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Associate Professor Sarah Percy
Associate Professor

Sarah Percy

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 344 31323

Overview

Background

Sarah Percy arrived at UQ from the University of Western Australia in 2016. Prior to her appointment at UWA, Sarah was University Lecturer and Tutorial Fellow in International Relations at the University of Oxford (Merton College). At Oxford, Sarah was on the steering committee of the Oxford Programme on the Changing Character of War. Sarah did her M.Phil and D.Phil as a Commonwealth Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford.

Sarah's research focuses on international security and the history of war. She has had a long-standing interest in unconventional combatants, and has published widely on mercenaries, private military companies, and pirates. She is interested in how historical developments in war shape modern practices, examining mercenaries, women in combat, the history of international law, and weapons control. She is the author of two books: Mercenaries: The History of a Norm in International Relations (OUP: 2007) and Forgotten Warriors: The Long History of Women on the Front Line (Hachette: 2023) as well as numerous articles. Sarah is also a broadcaster and has made three radio series for ABC Radio National, including Why the Cold War Still Matters and two seies of An Object in Time.

Availability

Associate Professor Sarah Percy is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford

Research interests

  • Piracy

  • Maritime security

  • International security

  • Mercenaries

  • Private military and security companies

Research impacts

Sarah's research projects have had considerable impact outside academia. Sarah has presented her research on mercenaries and private military companies at the United Nations; at policy-oriented events at Princeton University and New York University; and at the Royal United Services Institute (London) and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (London). Her resaearch on women in combat has featured in testimony to Congress in the United States.

Sarah's research on piracy was featured in the production notes for the film "Captain Phillips", directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks. She has presented this research to the Royal Navy and at DFAT's Counter-Piracy Conference.

Sarah is an experienced media commentator. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, USA Today, The Conversation, and The Lowy Interpreter. She has appeared on radio in the United States (National Public Radio) and in Australia (Radio National, multiple programs including Rear Vision and The World Today) and on Sky News. She is also a sought-after radio guest, appearing on radio in the United States (NPR), Canada (CBC), UK (Times Radio, BBC), and in Australia, on Radio National, where she has been a featured guest on Conversations and numerous other radio programmes.

Sarah loves to speak about her research to a wide audience and has appeared at the Oxford Literary Festival, the Chalke History Festival, and the Byron Bay Writers' Festival.

Works

Search Professor Sarah Percy’s works on UQ eSpace

52 works between 2003 and 2023

41 - 52 of 52 works

2012

Journal Article

Regulating the private security industry: a story of regulating the last war

Percy, Sarah (2012). Regulating the private security industry: a story of regulating the last war. International Review of the Red Cross, 94 (887), 941-960. doi: 10.1017/S1816383113000258

Regulating the private security industry: a story of regulating the last war

2011

Other Outputs

Libya ordeal shows it’s time to police mercenaries

Percy, Sarah (2011, 03 01). Libya ordeal shows it’s time to police mercenaries

Libya ordeal shows it’s time to police mercenaries

2011

Journal Article

Amid Libya slaughter, let’s stop mercenaries

Percy, Sarah (2011). Amid Libya slaughter, let’s stop mercenaries. USA Today

Amid Libya slaughter, let’s stop mercenaries

2011

Book Chapter

The changing character of private force

Percy, Sarah (2011). The changing character of private force. The changing character of war. (pp. 259-281) edited by Hew Strachan and Sibylle Scheipers. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

The changing character of private force

2009

Journal Article

Private security companies and civil wars

Percy, Sarah (2009). Private security companies and civil wars. Civil Wars, 11 (1), 57-74. doi: 10.1080/13698240802407041

Private security companies and civil wars

2009

Book Chapter

Morality and regulation

Percy, Sarah (2009). Morality and regulation. From Mercenaries to Market: The Rise and Regulation of Private Military Companies. Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199228485.003.0002

Morality and regulation

2009

Journal Article

Introduction

Percy, Sarah (2009). Introduction. Civil Wars, 11 (1), 1-4. doi: 10.1080/13698240802407009

Introduction

2008

Book Chapter

The Security Council and the use of private force

Percy, Sarah V. (2008). The Security Council and the use of private force. The United Nations Security Council and war: the evolution of thought and practice since 1945. (pp. 624-642) edited by Vaughan Lowe, Adam Roberts, Jennifer Welsh and Dominik Zaum. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

The Security Council and the use of private force

2007

Journal Article

Mercenaries: strong norm, weak law

Percy, Sarah V. (2007). Mercenaries: strong norm, weak law. International Organization, 61 (2), 367-397. doi: 10.1017/S0020818307070130

Mercenaries: strong norm, weak law

2007

Book

Mercenaries: The History of a Norm in International Relations

Percy, Sarah (2007). Mercenaries: The History of a Norm in International Relations. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Mercenaries: The History of a Norm in International Relations

2006

Book

Regulating the Private Security Industry

Percy, Sarah (2006). Regulating the Private Security Industry. Oxford, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Regulating the Private Security Industry

2003

Journal Article

This gun’s for hire: a new look at an old issue

Percy, Sarah (2003). This gun’s for hire: a new look at an old issue. International Journal, 58 (4), 721-736. doi: 10.1177/002070200305800413

This gun’s for hire: a new look at an old issue

Funding

Current funding

  • 2021 - 2026
    Women in Combat: The Australian Story
    Army History Research Grants
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Associate Professor Sarah Percy is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

Contact Associate Professor Sarah Percy directly for media enquiries about:

  • Maritime security
  • mercenaries
  • Piracy
  • pirates
  • private military companies
  • private security companies
  • Royal Australian Navy
  • women in combat

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au