Advisor in Public Opinion Research, Peacebuilding, Conflict Resolution, and Public Policy, an internationally renowned scholar and practitioner in the fields of public opinion research, peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and public policy. He serves as a Research Fellow in the Department of Politics at the University of Liverpool, where his work focuses on the use of evidence-based public opinion research to support peace negotiations, democratic governance, and policymaking in conflict-affected societies.
For more than three decades, Dr. Irwin has pioneered the development and application of “Peace Polls”—an innovative methodology that integrates scientifically designed public opinion surveys into peace processes and political negotiations. His research has played a significant role in supporting the Northern Ireland Peace Process and has subsequently been applied in numerous regions experiencing conflict, including the Balkans, Cyprus, Israel and Palestine, Syria, Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, and other parts of the Middle East and Asia.
Dr. Irwin earned his Ph.D. in Social Science from Syracuse University and his interdisciplinary Master’s degree in Anthropology, Religion, and Philosophy from the University of Manitoba. Throughout his distinguished academic career, he has held research appointments at the University of Liverpool, Queen’s University Belfast, and Dalhousie University, among other institutions.
A globally recognized authority on public opinion and peace processes, Dr. Irwin has advised the United Nations Department of Peace Operations (UN DPO/DPKO), the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), UNDP, and numerous governments and international organizations on integrating public opinion into conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and democratic dialogue. His recent work has also explored the use of artificial intelligence and large-scale digital dialogues to support mediation and peacebuilding efforts.
He has authored more than one hundred scholarly publications, reports, and books on public opinion, peacebuilding, public diplomacy, and conflict resolution, including his acclaimed book The People’s Peace: Pax Populi, Pax Dei, which presents the theoretical and practical foundations of Peace Polls as a tool for resolving violent conflicts through evidence-based public participation.
Dr. Irwin currently serves as Vice President of the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) and is the recipient of the WAPOR Asia Pacific Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his outstanding global contributions to public opinion research and its application to peacebuilding and public policy.
His professional and research interests include public opinion polling, survey methodology, peacebuilding, conflict resolution, public diplomacy, democratic governance, international negotiations, artificial intelligence in dialogue facilitation, and the use of evidence-based research to inform public policy and decision-making.