Profile: Daniel Barker Flores, Sir David Watson Scholar

Daniel Barker Flores (DPhil Politics, 2020) is the current holder of the Sir David Watson Scholarship at Green Templeton.

Daniel’s doctoral research focuses on state efforts to augment territorial control in urban spaces governed by organised criminal groups, and draws on cases from Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.

His thesis employs qualitative methods, and uses data gathered from hundreds of research interviews conducted in the field. Daniel’s thesis relates to several of his core research interests, which include state building, criminal governance, violent conflict, and sub-national politics. Prior to undertaking the DPhil, Daniel received a BA from UCL before undertaking his postgraduate studies (MSc) at Oxford.

Daniel said that his time at Green Templeton has been immensely rewarding. He emphasised that the support he has received from members of the college, his department, and the wider academic community at Oxford has been fundamental in enabling him to undertake an ambitious cross-national research project.

Looking ahead, he hopes to continue researching topics relating to organised crime, governance, and violent conflict in the developing world. Indeed, he hopes to eventually expand the empirical scope of his studies to new contexts beyond Latin America.

Daniel stated,

‘I am immensely grateful to all the donors who helped finance the Sir David Watson scholarship, as well as all the other funding opportunities available at Green Templeton College. As with many junior researchers at the University, I would not have been able to undertake my doctoral studies at Oxford had it not been for this financial support, so I extend my sincere thanks to all those donors who made this possible.

‘The resources made available to me through this particular scholarship, which was co-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, allowed me to spend a considerable amount of time in the field, collecting a trove of original data. This has allowed me to develop a granular understanding of my chosen topic, but it will also be a unique asset as I develop my career in research.

‘I have had the privilege of meeting and corresponding with some donors during my time at GTC, so I encourage anyone else who contributed to the Sir David Watson Scholarship to please get in touch if they are interested in hearing more about my research. I would be very happy to thank them in person for allowing me this extraordinary opportunity.’

Daniel is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and Green Templeton College through the Sir David Watson Scholarship, named in memory of the late past-Principal.

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