New SPIA faculty member Idean Salehyan brings the Peace Science Society to UGA while working to connect research, policy, and public understanding.
Why does a conflict halfway around the world affect the price you pay at the pump? How do events in one country influence migration patterns, trade, or U.S. foreign policy?
Questions like these are what informs the research for incoming professor, Idean Salehyan, a political scientist who studies conflict, migration, and political violence using quantitative methods.
“I use data and statistics to understand what drives civil violence, from protests and social unrest to large-scale civil wars,” Salehyan said. “The research helps us better understand how conflict shapes societies, influences policy decisions, and affects people’s daily lives.”
This fall, Salehyan joins the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) as a Professor of International Affairs. Along with him comes the Peace Science Society, an international scholarly organization dedicated to the scientific study of peace, conflict, human rights, and political violence.
The son of Iranian immigrants, Salehyan’s interest in politics began with migration. As an undergraduate at the University of California, San Diego, he became fascinated by immigration policy and the way people move across borders. Over time, that interest expanded into broader questions about conflict, displacement, and international politics.
Today, his research examines topics ranging from refugee movements and civil wars to social unrest and state collapse. He is currently studying how authoritarian governments use internet shutdowns and censorship to suppress protest movements, as well as how conflict and instability can limit international mobility and opportunity.
At its core, he describes his work simply: using data and statistical methods to understand what causes conflict and how those effects ripple across societies.
“We live in an interconnected world,” he said. “Countries are not isolated. What happens in one part of the world has repercussions somewhere else.”
His research places him squarely within the field of peace science.
“Peace studies is a broad, multidisciplinary field that often includes philosophy and activism,” he said. “Peace science, by contrast, focuses on using data, statistical analysis, and formal models to test ideas about conflict and cooperation.”
And this is the foundation of the Peace Science Society.
Founded in 1963 during the Cold War, the organization began as a small network of researchers seeking to understand war and peace through systematic analysis. Over the decades, it has grown into a global community of scholars studying everything from civil war and international conflict to human rights and environmental security.
The Society‘s move to UGA reflects the university’s growing reputation in the field. SPIA faculty members have held leadership roles within the organization for years, and researchers across UGA and the broader Atlanta area have helped establish Georgia as a significant hub for peace science research. The move will create new opportunities for students and faculty through conferences, workshops, research collaborations, and professional networking.
“UGA is already on the map in the peace science world,” Salehyan said. “There’s a great cluster of people doing this work, and it felt like a natural home for both me and the Society.”
But what sets Salehyan apart—and what makes his arrival at SPIA especially significant—is his focus on communicating complex ideas beyond academic audiences.
Too often, he says, important research remains trapped in technical articles. A paper published in a leading academic journal may reach a few hundred specialists. The same findings, translated into an op-ed, policy brief, media interview, or public presentation, can influence lawmakers, nonprofit leaders, journalists, and communities.
“The challenge is taking a highly technical paper and turning it into something people can actually use,” he said. “The ability to communicate to different audiences is essential. You need rigorous research, but you also need to be able to explain why it matters.”
That philosophy extends to the classroom.
While many faculty gravitate toward advanced seminars, Salehyan particularly enjoys teaching introductory courses. For many students, those classes provide a first look at how governments function around the world and how global events shape everyday life and watching students make those connections is one of his favorite parts of the job.
As he prepares to arrive in Athens, Salehyan sees an opportunity to build on SPIA’s strengths while expanding its impact beyond campus.
“I love doing research,” he said. “But engaging with students and doing work that reaches beyond academia is what really motivates me.”
For SPIA, the arrival of Salehyan and the Peace Science Society reinforces UGA’s land-grant mission by connecting research to the people and communities it is meant to serve. Through public engagement, policy impact, and scholarship that extends beyond academic journals, Salehyan sees an opportunity to help more people understand the forces shaping an increasingly interconnected world.
