▁Dis arm ament ▁before ▁taking ▁up ▁research ▁on ▁UK ▁defence ▁policies ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁fellow ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁Richard son ▁Institute ▁for ▁Conf lict ▁and ▁Peace ▁Research ▁( located ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁in ▁London ) ▁and ▁then ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Econom ics ▁at ▁B irk beck ▁College ▁in ▁London . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁Smith ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁fre el ance ▁research er ▁and ▁writer . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁he ▁became ▁co - direct or ▁of ▁the ▁Trans n ational ▁Institute ▁in ▁Amsterdam , ▁becoming ▁its ▁sole ▁director ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁and ▁then ▁moving ▁to ▁Os lo ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁international ▁Peace ▁Research ▁Institute ▁Os lo ▁( PRI O ) ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁he ▁held ▁a ▁brief ▁fellow ship ▁at ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁Nobel ▁Institute ▁ ▁and ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁at ▁the ▁H ellen ic ▁Foundation ▁for ▁Foreign ▁and ▁European ▁Policy ▁( E LI AME P ) ▁in ▁Ath ens . ▁ ▁Smith ▁was ▁the ▁Secretary ▁General ▁of ▁International ▁Alert ▁between ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁and ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁Smith ▁was ▁appointed ▁part - time ▁Professor ▁of ▁Peace ▁and ▁Conf lict ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Manchester ’ s ▁Human itar ian ▁and ▁Conf lict ▁Response ▁Institute . ▁▁ ▁In ▁September