Ben Clift is Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick , with a career focused on the interplay between technocratic economic governance and political dynamics. He holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield and has held visiting fellowships at Sciences-Po Paris and the University of Oxford . Research spans comparative political economy, IMF policy evolution, and the political economy of climate action Key projects include Leverhulme-funded work on the OBR and UK growth in the context of Brexit Active in disciplinary history of IPE and French political economy studies His recent work analyzes how technocratic institutions like the OBR and IMF approach climate policy and fiscal rules, revealing tensions between ideational rigidity and adaptive governance. Articles in Review of International Political Economy and Comparative European Politics examine the paradoxes of rules-based economic management and the contested politics of expertise. Ben has been recognized with a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship for his work on UK growth challenges. He supervises doctoral students on topics including financialization, European integration, and climate policy dynamics, advancing critical perspectives on capitalist restructuring and social democratic renewal.
Professor Michael Gordon is a Professor of Law at the University of Liverpool, affiliated with the School of Law and Social Justice within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He holds a Law degree from Queens' College, University of Cambridge, and a PhD from the University of Manchester. His research focuses on UK constitutional law, parliamentary sovereignty, Brexit implications, and constitutional reform, with notable contributions including his monograph Parliamentary Sovereignty in the UK Constitution (2015) and ongoing engagement with Brexit-related legal challenges. He co-authored Cases and Materials on Constitutional and Administrative Law and is co-editor of the UK Constitutional Law Association Blog. Teaching interests include Public Law and Jurisprudence, with awards including the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Learning and Teaching Prize (2014, 2016). He supervises PhD students researching public law and legal theory, with a focus on UK, European, and international dimensions. Professional activities include membership in the Study of Parliament Group, UK Constitutional Law Association, and Society of Legal Scholars, alongside peer review roles with the AHRC. Research highlights include the British Academy-funded project Twenty Years On: Assessing the State of New Labour's Constitution (2017–2017). His work frequently addresses the interplay between law and politics, democratic accountability, and post-Brexit governance challenges, with media commentary across television, radio, and print outlets.
Diego Varela Pedreira is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, International Relations and European Studies at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași, Romania. He is habilitated to supervise doctoral research and holds a Jean Monnet Chair in European Political Economy. He has served as a visiting professor at several institutions, including Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, the National School of Political and Administrative Studies in Bucharest, and Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava. His educational background includes an MSc in European Studies (with distinction, 1998) and a PhD in Government (2002) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He completed undergraduate studies in economics in Spain, complemented by international experience in Finland and Brazil through Erasmus and scholarship programs. His research focuses on European political economy, EU integration, democratic institutions, collective action, and international politics. He has made significant contributions to academic infrastructure by founding the EUROSCI Network in 2016, establishing the International Summer School at Universidade da Coruña (2014–2016), and founding and editing the European Journal of Government and Economics (2012–2016). While no recent articles are listed in the provided text, his academic activities emphasize large-scale cooperative teaching, online education, and global outreach in European studies. Honors and Distinctions: Jean Monnet Chair in European Political Economy (2017–2018) Robert Schuman Scholar, European Parliament Fundación Caixagalicia Scholarship Fundación Pedro Barrié de la Maza Scholarship The British Council Scholarship Fundación Ramón Areces Scholarship Diego Varela Pedreira has supervised doctoral candidates and contributes significantly to academic leadership and curriculum development. He leads major educational projects such as the Global Outreach Commission , SOTNIA (Syndicated Online Teaching for the Network and Independent Affiliates) , and initiatives on international conflict and cooperation. These projects often involve transnational collaboration and courses with up to one hundred students. He is actively involved in organizing academic events and discussions on economic policy in Romania and the Eurozone, including topics such as budget deficits, internal devaluation, inflation differentials, and electoral impacts on economic stability.
Eva Erman is Professor of Political Science at Stockholm University and Deputy Head of the Department of Political Science. She serves as Chief Editor of Ethics & Global Politics and has held visiting scholar positions at institutions including the University of Melbourne, London School of Economics, and George Mason University. Her research bridges political philosophy, global democracy, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence governance. Her scholarly work emphasizes meta-theoretical and methodological questions in political theory, focusing on feasibility, epistemic norms, and the interplay between moral and political legitimacy. She explores the democratization of global governance structures and the role of civil society actors in transnational decision-making processes. Key article themes since 2025 include algorithmic fairness, moral norms in AI governance, and democratic challenges in transnational AI frameworks 2024 contributions analyze legitimacy, behaviorism in political realism, and function-sensitive approaches to global governance 2023 research expands on empirical and normative AI governance, political normativity definitions, and behavioral theory critiques Erman's academic leadership extends to organizing international workshops and refereeing for top journals like Journal of Philosophy , American Political Science Review , and Political Studies . Her projects address critical intersections of technology, democracy, and justice in the 21st century.
