The Jean Monnet Chair
Jean Monnet Chair Yannis Stivachtis lecturing on European Security at Rhodes College, January 2020
Yannis Stivachtis and Colin Baker kick off "Bridge the Pond," a collaboration among students and faculty in Blacksburg, VA and Dublin, Ireland
Yannis Stivachtis, professor in the Department of Political Science, will serve as the chair for a three-year term. Stivachtis is also director of the International Studies Program and associate chair of the department.
The Jean Monnet Chair
Jean Monnet Chairs are awarded by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union's Education, Audiovisual, and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The recipients are recognized for their efforts to "deepen teaching in EU studies embodied in the official curriculum of a higher education institution" and are responsible for further "in-depth teaching on EU matters."
In 2020 the EACEA recognized Yannis A. Stivachtis, professor of political science, with a Jean Monnet Chair. Stivachtis' research and teaching interests include the European Union’s strategy, external relations, and interior policies; European organizations; the evolution of international society; international and world order; the study of regional international system/society in Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East; and international security.
Stivachtis has published numerous journal articles and book chapters, as well as several books. He has also presented at several national and international conferences and has given invited talks at the London School of Economics, the Bundeswehr University-Munich, the Pontifican Catholic University of Minas in Brazil, The Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky, the University of Virginia, Kent State University, the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and the University of Central Missouri.
Stivachtis also serves as associate department chair, director of the International Studies Program, and university coordinator for the Diplomacy Lab program. He currently is the editor of the Critical European Studies book series (Routledge) and co-editor of the Athens Journal for Mediterranean Studies; director of the Center for European and Mediterranean Affairs; vice-chair of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships Program of the European Commission-Research Executive Agency; Advisory Board member of the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies, Bellevue University; and senior advisor of the Research Institute for European and American Studies.
- European Union’s strategy, external relations, and interior policies
- European Organizations
- International and world order
- Regional international systems/societies (Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East)
- International Security
Books
Bettina Koch and Yannis A. Stivachtis (eds.), Regional Security in the Middle East: Sectors, Variables and Issues (Bristol: e-International Relations Publishing, May 2019).
Yannis A. Stivachtis (ed.), Conflict and Diplomacy in the Middle East: External Actors and Regional Rivalries (Bristol: e-International Relations Publishing, 2018).
Hartmut Behr and Yannis A. Stivachtis (eds.), Revisiting the Idea of the European Union as Empire, Critical European Studies Series (London: Routledge, 2015).
Yannis A. Stivachtis and Mark Webber (eds.), Europe after Enlargement (London: Routledge, 2014).
Journal Articles
Yannis A. Stivachtis, “Viruses as Enemies, Pandemics as Wars: Implications for National Security Strategy,” special journal issue, Perspectivas – Journal of Political Science, June 2022, pp. 469-483.
Yannis A. Stivachtis, “A Mediterranean Region? Regional Security Complex Theory Revisited,” International Relations, 21(3), 2021, pp. 416-428.
Chelsea Manning and Yannis A. Stivachtis, “Re-negotiating the post-Cold War International Order: Russian Diplomacy under Putin - Strategy, Methods, and Instruments,” Athens Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 7(1), 2020, pp. 65-87.
Yannis A. Stivachtis, “The ‘Civilizing’ Empire: The European Union and the MENA Neighborhood,” Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies, vol. 4(2), 2018, pp. 91-105.
Courses
Fall 2019
This course examines the rise of identity politics, broadly defined, on the European continent in the early to mid-twentieth century. The course also explores historical legacies of totalitarianism and the emergence of new political pressures that are today contributing to the resurgence of nationalism, racism and fascism in Europe, especially relative to the migration of refugees from the Middle East following the Long Arab Spring. However, in-class discussion will also include references to other world regions and the United States.
IS/PSCI 4734: International Conflict Management: Global & Regional Security Governance
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with global and regional security governance and investigate how regional and global international organizations conceptualize security and how they attempt to prevent or manage international conflict. Topics under examination include the United Nations system, the European Union, NATO, the Organization for Security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Organization of American States (OAS), the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and ASEAN.
Spring 2020
This course examines the nature of order in world politics and investigates how order is maintained in the contemporary international system. The course emphasizes the study of world order at the regional level and focuses on Europe. To this end, various theoretical approaches to European integration are analyzed.
IS/PSCI 4736 Multilateral Diplomacy Workshop
This experiential learning course focuses on multilateral diplomacy in the framework of regional international organizations and particularly on NATO and the European Union. The course examines the format and products of such multilateral conferences, decision-making process, and negotiations and utilizes mock exercises to illustrate the strategies and tactics employed by member states.
Fall 2020
The purpose of this course is twofold: first, to familiarize students with the tools necessary to analyze an actor’s foreign policy; and second, to enable students to compare the making and implementation of the US and EU foreign policy. To this end, the course will be divided into three parts. The first part will focus on foreign policy analysis while the second and third parts will examine the US and EU foreign policy.
The purpose of this course is to examine the evolution of transatlantic relations and its impact on European security and world order since 1945. To this end, the course will be divided into five parts. The first part will examine the historical context and theories of transatlantic relations. The second part will focus on the evolution of US-European relations from 1945 to the end of the Cold War and assess their impact on European security and world order. The third part will investigate the evolution of transatlantic relations from the end of the Cold War to 9/11. The fourth part will analyze the impact of international events on US-European relations from 9/11 to 2016. The last part of the course will focus on US-European relations during President Trump’s Administration and assess their impact on European security and world order.
