Dr Christopher Spearin

Dr Christopher Spearin holds a BASc from McMaster University and an MA in International Affairs from Carleton University. He conducted his doctoral work in political science, with a speciality in security studies, at the University of British Columbia. He joined the College as an Assistant Professor in 2003, was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2007 and to Professor in 2017. During his time at the College, Dr Spearin has held a variety of administrative and curriculum development posts and has taught in all of the College’s major on-site programmes. Dr Spearin’s research concerns change in militaries, global security governance, non-state actors and conflict, mercenaries, the privatization of security, piracy, and Canadian foreign and defence policy. His work has been published in a number of edited books and in a variety of forums, including Canadian Foreign Policy, Canadian Military Journal, Civil Wars, Comparative Strategy, Contemporary Security Policy, Conflict, Security & Development, Defence Studies, Defense & Security Analysis, Human Security Bulletin, International Peacekeeping, International Journal, International Politics, Journal of Conflict Studies, Journal of Future Conflict, Journal of International Criminal Justice, Military Review, Naval War College Review, Oxford Analytica, Parameters, PRISM, RUSI Journal, Security Dialogue, Small Wars & Insurgencies, Special Operations Journal, and World Defence Systems. He wrote the book Private Military and Security Companies and States: Force Divided, published by Palgrave Macmillan.