Eli is a second-year MPhil candidate in international relations at Nuffield College, Oxford. His research explores the relationship between art and peace in post-conflict societies. His MPhil thesis, supervised by Dr. Samuel Ritholtz, uses ethnographic methods to examine the everyday peacebuilding practices of ex-combatant artists in Colombia. His project incorporates ideas from many disciplines, including art theory, literary criticism, and anthropology.

In general, Eli's work engages with the theoretical and methodological aspects of critical peace research. It exhibits art-based peacebuilding as a promising alternative to conventional peacebuilding projects while also developing how ethnography and participatory research methodologies can contribute to local forms of peacebuilding.

Eli's research interests broadly include peacebuilding, art, ex-combatant reintegration, transitional justice, and the philosophy of social science.

Eli also serves as the Nuffield JCR President. Please direct all JCR-related inquiries to eli.harris-trent@nuffield.ox.ac.uk. 

In April 2023, Eli received his Bachelor of Arts with Highest Honors and Highest Distinction in political science, international studies, and Spanish from the University of Michigan.