020, pp. 121-124 https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/jglobfaul.6.2.0121?seq=1
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Jackson, Jonathan (2020) ‘Dragons, snakes and Covid-19: old and new threats to our security’ https://www.bcu.ac.uk/social-sciences/news/blogs/dragons-snakes-and-covid-19
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2020) ‘Casualties of war on terror in Iraq’: life, security and liberty’ https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/north-africa-west-asia/casualties-of-war-on-terror-in-iraq-life-security-and-liberty/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2020) US-Iran hostilities ‘part of War on Terror and ‘do not foreshadow WW3’ says security academic (pub by BCU January 10, 2020)
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Gokay, Bulent (2020) ‘Rojava: Millions of civilians in northern Syria threatened as US green-lights Turkey’s invasion’
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Gokay, Bulent (2020) ‘Iraq’s security 2003-2019: death and neoliberal destruction par excellence’
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Gokay, Bulent (2020) ‘Neoliberalism and the killing for profit in Iraq’
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2020) ‘Calls for a True Homeland met with deadly violence’ https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/numbers/2019/
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Dardagan, Hamit (2019) EASO Country of Origin Information Iraq Security. European Asylum Support Office.
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2018) Generation: War; 15 years in the shadow of ceaseless conflict. Iraq Body Count.
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Dardagan, Hamit and Sloboda, John (2017) Another year of relentless violence. IBC's 2016 analysis of civilian deaths. Iraq Body Count.
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2016) Besieged: Living and dying in Fallujah'
https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/besieged_fallujah/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2016) 'Iraq: Wars and Casualties 13 years on'
https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/13-years-on/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2016) 'Iraq 2015: A Catastrophic Normal'
https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/numbers/2015/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2015) 'Remembering the dead: names, memorials and what is lost'
https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/remembering/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2015) 'Iraq 2014: Civilian deaths almost doubling year on year'
https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/numbers/2014/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2014) 'The language and actions of states and non-states'
https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/language-and-actions/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2014) 'The blurring of war and peace, tyranny and democracy, captivity and liberation.'
https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/blurring-war-and-peace/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2013) 'The Trenching of Faults'
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/2013/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2013) 'Contains flashing images'
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/flashing-images/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2008) ‘The price of loss’
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/the-price-of-loss/
Journal Articles (inc. online)
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Jackson, Jonathan (2019) ‘Winning Wars: the myths and triumphs of technology’, Journal of Global Faultlines, 6 (2), December.
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Jackson, Jonathan (2019) 5/11: Revisiting the Gunpowder Plot. Journal of Global Faultlines, 5 (1-2). pp. 91-94.
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2017) Human security and the emergence of modern day body counts. Journal of Global Faultlines, 4 (1). pp. 57-70.
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Gokay, Bulent (2016), ‘Whiter than White’: Race and Otherness in Turkish and Greek National Identities. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2016.1141590
Routledge, Taylor&Francis Group, pp. 1-13
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2016) 'Iraq: Lest we forget' https://globalfaultlines.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/iraq-lest-we-forget-lily-hamourtziadou/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2016) 'War's Moral Chaos'
https://globalfaultlines.wordpress.com/
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2015) 'Remembering the dead: names, memorials and what is lost'
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2014) 'Fault Lines to Trenches: Iraq 2003-2014', Journal of Global Faultlines, Vol. 2, Issue 1, April 2014, pp. 98-108.
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2014) 'The blurring of war and peace, tyranny and democracy, captivity and liberation.'
Hamourtziadou, Lily and Gokay Bulent (2015)'Body counting and precision bombing in failed states'
December 2014
In collaboration with the BBC, 'Jihadism: Tracking a Month of Deadly Attacks'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-30080914
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2002) ‘The Bosniaks: from Nation to Threat’, Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans, vol. 4, No 2, November 2002.
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2001) ‘Rational Fear; Real and Suspected Threats to National Security: the Case of Bosnia’, The South Slav Journal, vol. 22 No. 1-2 (83-84) Spring-Summer 2001.
Hamourtziadou, Lily (2000) Review article (The Warrior’s Honor, In the Wake of the Balkan Myth, and Heavenly Serbia: from myth to genocide) published in Essays in Poetics, Autumn 2000, vol 25.
Hamourtziadou, Lily (1999) ‘Greek Myths or the boy who wanted to see Turks’, Internationale Schulbuchforschung (International Textbook Research), Dealing with Conflicts, vol. 21, George-Eckert Institut, Hannover, 1999.
Book chapters
Hamourtziadou, Lily ‘The People’s Myths: the case of the Bosnian nations’, Representations of the ‘Other/s’ in the Mediterranean World and Their Impact on the Region, The ISIS Press, Istanbul, 2004.
Hamourtziadou, Lily ‘Angels and Demons: Constructions and Representations of the Enemy’, The Image of the Turk in Europe from the Declaration of the Republic in 1923 to the 1990s, The ISIS Press, Istanbul, 2000.
Work With Industry
- Iraq Body Count (NGO)
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Every Casualty
- European Asylum Support Office (EASO)
- BBC