Name: Alexander Katsaitis Position: Associate Professor, Docent Affiliation: Department of Political Science, Stockholm University Email: a.katsaitis@statsvet.su.se ORCID: 0000-0002-9427-6328 Education: PhD, University College London (October 2016) Research Focus: Alexander Katsaitis's research centers on the intersection of policymaker-organized interest interactions, decision-making procedures, and transnational partisan linkages. His work aims to enhance government policymaking through evidence-based recommendations in governance, transparency, and accountability. He has explored regulatory modernization in lobbying, gender representation in EU lobbying, and the evolving nature of EU business lobbying. Publications Trends: Katsaitis has published extensively on EU governance, business-government relations, and transparency mechanisms. His work includes a monograph on "Business Lobbying in the EU" (2021) and co-edited the "Handbook on Lobbying & Public Policy" (2024). Recent articles focus on political financing tracking, lobbying ethics, and institutional dynamics in the European Parliament. Previous Appointments: Before joining Stockholm University, Katsaitis held fellowships at the London School of Economics, European University Institute, and University of Oslo.
Miriam Hartlapp serves as Professor for Comparative Politics: Germany and France at the Freie Universität Berlin (FUB), where she has held her position since April 2017. Prior to joining FUB, she occupied professorial chairs at Leipzig University (2014-2017) and the University of Bremen (2013-2014), with earlier research roles at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, and WZB Berlin Social Science Center. She is affiliated with the Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science within the Department of Political and Social Sciences. Her research centers on European integration and comparative politics, specifically examining power dynamics, polarization, and conflict within the EU multilevel system. She investigates intersections between EU economic and social integration, representation mechanisms in political institutions, and the evolving role of soft law in EU governance. Current projects include 'Varieties of Procurement Regimes: How Do States Procure Strategically and to What Effect?' (Strategic Procurement with David Levi-Faur) and 'Reconfiguring EU through Spending' (ReSpend), which analyze strategic public procurement and EU spending policies respectively. Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals a dominant focus on EU soft law mechanisms, public procurement systems, and gender representation in EU institutions. Her work demonstrates increasing attention to green-social policy synergies in procurement, Eurosceptic polarization effects, and the reconfiguration of EU social policy through spending instruments. Methodologically, she employs comparative analysis centered on France and Germany while examining institutional dynamics across EU policy domains. Professor Hartlapp actively leads the ReSpend project team at the Otto Suhr Institute, investigating how EU spending patterns reshape integration processes. Her research integrates theoretical frameworks from political economy, institutional analysis, and gender studies to address contemporary challenges including populism, democratic representation gaps, and sustainable policy transitions within the European project.
Asma Khalifa is a Doctoral Researcher at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) since October 2018, specializing in the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies and enrolled in the GIGA Doctoral Programme . Her work focuses on gender dynamics in conflict zones, particularly examining war's impact on gender relations in Libya and Bosnia through comparative analysis. Education: M.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies (Hacettepe University, Turkey), LL.B. (Africa University, Libya) Asma's research spans gender-based violence policies (including during the pandemic), peacebuilding strategies , and post-conflict societal structures . She has contributed to projects like the Policy Tracker on Gender-Based Violence (2020-2021) funded by BMZ, analyzing governmental responses to GBV during crises. Her recent publications explore participatory approaches to conflict and climate challenges in MENA regions, identity formation among Libya's Imazighen during war, and youth struggles in post-conflict environments. She actively participates in academic events as speaker ( GIGA Talk: The Shadow Pandemic 2021) and panelist ( Making Things Worse? The Fight Against Violence and Crime 2019), collaborating with experts like Prof. Dr. Merike Blofield and Johanna Pieper. Her email contact is asma.m.khalifa@gmail.com .
Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels is a Full Professor of Comparative Politics and European Integration at the Institute of Political Science, University of Tübingen, within the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences. She has held a Jean Monnet Chair since 2011 and served as Director of the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence PRRIDE (2015–2018) and President of the German Political Science Association (DVPW) from 2012 to 2015. Since 2021, she has been a member of the Constitutional Court of Baden-Württemberg, underscoring her significant role in public and academic life. Research Interests: Her research spans Comparative Politics , European Integration , Gender Studies , Federalism , and EU Governance . She investigates the role of regional parliaments, gender equality policy, democratization, and the legitimacy of EU institutions, with a focus on the Conference on the Future of Europe and the von der Leyen Commission. Her work integrates feminist theory into European integration studies, analyzing gendered dimensions of leadership, representation, and policy-making. Recent Publications: Her most recent scholarly contributions examine masculinities in post-conflict settings, gender and intersectionality in the 2021 German election, and the EU's gender equality strategy. She has also published extensively on regional governance, parliamentary scrutiny, and historical perspectives on women's political representation. Her work appears in journals like Peacebuilding , Journal of Common Market Studies , and The Journal of Legislative Studies , and in edited volumes on gender and EU politics. Scientific Awards and Honors: Jean Monnet Chair 'ad personam' (since 2011) President, German Political Science Association (2012–2015) Director, Jean Monnet Center of Excellence PRRIDE (2015–2018) Member, Constitutional Court of Baden-Württemberg (since 2021) Advising and Grants: She has supervised numerous Master's theses in the 'Democracy and Governance in Europe' (MADRE) program and led funded research projects, including the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence. She has participated in EU-funded initiatives such as Erasmus+ and organized student excursions to Brussels, facilitating direct engagement with EU institutions and practitioners. Her leadership roles in research centers and academic associations reflect sustained grant and institutional support. Labs and Teams: She leads research within the Institute of Political Science and collaborates with the European Center for Research on Federalism. She has coordinated the PRRIDE research center and works with a team including Dr. Martin Große Hüttmann, Dr. Lisa Damaschke-Deitrick, and other scholars. Her work involves close collaboration with international partners and visiting scholars, fostering a dynamic research environment focused on European integration and governance.
Hossam Hewidy is a Senior University Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning at Aalto University's Department of Architecture, where he serves as Head of Major in Architecture for the Master’s Programme and Head of the Minor in Urban and Regional Planning. With dual expertise as an architect and urban planner, he bridges professional practice and academic research in Nordic urban contexts. His educational background includes a DSc, MSc, and BA in Architecture. Research interests span multicultural planning, placemaking, power dynamics in planning, spatial justice, land use and climate change mitigation, planning education, and public libraries as urban hubs. His work critically examines immigrant entrepreneurship, ethnic retail landscapes, and spatial justice through Helsinki case studies. Recent publications (2021-2025) reveal three dominant trends: (1) Analysis of public libraries as social infrastructure across Nordic cities, (2) Investigation of spatial justice in Helsinki planning competitions and immigrant spaces, and (3) Exploration of urban resilience through Finnish regional development frameworks. His scholarship consistently centers marginalized voices in planning processes. Hewidy's scientific recognition includes: Best Diploma Thesis Grant by OSKARI VILAMON RAHASTON (2020) for supervising Heta Seppälä's urban metabolism research Lappset Prize (2018) for supervising award-winning landscape architecture thesis He has secured funding from the Academy of Finland, Finnish Ministry of Environment’s Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, BEMINE consortium, and EU regional instruments. As AESOP Executive Committee member and GPEAN Secretary, he shapes global planning education standards while leading curriculum development for post-pandemic mixed-modality teaching in architecture studios. His departmental leadership extends to evolving the Architecture Major and Urban Planning Minor programs, with current focus on integrating climate resilience into spatial planning education and examining public libraries as critical social infrastructure in urban transformation.
Dr. Mina Ibrahim is a Researcher at the Center for Conflict Research (ZfK) at Philipps University of Marburg , Germany. She is also the founder and director of Shubra’s Archive for Research & Development (SARD) in Cairo, Egypt, and serves as a project manager for the MENA Prison Forum and Institute for Foreign Relations (IFA) in Lebanon and Germany. PhD in Cultural Studies & Social Sciences (2022, Summa Cum Laude), Justus Liebig University & GCSC Giessen Master of Arts (2015, Cum Laude), Central European University (CEU), Hungary Bachelor of Arts (2014, Highest Honours), American University in Cairo (AUC), Egypt Her research explores minority dynamics , prison studies , urban sociology , and archives of conflict in the Middle East. Recent publications focus on Coptic Christian identity, sectarianism, and post-revolutionary Egypt. She has received prestigious fellowships from the DFG , Arab Council for Social Sciences , and Carnegie Endowment . Dr. Ibrahim supervises graduate students and teaches courses on prison systems, ethnography, and Middle Eastern cultural studies. Her fieldwork bridges Germany , Egypt , and Lebanon , emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to power, memory, and urban marginalization .
