Melita Lazell is Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development and Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Huminities and Social Sciences.

She joined the University of Portsmouth in 2014, having previously taught at University College London and the University of Southampton and worked for a European International Development NGO. She gained a distinction for an ESRC funded MSc in International Relations (Research) at the University of Southampton, before completing  an ESRC funded PhD in International Relations at the same institution

Dr Lazell has over a decade of multidisciplinary research experience spanning Political Economy, Development Studies, International Relations, Politics, and Public Policy,  bringing together rigorous academic analysis with a strong policy-oriented approach.

Her methodological expertise includes both qualitative and quantitative research. She has evaluated UK-funded development projects in sub-Saharan Africa using OECD criteria and a wide range of sources, such as Project Completion Reports, Impact Evaluations, ICAI assessments and parliamentary reports. She has also conducted interviews with DFID/FCDO personnel to evaluate the impact of the 2020 merger on organisational culture and development practices.

Dr. Lazell has also conducted quantitative empirical analyses on the distribution of Official Development Assistance (ODA) from major donors, drawing on datasets from the OECD Creditor Reporting System, Uppsala Conflict Data Program, UNHCR, and the Global Terrorism Database. In addition, she has collaborated on a British Academy funded project to evaluate dimensions of armed conflict across the Sahel. 

She welcomes proposals from PhD candidates on the policy and practice development aid.

Current Supervisions

Hiba Ben Larbi  – The relationship between foreign aid and migration

Peter Cook  - Interogating the concept of populism and it's usefullness in explaining the Brexit vote

I teach at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels principally on the themes of Political Economy, Security and International Development.

At undergraduate level, I coordinate the module Global Capitalism: Past, Present and Future, as well as contributing to various other modules on the International Relations, Politics and International Development Programmes.

At postgraduate level, I contribute to the MA International Relations (campus based), MA International Relations (Distance Learning) and MA International Relations and Politics.  

I also supervise students on the Humanities and Social Science MRes programme and PhD programme.

I am happy to take calls and emails from media on my research, and am aware of the need to respond to journalists in a timely manner. 

Interested journalists can also contact the University's Media and Communications team for support and advice on all media engagement, including out of hours.