Maria Rizou is a third year Ph.D. student in Economic and Social History at King’s College London. Her research interests are in the broad area of refugee flows in 20th and 21st century. In her PhD research she focuses on migration policy as shaped by the United Nations, the European governments as well as the financial system. She does research in the archives of the Bank of England, Hambros Bank, National Bank of Greece, Bank of Greece and European Union, analyzing economic, political and diplomatic documents of the 20th century.

I am currently enrolled in the MA in European Affairs programme at Sciences Po, Paris. Having graduated with a dissertation on the Ukrainian crisis from my BA Hons in International Relations and Development Studies at the University of Westminster, London, I have developed an interest in EU relations with Russia. My research primarily focuses on EU governance, migration, geopolitics, issues of conflict solving, diplomacy, nuclear weapons. My interests are also ethno-nationalism, notions of mass obedience and group conformism, the concept of nation-state, and the 1930s totalitarianist regimes in Europe.

Mira Alexander is currently enrolled in a two year Erasmus Mundus Master in Public Policy, which she will complete at Central European University (Budapest) and the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (Barcelona). Prior to her studies in public policy, she obtained a BA in European Studies from Maastricht University and has gained professional experiences from internships at the Institut für Europäische Politik (Berlin), Europe Direct Info-Point Hamburg, and the Chancellery of the Senate of the City of Hamburg. Mira’s research interests include EU Governance, EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, Security Studies, State Building, and Conflict Resolution.

After graduating from Università Cattolica in Milan, Francesca attended a MSc in Political Economy of Europe at the London School of Economics and she is now about to obtain her Master degree in International Economic Policy from Sciences Po Paris. Before her internship at Politheor, she interned at the Representation of the European Commission in the UK. Her main research interests include the International Monetary System, Financial Regulation and European Governance.

I am a renewable energy policy enthusiast with an LLB in European Law and an MSc in Environment and Development. My interests particularly lie in the potential of off-grid renewable energy in the transition to a low-carbon economy, as well as the role of energy policy and law in assisting leapfrogging in international development. I am currently working as a programme co-ordinator in an international charity which raises funds primarily for humanitarian and environmental causes, and carries out projects throughout Africa and Asia.

Jacob is a prospective graduate student at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where he will pursue a Master’s degree in Theory and History of International Relations. He received his BA in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Mannheim (UMA), Germany with a focus on EU politics, in particular the relationship between the member states and EU institutions. In his Master’s dissertation he intends to apply Historical Institutionalism to the study of European integration. His work experience includes a research assistantship at the Collaborative Research Center “Political Economy of Reforms” at UMA and an editorial traineeship at the newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”.

Florian Trauner is a research professor in European Studies at the Flemish Free University of Brussels (VUB). His research interests include asylum policies, migration policies and home affairs of the European Union. He is an author of many articles in renowned academic journals, and co-author of the book (2015) titled Policy Change in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice: how EU institutions matter, published with Routledge, London.

Stephen Treacy is a graduate of Human Geography at the University of the West of England, Bristol. His research interests span across the field including, but not limited to national identity, xenophobia, clandestine migration, globalisation and urban Geography. Currently he is engaged in voluntary aid work and research within the Grande Synthe refugee camp in Dunkirk, France, whilst re-locating to Krakow, Poland to begin ground work for studying Polish nationalism.

I am a Kenyan national currently pursuing an MA in Public Policy and Administration. I am currently working with an international refugee-serving organization Kenya as the regional advocacy officer covering five countries in Eastern Africa. Previously, I have worked with organizations promoting human rights and civil society development both in Kenya and in the islands of the South Pacific (Vanuatu and Fiji). My interests include democratization in Africa, African foreign policies, immigration and asylum policies and sustainable development.