Dr. Adnan Vatansever is a Reader in Russian Political Economy at the King’s Russia Institute, part of King's College London’s School of Politics & Economics within the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy. He holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins University and an M.A. from Georgetown University. His research focuses on the political economy of energy and economic policy in Russia/Eurasia, including energy subsidies, sanctions, EU-Russian relations, and state-business dynamics. Key research interests include the political economy of energy transitions, smart sanctions’ impact on Russia, and the role of economic rents in authoritarian regimes. His notable works include Oil in Putin’s Russia (2021) and contributions to understanding sanctions evasion strategies in oil-rich states. He has supervised PhD students exploring energy policy in resource-rich states and led the REACT project (2015–2017) on critical infrastructure resilience. His work frequently addresses geopolitical energy challenges and European energy security.
Dr. Ksenia Kirkham serves as a Lecturer in Economic Warfare within the Department of War Studies at King's College London. Her interdisciplinary research examines the political economy of sanctions, economic security, and global supply chain vulnerabilities. Kirkham's research interests focus on the mechanisms and impacts of economic sanctions, energy security dynamics in Eurasia, and the intersection of economic policy with sustainable development. She investigates how sanctions affect global supply chains, particularly in critical sectors like clean energy technology and resource markets. Her publications explore diverse aspects of economic statecraft, including comparative analyses of sanctions regimes, examination of their humanitarian consequences, and theoretical frameworks for understanding economic warfare. Recent work addresses how sanctions influence green energy transitions and reshape global economic relationships. Kirkham has edited significant scholarly resources including The Routledge Handbook of the Political Economy of Sanctions , which brings together international experts to analyze sanctions from multiple perspectives. She teaches modules on Contemporary Conflicts, National Security Studies, and Strategic Communications. She contributes to King's research initiatives including the Economic Conflict & Competition Research Group and serves as editor for publications examining sanctions frameworks globally.
Amir Magdy Kamel is Senior Lecturer in the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London and a Fellow of the university’s Institute of Middle Eastern Studies. He also teaches within the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy and is affiliated with the Environmental Security and Economic Conflict & Competition research groups at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham. Education: PhD Middle East & Mediterranean Studies, King’s College London (2013) MSc International Relations (2009) BSc Economics with Management Systems (2008) Research Interests: Kamel’s work sits at the intersection of international political economy and security studies. He pursues two major strands: (1) the political and economic dynamics of EU and US foreign policies toward the Middle East, with deep empirics on Iran, Iraq, Egypt and Libya; and (2) the geopolitical implications of cryptocurrencies and distributed-ledger technologies for state authority and multilateral governance. His recent publications explore coercive diplomacy in the Trump-Iran era, the failure of interdependence-based US policy in Egypt, and the role of EU trade in aggravating or ameliorating Libya’s ongoing crises. Across his corpus he blends policy analysis with theoretical insights from bargaining theory, game-theoretic models and IPE. Policy Engagement: Beyond academia, Kamel has spent more than a decade advising international government agencies and consulting on MENA political risk for economic intelligence firms. He serves on the steering committee of a nuclear-policy NGO and frequently contributes to mainstream media and policy fora. Teaching & Supervision: He leads modules on International Security, Defence Studies, Strategy, Research Methods and International Political Economy, and supervises doctoral projects on contemporary Middle-East political economy, trans-Atlantic foreign policy, and cryptocurrencies in global affairs.
Pablo La Porte is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Sciences and Languages & Intercultural Studies at Heriot-Watt University. He holds a prestigious fellowship from the Higher Education Academy (2002–present). His research focuses on international political perceptions (1919-1939), the League of Nations' role in world order, and the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco (1912-1936) as a case study of Spanish liberalism's decline. He is actively supervising doctoral projects on these themes. Research interests span colonial history, Moroccan-Spanish-French-British dynamics, and 20th-century international diplomacy. Recent work includes analyses of the League of Nations' mandate system, colonial rivalries, and the Rif War's humanitarian dimensions. His scholarship bridges historical analysis with contemporary debates on colonial legacies and state apologies. Published 29 articles/chapters, including peer-reviewed works in Hispania Nova , Diplomacy and Statecraft , and International History Review Editorial roles with European History Quarterly , Journal of North African Studies , and Cambridge University Press Invited speaker at global institutions like the University of Bristol and University of Santiago de Compostela His work highlights colonial entanglements' impact on political systems, using Morocco as a critical lens to explore European imperialism and post-WWI international governance.
