Research Interests

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• Politics and geopolitics of Central Asia
• Politics and conflict in Sri Lanka
• Authoritarian states and democratisation
• Conflict and post-conflict reconstruction
• Politics and international governance in post-conflict environments

David worked for several years for the Brussels-based think-tank, the International Crisis Group, before joining CICS in 2007. He spent four years conducting field research based in Central Asia, and published more than a dozen reports on aspects of political and economic change in the region. He led a research team that produced a series of research reports into the growth of radical Islamist movements in the region, and also carried out research into the impact of international organisations in the region. He took part in a study of the OSCE in Central Asia for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has also conducted consultancy work for DFID on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. He has been a frequent media commentator on Central Asian affairs, giving interviews to the BBC, Al-Jazeera, ABC, and other outlets. His recent book on Central Asia examines political developments in the Central Asian states after 9/11, when they became key players in the ‘war on terror’, in relation to the US-led intervention in Afghanistan. In particular, it assesses the reasons for a complex and sometimes contradictory Western policy in the region that failed to achieve its goals.

In 2006-07 David spent a year conducting research for the International Crisis Group in Sri Lanka into aspects of the ongoing conflict, resulting in an in-depth report on the failure of the Norwegian-led peace process. He also conducted a new study of the role of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka, based on fieldwork primarily in Eastern Sri Lanka.

In CICS David has contributed to a wide range of projects in the area of post-conflict reconstruction, in particular in the field of security, post-conflict reconstruction and post-conflict governance. He is closely involved in “Multi-stakeholder Partnerships in Post-conflict Reconstruction: The Role of the European Union” (2008-2011), a major multi-partner project, with case-studies in post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan, DRC and Kosovo, funded by the European Commission. David has also worked on projects under framework agreements between CICS and SIDA, and contributed to a major project on DDR and Human Security financed by DFID.

Selected Publications

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• "Regime Change in Kyrgyzstan: Domestic and International Factors in the 'Tulip Revolution'", Central Asian Survey (forthcoming, 2009).
• The Temptations of Tyranny in Central Asia (Hurst/University of Columbia Press, 2008).
• "Uzbekistan: Authoritarianism and Conflict", in M. Mekenkamp, P. van Tongeren, H. van de Veen (Eds), Searching for Peace in Central and South Asia (Lynne Rienner, 2002).
• "The Effectiveness of OSCE Missions: The Case of Uzbekistan", CRU Occasional Paper, The Hague, Clingendael Institute, August 2002.

International Crisis Group reports (sole or principal author), available at www.crisisgroup.org

• "Sri Lanka's Muslims: Caught in the Crossfire", International Crisis Group, May 2007.
• "Sri Lanka: The Failure of the Peace Process", International Crisis Group, November 2006.
• "Kyrgyzstan: After the Revolution", International Crisis Group Asia Report No97, May 2005.
• "Repression and Regression in Turkmenistan: A New International Strategy", International Crisis Group, Asia Report No85, November 2004.
• "Political Transition in Kyrgyzstan: Problems and Prospects", International Crisis Group, Asia Report No81, August 2004.
• "The Failure of Reform in Uzbekistan: Ways Forward for the International Community", International Crisis Group, Asia Report No76, March 2004.
• "Radical Islam in Central Asia: Responding to Hizb ut-Tahrir" International Crisis Group, Asia Report No58, June 2003.
• "Uzbekistan's Reform Program: Illusion or Reality?", International Crisis Group, Asia Report No46, February 2003.
• "Kyrgyzstan's Political Crisis: An Exit Strategy", International Crisis Group, Asia Report No37, August 2002.
• "The OSCE in Central Asia: A New Strategy", International Crisis Group, Asia Report No38, September 2002.

Other Professional Activities

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• 1998-2000 Research Analyst, Control Risks Group
• 2000-01 Senior Consultant, Control Risks Group
• 2001-05 Project Director, Central Asia, International Crisis Group
• 2006-07 Deputy Regional Director (South Asia), International Crisis Group