Pembroke College receives funding to open new interdisciplinary research centre to address challenges in conservation and global security

Partners in the new Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute: (L-R) Dr Rob Johnson, Professor Amy Dickman, Dr Thomas Kaplan, Sir Ernest Ryder

Pembroke alumnus and philanthropist Dr Thomas S. Kaplan has committed over £4 million to the College to establish the Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute — the world’s first-ever interdisciplinary research centre dedicated to tackling urgent global challenges at the intersection of environmental conservation and security.

Though often considered in isolation, biodiversity loss and international security are fundamentally interconnected. As outlined in a recent UK Government strategic assessment, the collapse of ecosystems is likely to increase political instability, economic insecurity, conflict, migration, and competition between states for resources.

Based at Pembroke, the Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute will strengthen collaboration between the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) and the Strategy, Statecraft, and Technology (Changing Character of War) Centre (SST-CCW), building on their shared vision of developing informed practitioners applying their research to achieve measurable outcomes. It will fund fellowship programmes, the recruitment of outstanding early-career researchers, first-rate executive training, public engagement opportunities, and cross-disciplinary ventures.

Production of Dr Rob Johnson's 'The Wargame' podcast 

In addition, as innovative intelligence capabilities constitute an essential bridge between both disciplines, the Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute anticipates creating core programming in this third field that comprehensively integrates all the critical elements required to fulfil the Institute’s mission. Dr Kaplan’s investment will thus enable the College to train the next generation of leaders holistically in conservation, intelligence, and statecraft.

Dr Kaplan said: “So much of my life’s work in multiple spheres has been informed and reinforced by applying the undergraduate and post-graduate education in History that I received at Oxford. My wife, Daphne, and I are thrilled to partner with Pembroke in founding such a unique and potent initiative in support of a thriving and most influential research community dedicated to achieving real world impact. Leaders in their own right, WildCRU and SST-CCW will now be equipped to jointly advance both knowledge and action through bespoke collaboration, turbocharging Oxford’s strategic profile in conservation and statecraft, as well as their related disciplines.”

Part of the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology, WildCRU’s mission is to transform wildlife conservation through world-class research, training, and implementation. The research unit comprises an expanding portfolio of international and interdisciplinary research interests and plays a vital role in addressing the planet’s ongoing biodiversity crisis, combining extensive conservation research with policymaking and field intervention. Renowned for its vast leadership in the field, this month WildCRU was named the recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s “Making a Difference Globally Award.”

Professor Amy Dickman pictured with Barabaig Warriors

Professor Amy Dickman has been Director of WildCRU since 2022, as well as Kaplan Senior Research Fellow at Pembroke and joint CEO of Lion Landscapes. She shared: “This gift is extraordinary, and will be transformative for both WildCRU and Pembroke. It reflects Tom’s vision and long-standing commitment to tackling the fields of conservation and international security as a strategic nexus. These challenges cannot be addressed in isolation, and this new initiative will make a pivotal contribution towards combatting some of the most pressing threats of our time.”

The Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute will serve as a collaboration hub and institutional catalyst for the WildCRU and SST-CCW teams. Already based at Pembroke, SST-CCW is a global leader in the study and evaluation of strategy, statecraft, the impact of technological change, and the evolving character and nature of armed conflict. In addition to delivering leadership training and research programmes, SST-CCW has a remarkable track record in producing cutting-edge strategic thinking and shaping government policy around the world.

Director of SST-CCW and Pembroke Senior Research Fellow Dr Rob Johnson commented: “We are honoured to be selected to educate future leaders working at the intersection of conservation and security. Thanks to the generous support of Dr Kaplan, the Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute is ideally positioned to harness the advanced technologies available to develop innovative and integrated approaches to ensuring the protection of wildlife, natural environments, and habitats from the ravages of poaching and war.”

Dr Rob Johnson with US Ambassador

“Crucially, we will be training a new generation of scholars and practitioners in applied history and social science, building out their skills and repertoire of experience in managing crises in an era of intense competition. We will also be preparing them for the toughest assignments as pertaining to conflict — whether in the field or in the informational sphere.”

Master of Pembroke College, Sir Ernest Ryder, said: “Pembroke College is delighted and honoured to host this important and innovative collaboration. We are hugely grateful to Dr Kaplan whose vision and investment in the Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute will see the global impact of both WildCRU and SST-CCW advance substantially. Through collaborative research, implementation and training, the centres will be strategically placed not only to tackle global challenges of geopolitical uncertainty, strategic threats, and biodiversity conservation, but also to examine the interplay between stability, security and conservation in a precarious world.”

Dr Kaplan’s present donation to establish the Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute follows his family’s pioneering contributions to wildlife conservation and to the University. These include the endowment of WildCRU’s Recanati-Kaplan Centre, support for the WildCRU Director, and the funding of Oxford’s Postgraduate Diploma in International Wildlife Conservation Practice, which forms an integral part of WildCRU’s training goals.