Robert Sutter is a Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the Elliott School of George Washington University (2011–present), concurrently serving as Special Adviser to the Dean on Strategic Outreach (2021–present). Previously, he held a full-time position as Visiting Professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University (2001–2011). He directed the Elliott School’s undergraduate program (2013–2019), overseeing 2,000+ students. Education: Ph.D. in History and East Asian Languages from Harvard University. Research focuses on U.S.-China relations, China’s rise, Asian security dynamics, and congressional influence on U.S. foreign policy. He has authored 23 books, 300+ articles, and hundreds of government reports analyzing East Asia-Pacific geopolitics and U.S. policy. Teaching includes courses on East Asian history, U.S.-Asia relations, China’s rise, and Taiwan’s foreign policy. His work bridges academic analysis and policy-relevant research, informed by decades of government service in intelligence, congressional research, and diplomatic roles. Prior government career (1968–2001) included roles as National Intelligence Officer for East Asia at the National Security Council, China division director at the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff member.
Jan A. Lindegren has been a Professor of History at Uppsala University since 1995 and was elected as a member of the Academia Europaea in 2003. His scholarly work centers on the interplay between war and society in early modern Scandinavia, with particular attention to state-building, military logistics, and the social consequences of warfare. Research Interests: His research spans several interconnected domains of early modern history: War and society in Scandinavia during the 16th–18th centuries Social effects of prolonged warfare on civilian populations State-building processes driven by military needs Financing of wars and resource mobilization Military logistics and supply chains in pre-industrial Europe These interests are reflected in his extensive publication record, which includes comparative studies of Swedish and Danish military resource systems, analyses of Swedish expansionist policies under the Vasa and later dynasties, and detailed investigations into the logistical challenges of campaigns such as the 1718 Norwegian offensive. Scientific Recognition: In 2003, Jan A. Lindegren was elected as a member of the Academia Europaea , the European Academy of Humanities, Letters and Sciences, acknowledging his significant contributions to historical scholarship. Academic Contributions: Beyond his monographs and articles, Lindegren has contributed to public and academic discourse through lectures and installations, including his 1995 inaugural lecture at Uppsala University titled Sverige under stormaktstiden, expansionistisk krigsstat (Sweden during the Age of Greatness, an Expansionist War State), which encapsulates his analytical framework on the militarization of the Swedish state.
Tanja Schweinberger is an Assistant Professor of International Political Economy at the Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen. Her research focuses on trade politics, economic cooperation, U.S.-China relations, and experimental methodologies in political science. Research interests include: Economic conflict and cooperation dynamics Survey-based experimental approaches Text analysis of political discourse Bilateral trade policy formation Her publications analyze international economic relations through micro-level perspectives and experimental evidence.
William W. Grimes is a Professor of International Relations and Political Science at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies. He has held this position since 1996 and previously served as Associate Dean of the Pardee School and the first Director of the BU Center for the Study of Asia. His research focuses on Japanese and East Asian political economy, international financial governance, and regional cooperation in Asia. Grimes has held visiting roles at Harvard University, the Japanese Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Japan, and institutions in Australia. Education: B.A. in East Asian Studies, Yale University M.P.A. in International Relations, Princeton University Ph.D. in Politics, Princeton University Research interests include the political economy of Japan, East Asian financial regionalism, and the intersection of macroeconomic policy with global governance. Notable works include Currency and Contest in East Asia: The Great Power Politics of Financial Regionalism (2008), which won the Ohira Prize, and Unmaking the Japanese Miracle (2001). He has been honored with two Fulbright Fellowships and a Japan Foundation grant. Grimes’ recent scholarship emphasizes financial cooperation dynamics in East Asia, including the role of regional institutions like AMRO and ASEAN+3, as well as the evolving Indo-Pacific economic order. His work bridges academic analysis with policy engagement, collaborating with governments and financial professionals in Japan and the U.S. Awards and recognition include: 2010 Masayoshi Ohira Prize Asia Society’s Bernard Schwartz Book Award Honorable Mention Fulbright Fellowships (multiple years) Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership grant Grimes advises on financial policy and innovation, leveraging his expertise in macroeconomic politics and transnational financial systems. He remains active in both academic circles and policy forums, advocating for evidence-based approaches to global economic challenges.
Min Ye is a Professor of International Relations and member of the Globalization, Finance, Politics, and Security (GFPS) group at Boston University's Pardee School of Global Studies. She specializes in Chinese political economy, comparative studies of China and India, East Asian international relations, and globalization dynamics focusing on transnational immigration and foreign investment. Education: Ph.D. from Princeton University, M.A. from University of South Carolina, and B.A. from Beijing University, China. Research focuses on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), state-driven globalization strategies, diaspora impacts on foreign investment, and regional security dynamics. Her notable works include The Belt, Road and Beyond (Cambridge 2020) and Diasporas and Foreign Direct Investment in China and India (Cambridge 2014). Ye has held leadership roles including directing the East Asian Studies program (2010-2014) and launching the Asian Studies major at Boston University. She served as Pardee School Director of Undergraduate Studies (2017-2019) and has been a visiting scholar at Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and institutions in India, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Her grants/fellowships include the Smith Richardson Foundation grant (2016-2018), East Asia Peace fellowship (2013), and Public Intellectual Program fellowship (2014-2016). Her research bridges policy analysis with geopolitical strategy, emphasizing China's global economic engagements and regional diplomacy.
