Oliver Ramsbotham has been Chair of the Board at Oxford Research Group (ORG) since April 2007. He is particularly involved in ORG’s Middle East programme. Oliver is a specialist on conflict resolution and designed an original approach to handling 'intractable' conflict, which he calls ‘radical disagreement’. This approach both informs - and is informed by - ORG's ongoing work with the Palestinian Strategic Group and the Israeli Strategic Forum. 

Oliver is Emeritus Professor of Conflict Resolution at the University of Bradford (UK) and President of the Conflict Research Society. He is series Co-Editor of Routledge Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution.

In addition to many articles, he has published books relevant to all three areas of ORG's programme activity. These include books on nuclear deterrence, alternative defence options, and peacekeeping in the area of sustainable security, as well as books on dialogue and the management of radical disagreement in the Middle East, including 'Transforming Violent Conflict: Radical Disagreement, Dialogue and Survival' (2010). He is also the author of Contemporary Conflict Resolution, with Hugh Miall and Tom Woodhouse (2011) (third edition).