Dr James Onley
Biography
James Onley is Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern History and Director of the Exeter Centre for Gulf Studies. He is also Editor of the Journal of Arabian Studies (Routledge) and the Britain and the World book series (PalgraveMacmillan). He specializes in Gulf history, Middle Eastern history, Indian history, and British imperial history. Prior to entering academia, he served in the Canadian Army for 12 years and was a UN peacekeeper in Iraq at the end of the Iran–Iraq War (1988).
Education
1996–2001
DPhil in History (Distinction), St Antony’s College, University of Oxford
1996, 1997, 1998
Certificates in Modern Standard Arabic, Islamic Information Centre, Vancouver, Canada and British Council, Cairo, Egypt.
1994–1995
Graduate Diploma in History (equivalent to a MSt), Department of History, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
1991–1993
BA in History, Department of History, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
1989–1991
Diploma in Peace and Conflict Studies, Langara College, Vancouver, Canada.
Acdemic career
2005–
Lecturer (2005–08), Senior Lecturer (2008–), Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
Director, Centre for Gulf Studies (2005–09, 2010–present), Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
Visiting Professor (2005–07), American University of Sharjah, UAE
Senior Fellow (2008–09), Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS), Georgetown University, Qatar satellite campus
2003–2005
Assistant Professor, American University of Sharjah, UAE
Honorary Fellow, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
2002–2003
Lecturer, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
2001–2002
Senior Associate Member (a post-doctoral position), Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford
1998–1999
Visiting Research Fellow, University of Bahrain
Military career
1989–1996
Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, Canadian Army Reserve
1988
United Nations Iran–Iraq Military Observer Group (stationed in Iraqi Kurdistan)
1985–1989
744 Communications Regiment, Communication Reserve