Siyao Li is an Assistant Professor of International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) and an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Political Science. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania (2022) and a Master’s in Statistics from The Wharton School. Her research focuses on the politics of foreign direct investment (FDI), trade, and business-government relations, particularly in weak institutional environments and China's political economy. She employs mixed methods, including statistical analysis and survey experiments, to study technology assets, intangible property protection, and the interplay of geopolitics with economic policies. Education includes a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a MA in Statistics from Wharton. Previously, she was a GPEP Predoctoral Fellow at Georgetown University's Mortara Center for International Studies (2020-2021). Currently, she serves as a non-resident Center Associate at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Study of Contemporary China. Her research interests emphasize technology-driven economic interactions, state competition in the global economy, and the resurgence of geopolitics in international trade. She also explores how firms secure property rights in unstable regimes, with a focus on intangible assets like technology. Scientific Awards: Recipient of the International Studies Association's IPE Best Graduate Student Paper award. In advising and grants, she has mentored students through her fellowship at Georgetown and currently engages with graduate and undergraduate education in GSPIA. She teaches courses on International Political Economy (PIA 2301) and Contemporary China's role in it (PIA 2474). Her work is published in Journal of Conflict Resolution , Journal of European Public Policy , and Political Science Research and Methods , reflecting her expertise in empirical political economy and institutional analysis. She collaborates with interdisciplinary networks like the Critical Political Economy Research Network (CPERN), though no specific lab or team is explicitly mentioned. Her academic profile highlights engagement with current debates on China’s global economic strategies and the evolving IPE landscape.
Jan Knoerich is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Economy and Institutions at King's College London's Lau China Institute. His research focuses on China's political economy, international economic relations, and the global implications of Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). He has collaborated on projects analyzing SEZ replication in India and Africa, China's economic strategies, and RMB internationalization. Knoerich has contributed written evidence to UK parliamentary committees on China-related policy issues. His work spans over 40 publications since 2010, covering topics like FDI policy frameworks, China-Africa economic ties, and the role of financial centers in currency globalization. He has co-led research projects funded by the British Academy, exploring OFDI impacts in emerging economies and China's economic policies post-19th Party Congress. Education details are not explicitly provided in the text, but his career has focused on political economy with a China specialization. Research interests include: China's international economic relations Foreign Direct Investment dynamics Special Economic Zones and development models Renminbi internationalization Global governance and the liberal international order Recent research trends show a focus on China's economic influence in Africa and South Asia, the geopolitical dimensions of OFDI, and policy frameworks for sustainable development. His collaborative projects highlight interdisciplinary approaches to analyzing SEZ impacts and cross-border investment strategies. No scientific awards are listed in the provided texts. His grant-funded projects include: "Importing export zones" (2021–2024): Investigated SEZ replication in India "Outward FDI and Development" (2018–2019): Analyzed impacts on home economies "Sustaining China's Growth" (2017–2019): Explored finance and innovation linkages He has advised 7 graduate students, though specific names are not disclosed. His work is affiliated with King's Lau China Institute and has produced policy-oriented outputs like the "Zone Social Responsibility Toolbox" and reports on China's economic policies.
Eva Maria Heims is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics at the University of York, where she conducts research and teaching in regulatory governance, political economy, and public policy. Her work bridges historical and contemporary regulatory studies, focusing on issues such as regulatory capture, international cooperation, and state regulation. Her research interests center on regulatory governance , with a particular emphasis on regulatory capture , institutional resilience , and the historical development of regulatory states . She investigates how regulatory bodies maintain autonomy from industry influence, especially in high-stakes sectors like pharmaceuticals and financial services. Her work combines historical institutionalism with contemporary policy analysis, offering insights into how past regulatory frameworks shape current practices. The recent trends in her publications reveal a strong focus on preventing regulatory failure , designing resilient regulatory institutions , and understanding international regulatory cooperation under conditions of mistrust. Her work spans both theoretical and practical domains, including practitioner-oriented guides and scholarly analyses of long-term regulatory evolution. Scientific Awards: Executive Politics and Governance Specialist Group Early Career Award (2014) LSE Government Department Teaching Award (2013) LSE Centre for Analysis of Risk and Regulation Doctoral Prize (2013) Research Leadership and Grants: Dr Heims was the Principal Investigator on the ESRC-funded project Re-evaluating Regulatory Capture: The Limits of Industry Influence in Pharmaceutical and Consumer Financial Regulation (2020–2023), which examined how regulatory bodies resist industry pressure. She has also served as a peer reviewer for leading journals including Political Studies and Economy and Society , and has been a member of editorial boards and research groups. Labs and Research Groups: She chaired the seminar series Regulatory Capture Re-visited in January 2024, indicating active leadership in collaborative research networks focused on governance and regulation.
