Dorina Baltag

Dorina Baltag is an Excellence 100 Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Diplomacy and International Governance at Loughborough University, where she joined in November 2019 through a competitive selection process that identified 100 outstanding academics across various disciplines. Her research focuses on the intersection of International Relations and European external relations, with particular emphasis on diplomatic practices, foreign policy, and organizational management in European Neighbourhood Policy countries.

Education:

• PhD in International Relations from Loughborough University (2018)
• Research Master in European Studies from Maastricht University (MSc cum laude)
• BA in International Relations from Moldova State University (top 5%)
• Research Year at Jagiellonian University in Poland
• Undergraduate Exchange Year at University of Georgia, USA

Dorina's research addresses fundamental questions about how the EU conducts diplomacy in the digital age, the factors influencing EU diplomatic cooperation in third countries, and methods for evaluating EU performance in Eastern Europe. Her work examines the EU's transformative power beyond enlargement, the impact of normative power, and the effectiveness of Twinning projects in the Eastern neighborhood. She approaches these topics through both theoretical frameworks and empirical analysis of EU-Moldova relations.

Her scholarly contributions have been published in prestigious journals including The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, Studia Diplomatica, and East European Politics. She has also contributed to significant publications such as the Routledge Handbook on the ENP, External Governance as Security Community Building, and co-edited the European Union and Central and Eastern Europe: Assessing Performance with Dimitris Papadimitriou and Neculai-Cristian Surubaru.

Scientific Recognition:

• Excellence 100 Doctoral Prize from Loughborough University
• Marie Curie Fellowship by the European Commission
• Research Studentship by the School of Social Sciences and Humanities
• UACES NORTIA Bursary
• Diversity & Inclusivity grant by Maastricht University

Beyond her research, Dorina has supervised numerous MA and BA theses on EU external relations, EU public policy, and International Relations. She taught in European Studies programs at Maastricht University between 2015-2019, covering courses on EU external relations, negotiations, and qualitative methodology. She is also actively engaged in community development through Noroc Olanda (connecting Moldovans in the Netherlands) and Run Pink Moldova (supporting cancer patients and survivors).