WWT

William W. Thomson PhD

BIOGRAPHY

I'm Bill, my career has spanned across multiple areas and has served as a platform for self-development, teamwork, professionalism, and outreach for the benefit of others. In summary:

Military - Royal Marines Commandos
Crises Management Ops (Trainer/Response Team Assessor)
BTh (Hons) - Degree of Bachelor of Theology (Honours)
MRes - Masters Degree in Politics & International Relations
PhD - International Relations: Peace and Conflict Studies
Lecturer - Israel-Palestine Conflict (University of Glasgow)
Lecturer - MLitt Security Studies (University of St Andrews)
Lecturer - Humanitarianism & Conflict (University of Manchester)
Lecturer - MSc Global Health (University of St Andrews)
Consultant/Trainer - Humanitarian Hostile Ops (NGO/INGO)
Founder & Director - The Edinburgh Peace Institute

Since completing the PhD (2014), I have applied a considerable amount of "real world" experience, into my lecturing and teaching, across the disciplines of, peace and conflict studies, security studies, global health, disaster management, emergency humanitarian intervention, and human security in conflict. Teaching and Lecturing at The University of St Andrews; The University of Glasgow; and The University of Manchester (Humanitarian & Conflict Response Institute).

During this period of lecturing I have also brought together my practitioner and academic experience to provide research and training consultancy to Humanitarian Orgs and INGOs. The most recent engagement, providing Hostile Environment Training to Masters Students at Leiden University.

Since 2020, I have been developing The Edinburgh Peace Institute, which has now been granted Research Institute status and Charity status: www.edinburghpeaceinstitute.org This is now the main priority, and I am building collaborations and research developments for this venture.

I am also completing a monograph: "Intervention: Israel-Palestine 1993-2024”.

Academic qualifications

1. PhD - International Relations: Peace and Conflict Studies - University of St Andrews

The PhD analysed state, non governmental organisations and civil society approaches to human needs development and peacemaking, in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The book, (forthcoming 2024), takes a historical, balanced, yet contemporary view of the conflict, relying on longitudinal research outputs (1993-2024), to examine the relationship of conflict intervention methods, and the impact these have had on the human needs of Israelis and Palestinians, which continually drive the conflict forward.

2. Master of Research: Politics & International Relations - University of Aberdeen

With a focus on quantitative and qualitative research methods in Peace and Conflict Studies.

3. Degree of Bachelor of Theology (Honours) - University of Aberdeen

This developed my understanding of peace, conflict, ritual and belief, particularly within Jewish, Christian and Islamic theology. My work in this area extends to interpreting scripture in world religions to nurture scholarly debate on interfaith issues in conflict.