Dr. Jonathan Harris
Dr Jonathan Harris joined DCU in 2024 following posts at King's College London, Stranmillis University College, and his PhD at Cambridge University. He is a long-term visiting scholar at Queen's University Belfast.
He is a long-term fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and member of the Geographical Society of Ireland. He sits on the International Geographical Union's Commission for Political Geography.
Research Interests
• Diplomacy, Development and Diaspora
• African and Francophone Postcolonial Worlds
• Geopolitics of Education
Jonathan works broadly on the social dynamics of radical contestation at the margins of national and international politics. His current project (2025-29), "Diaspora Diplomacy and the Migration Development Nexus", is funded by Research Ireland.
His research contributes to critical debates about international migration, social justice, and postcolonial citizenship by examining the geopolitical assemblages of diasporic and educational settings, with a particular focus on Francophone postcolonial contexts.
Funding Highlights
Diaspora Diplomacy and the Migration-Development Nexus (DiaDip) is a Research Ireland funded project exploring how members of the Algerian, Brazilian, and Indian diasporas in Ireland maintain connections with their countries of origin and contribute to social and economic development in both their homelands and Ireland.
The project examines how these transnational ties shape development initiatives, community life, and people’s sense of belonging across borders. By conceptually linking diaspora diplomacy and development, the project aims to generate practical guidelines for policymakers and practitioners and to create positive societal impact in Ireland.