 In 1972, he was appointed principal lecturer and Head of Geography at the College of the Venerable Bede, Durham, and in 1979 became lecturer in geography at the University of Durham.In 1995 he was appointed Professor of Geopolitics at the Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Durham, a post he held until 2001.In carrying out research and practical studies on international boundaries, refugee movements, development, strategic resources and transboundary problems, particularly of water, he has worked for many governments and for the United Nations.