Paul Collier is a researcher into the causes and consequences of civil war; the effects of aid; and the problems of democracy in low-income and natural-resource-rich societies. In addition to the usual academic outputs, his work has had substantial policy impact. In the past year Prof Collier has been the senior adviser to Blair’s Commission on Africa; has addressed the General Assembly of the UN; has given a seminar at 10 Downing St.; and has been invited to meet with Condoleezza Rice on her recent UK visit.

Paul Collier work on a wide range of macroeconomic, microeconomic and political economy topics concerned with Africa. Within macroeconomics, he has focused on external shocks, exchange rate and trade policies. He completed the first ever external review of IMF operations for the Board of the IMF (with Professors Gunning and Hamada, and Dr. Botchwey). Within microeconomics Professor Collier has focused on labour and financial markets, and on rural development, on which he has written three books and many articles. Within political economy, he has worked on the process of policy reform, and has also published a series of articles on `restraining the state’. Collier is a Professor Associate of CERDI, Université d’Auvergne; Fellow of the CEPR, London; and was Director of the Development Research group at the World Bank (from April 1998 to April 2003). Prof Collier holds a Distinction Award from Oxford University, and has won the Edgar Graham Prize.