Michael Potter, IHI External Fellow

Dr. Michael Potter has an extensive and unique background in researching conflict and the transition from conflict in his work for the U.K. Government, community-based organisations in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Assembly and as a Visiting Scholar at Queen’s University Belfast. Michael has a First Class Honours Degree in Politics, a Masters Degree in Comparative Ethnic Conflict and a PhD in Politics from Queen’s University Belfast.

Michael’s research specializations are equality and human rights provisions in post-conflict societies and inclusion in power-sharing political institutions.  Areas of research interest include the politics of Northern Ireland and the Balkans, gender equality, minority ethnic identity and the transition from conflict.

Michael visited the campus and gave several academic presentations at Boston University in 2022.

Selected recent publications include:

McKinney, C, McGuinness, T and Potter, M (2023), The Common Travel Area and the Special Status of Irish Citizens in UK Law, House of Commons Library Research Briefing, CBP-07661.

Potter, M (2020) Definitions of the ‘Particular Circumstances’ of Northern Ireland, Research and Information Service Research Briefing 48/20, Belfast: Northern Ireland Assembly.

Potter, M (2020) Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity in the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol: The Dedicated Mechanism, Research and Information Service Research Briefing 63/20, Belfast: Northern Ireland Assembly.

Potter, M (2019), Inclusion in Post-Conflict Legislatures: The Kosovo and Northern Ireland Assemblies, London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Potter, M (2018) ‘Negotiating Invisible Borders: Minority Identities and Northern Ireland’ in Journal of Cross-Border Studies, Vol 13, pp.45-53.

Potter, M (2018) ‘Measuring Inclusion in Political Life: A Framework for Analysis’ in Nationalism and Ethnic Politics Vol 24 No 3, pp.324-335.

Potter, M (2017) ‘Europeanisation and Minority Policies in Post-Conflict Kosovo: Genuine Inclusion or Window-Dressing?’ in Südost Europa Vol 65 No 1, pp.35-55.

Potter, M (2016), Female Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly1998-2016, Research and Information Service Research Briefing 30/16, Belfast: Northern Ireland Assembly.

Hamilton, J and Bloomer, F (2015) ‘Traveller Education: Policy and Practice in Northern Ireland’ in Rougier, N and Honohan, I (eds) Tolerance and Diversity in Ireland – North and South. Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp.74-93

Potter, M (2014) ‘Loyalism, Women and Standpoint Theory’ in Irish Political Studies, Vol 29 Issue 2, pp.258-274.

Potter, M and Hamilton, J (2014) ‘Picking on Vulnerable Migrants: Precarity and the Mushroom Industry in Northern Ireland’ in Work, Employment and Society, Vol 28 No 3, pp.390-406.