Jeremy Engels is the Liberal Arts Endowed Professor of Communication Arts & Sciences at Pennsylvania State University and Barry Director of the Paterno Fellows Program. His work focuses on communication ethics, democracy studies, and mindfulness practices. He holds a B.A. from University of Kansas (2002), M.A. from University of Illinois (2003), and Ph.D. from University of Illinois (2006). Professor Engels has received prestigious awards including the Karl Wallace Award and New Investigator Award from the National Communication Association, as well as the 2017 College of Liberal Arts Teaching Award. He teaches courses on communication ethics, democratic theory, and yoga/mindfulness-based pedagogy. His research explores democracy’s historical foundations to reimagine its future, with notable works like The Ethics of Oneness (2021) and Enemyship (2010). Engels’ scholarship bridges American philosophical traditions with Eastern thought, emphasizing rhetorical analysis of political emotions like resentment and gratitude. He also co-founded Yoga Lab, integrating contemplative practices into civic education. Key Research Themes: Democratic deliberation, rhetorical criticism, political affect, mindfulness in education Teaching Contributions: CAS courses on communication ethics, peace rhetoric, and democratic citizenship Public Engagement: Combines academic expertise with yoga instruction to foster civic mindfulness
Ashot S. Aleksanyan is a Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science at Yerevan State University's Faculty of International Relations. His work spans civil society, European integration, and hybrid political dynamics in post-Soviet states. Education : PhD and Doctor of Science from Yerevan State University (2000, 2018) Research : Focuses on civiliarchic democracy, political resilience, and EU-Caucasus relations Publications : 15+ works (2021-2025) on hybrid warfare, populism, and post-Soviet political systems Global Engagement : Visiting Scientist at Friedrich Schiller University Jena (2021-2022) Leadership : Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Political Science. Bulletin of Yerevan University (2021-present)
Anu Puusa is a Professor in Management at the Business School, University of Eastern Finland , with a focus on cooperatives, organizational identity, change, and work-community skills. Her research bridges theory and practice, emphasizing democratic governance, the dual nature of cooperatives, and qualitative methodologies. She serves on boards such as Cooperatives Europe and Pellervo Coop Center , reflecting her commitment to cooperative principles. Research Interests : Co-operatives, Organizational Identity, Change Management, Work-Community Skills, Trust Dynamics, Knowledge Sharing, Innovation Processes Education : Doctor of Philosophy (KTT), with expertise in interpretative paradigm research Recent Publications highlight trends in cooperative governance, resilience in business contexts, and the interplay of trust and member commitment. Her work spans journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings in Journal of Co-operative Organization and Management , Nordic Journal of Business , and Deusto, Estudios Cooperativos . Scientific Awards : Recognized as an awarded teacher Collaborations include partnerships with scholars like Juha Kinnunen, Sami Karhu, and Pasi Tuominen, as well as contributions to projects like the WoCuE Final Report and Elgar Encyclopedia of Innovation Management .
Tanja Karakamisheva Jovanovska is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Law 'Justinian First' in Skopje, affiliated with the University 'Goce Delčev' Štip. She holds a prominent position in constitutional law and European integration studies, teaching courses on constitutional law, EU legal frameworks, political systems, and electoral systems at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Her work focuses on the interplay between constitutional identity, EU integration processes, and the protection of fundamental rights through transnational judicial mechanisms. Her research explores complex issues such as judicial dialogue between European courts, constitutional reform dynamics in post-socialist states, and the challenges of maintaining national sovereignty amid EU conditionality. Notable areas of interest include the legal ramifications of international agreements like the Prespa and Bulgarian treaties, privatization processes, and the role of constitutional courts in mediating political conflicts. Her publications consistently address contemporary constitutional dilemmas, including the EU's constitutional culture gaps, federalism debates, and the impact of cultural heritage disputes on state identity. She has contributed significantly to understanding Macedonia's unique position within the Western Balkans' integration trajectory and the evolving relationship between European legal standards and national constitutional frameworks. Education: Advanced qualifications in constitutional law and European studies (inferred from academic position). Grants/Advising: No explicit information provided in text. Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Institute of Legal and Political Sciences, leading research on constitutional governance and EU law.
Ümit Akcay is a Professor of Economics at the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin) and a researcher at the Institute for International Political Economy (IPE Berlin) since 2017. He previously held academic positions at Istanbul Bilgi University, Atılım University, and METU in Turkey (2016–2017), New York University’s Department of Politics and MEIS (2012–2015), and Ordu University’s Department of Economics (2009–2012). He earned his PhD in Development Economics from Marmara University, Turkey. Research Interests: His work focuses on the political economy of growth regimes, financialization of emerging markets, authoritarian neoliberalism, and the interplay between power blocs and macroeconomic policies. He critically examines Turkey’s economic transformations under the AKP, Poland’s post-neoliberal shifts, and global South dynamics. Publications: Akcay’s recent studies explore authoritarian neoliberalism in Turkey, dependent financialization in emerging economies, and export-led growth strategy transitions. His 2024 article in the Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies analyzes the AKP’s initial decade through a political economy lens, while his 2023 Cambridge Journal of Economics study introduces the concept of 'dependent financialization' in Turkey. Contact: Email: uemit.akcay@hwr-berlin.de , Office: Building E, Room E 1.30, Campus Schöneberg, Berlin.
