University of Oxford
Oliver McPherson-Smith is a doctoral student in political science at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on economic development and entrepreneurship in Africa and the Middle East.
Better Off Alone: Somaliland, Institutional Legacy, and Prosperity
**2020 Best Paper Winner** (Student Category)
This paper uses comparative historical analysis to explain the difference in security and development across Somalia and Somaliland. It contrasts extractive Italian colonialism in Somalia with British ultra-frugal indirect rule in Somaliland.
Sessions
The Pursuit of Physical Security in East Africa