Pablo Pinto is a Distinguished Professor at the Hobby School of Public Affairs, University of Houston, where he also serves as Director of the Center for Public Policy. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego, an M.A. from Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan, and a law degree from Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina. He previously served on the faculty at Columbia University and was Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Houston (2014–2017). Education: Ph.D., Political Science and International Affairs, University of California, San Diego M.A., Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan Law Degree, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina His research focuses on the political economy of globalization, examining how interactions between economic agents and governments shape fiscal policy, taxation, political representation, and public opinion. His expertise includes international and comparative political economy, quantitative methods, and policy analysis, with regional focus on Latin America, East Asia, and U.S. subnational politics. He employs formal modeling, quantitative analysis, and historical narratives to study foreign direct investment, economic integration, and voter behavior. The body of his scholarly work reveals a strong emphasis on the impact of multinational corporations on domestic policy, the determinants of taxation in federal systems, and the formation of individual policy preferences in a globalized world. His publications span top journals in political science and international relations, reflecting interdisciplinary rigor and methodological sophistication. Scientific Awards: 2016 Midwest Political Science Association Award for Best Paper in International Relations Bruce Russett Award for Best Article in the Journal of Conflict Resolution (2022) Pinto has advised numerous academic initiatives and research programs through his leadership roles. He served as co-editor of Economics & Politics from 2017 to 2022 and has held visiting appointments at institutions including New York University, Rice University’s Baker Institute, and the Saltzman Institute at Columbia. He has received research grants supporting work on foreign direct investment, fiscal federalism, and political behavior, though specific grant titles are not listed in the source text. His leadership in founding the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at Universidad Nacional de La Plata highlights his commitment to institutional development. He is affiliated with several research centers and academic networks, including the Center for Public Policy at the Hobby School, where he leads interdisciplinary research on public policy challenges. His work bridges academia and policy practice, informed by his prior role as Chief Counsel for Toyota Argentina (1996–1998).
Philippe Le Corre serves as a Senior Research Fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and held a fellow-in-residence position at CY Advanced Studies (CY Cergy Paris University) as of 2020. His work centers on Sino-European geopolitical dynamics and China's global economic strategies. Le Corre's research examines China's evolving relationship with the European Union through the lens of economic statecraft, analyzing how Chinese state-owned enterprises expanded their European footprint post-2008 financial crisis and navigated the complexities of the Belt and Road Initiative. His scholarship highlights the tension between Chinese strategic investments in European infrastructure and the EU's growing perception of China as both an economic partner and 'systemic rival,' with particular focus on soft power competition and fragmented European responses to Chinese engagement strategies across member states. His work demonstrates consistent analysis of European institutional responses to Chinese economic statecraft, tracking shifts from initial optimism about Chinese liberalization to contemporary strategic competition frameworks. Le Corre's research trajectory reveals deepening scrutiny of China's 'community of friends' strategy in Europe and the geopolitical implications of Chinese harbor acquisitions like Piraeus.
Associate Professor Andrew Kennedy is a leading academic at the Crawford School of Public Policy , Australian National University (ANU), specializing in international politics with a focus on China, India, and the United States. His research examines the globalization of innovation, US-China high-tech rivalry, and China’s rise as a technology power. He has also extensively studied Cold War and post-Cold War foreign policies of China and India, supported by grants such as the ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Key research themes include technological competition dynamics, state-driven innovation systems, and the geopolitical implications of China’s technological ascent. Kennedy is affiliated with ANU’s Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions , contributing to initiatives like the Zero Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific (ZCEAP) program. His work bridges policy analysis, historical studies, and contemporary global challenges. Affiliations: ANU Crawford School, ANU Climate Institute Research Groups: Climate Economics, Energy Policy Recent publications (2020–2025) emphasize US-China tech rivalry, China’s guided innovation systems, and resilience strategies against technological decoupling. His 2019 work on diplomatic negotiations and 2015 comparative studies on India/China innovation pathways highlight interdisciplinary strengths. Awards: ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award Grants: Multiple research projects funded by ANU and external bodies Labs/Teams: Active in cross-disciplinary teams addressing climate-energy governance and tech policy at the ANU Institute.