The purpose of this course is twofold: first, it seeks to investigate the relations among the United States, the European Union, Russia and China and assess their impact on world order; and second, to analyze EU-Russia relations and their impact on European Security. To this end, the course will be divided into four parts. The first part will examine Russia’s approach to world order and particularly Moscow’s relations with the United States, the European Union and China. The second part will assess the impact on great powers relations on foreign and security affairs while the third part will focus on global economy (trade and finance). The third part will investigate the impact of great powers relations on climate change and energy.
Spring 2021
IS/PSCI 3116: Selected World Problems: European Security Problems
Analysis of selected European security problems. Examination of how great powers, regional states and international organizations (regional and global) have responded to regional/European security issues and challenges.
IS/PSCI 3074 National Security Strategy: US National Security Strategy & EU Global Strategy
This course introduces the students to the fundamentals of grand strategy and examines their relevance and applicability to the strategies of the United States and the European Union. Topics under examination include levels, types, and sectors of security; the relationship between security and strategy; levels and types of strategy; strategy formulation, implementation and assessment; the relationship between strategy and policy; analysis and comparison of EU and US security strategies.
IS 4024 Seminar in Diplomacy and Security: Diplomacy and Security in the Eastern Mediterranean
Analysis of security issues in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Origins and types of regional security challenges. Examination of how great powers, regional states and international organizations have responded to regional security issues and challenges.
Fall 2021
IS 1104 Introduction to European Studies
This course offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of Europe and is open to students from different majors, departments, and colleges. It explores European history, geography, politics, security, economics, culture, religions, and society. This course serves as an in-major requirement for the new multidisciplinary Major in EUropean & Transatlantic Studies and the new multidisciplinary Minor in EUropean Studies.
IS/PSCI 3804 European Integration
Although the term ‘European integration’ usually refers to political developments in Western Europe following the end of World War II, for the purpose of this course ‘European integration’ will refer to industrial, political, legal, economic, social and cultural integration processes that have taken place in Europe as a whole (including eastern Europe, Russia and Eurasia).
IS/PSCI 4024 Seminar in Diplomacy and Security: EU-Great Powers Relations and World Order
The purpose of the course is twofold: first, to examine the relations between the EU, one the one hand, and the United States, Russia, and China on the other; and second, to investigate the implications of the relations among these actors for the present and future world order.
Investigation of the historical and geopolitical causes of the Greek-Turkish disputes and the Cyprus conflict. Examination of the military, political, legal, economic, societal, and energy aspects of the Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus conflict. Identification and discussion of the implications of the Greek-Turkish disputes and the Cyprus conflict for international/European security as well as on European and transatlantic relations. Analysis of the diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing the Greek-Turkish disputes and the Cyprus conflict and examination of the reasons for diplomatic failure.
IS/PSCI 4736 Multilateral Diplomacy Workshop: The European Union & NATO
This experiential learning course focuses on multilateral diplomacy in the framework of regional international organizations and particularly on NATO and the European Union. The course examines the format and products of such multilateral conferences, decision-making process, and negotiations and utilizes mock exercises to illustrate the strategies and tactics employed by member states.
Spring 2022
Examination of the causes and types of domestic and international terrorism. Discussion of the strategies and approaches to combatting terrorism. Analysis of the counterterrorist strategies and policies of the European Union and the United States. Discussion of the relationship between individual EU member states’ counterterrorist policies and their impact on the EU counterterrorist efforts. The impact of state-federal government relationship on the effectiveness of the U.S. counterterrorist efforts. Examination of the impact of counterterrorist-related bureaucratic structures on counterterrorism effectiveness.
IS/PSCI/GEOG 3844: European Geopolitics
Analysis of the effects of human and physical geography on European politics and security. Topics under discussion include the geopolitics of energy, the geopolitics of identity, the geopolitics of migration, the geopolitics of religion and culture, the international law of the sea and European geopolitics, climate change and geopolitics, the geography of European conflicts, great powers and European geopolitics, etc.
IS/PSCI 4114: Topics in EU Policies: (EU)ropean Security Governance
Examination of the European Union security governance. Emphasis on the EU’s Common Security & Defense Policy (CSDP). Analysis of the relationship between the EU system of security governance and the much broader European security governance. Discussion of the relationship between the EU on the one hand and NATO, OSCE, CoE and Russia/CSTO on the other. Examination of how the EU and other regional security organizations have responded to regional/European security issues and challenges.
Fall 2022
IS 1104 Introduction to European Studies
An introduction to the history, geography, politics, economy, culture, religions, and society in Europe. Survey of European sub-regions and states.
IS/PSCI 3804 European Integration
Analysis of the process of industrial, political, legal, economic, social and cultural integration of states in Europe as a whole or within a European sub-region. History and theories of European integration. Examination of various European organizations (i.e., EU, NATO, OSCE, OECD, CoE, CIS, EAEU, CSTO, SCO) whose actions reflect different approaches to and different degrees of integration in Europe.
IS/PSCI 4736 Topics in Multilateral Diplomacy Workshop: The European Union & NATO
The purpose of this course is to familiarize the students with various aspects of multilateral diplomacy and the decision-making mechanisms of the EU and NATO.
K-12 Education
“Great Powers, marginalized nations, and the Geopolitics of Eastern Europe.” Presentation at the Virginia Geographers Association, Richmond, VA, 9 October, 2022.
“US Foreign Policy Doctrines & Theories.” Presentation at the Chesapeake Public Schools Social Studies Symposium, Chesapeake, VA, 30 August 2022.
“Contemporary Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Challenges.”Presentation at the Virginia Council for Social Studies (VCSS), Richmond, VA, 31 August 2022.
“Classical and Contemporary Geopolitical Theories and their Impact on US Foreign Policy”. Presentation to visiting high school students, Virginia Tech, April 2022.
“The European Union: History, Structure, and Policymaking”. Presentation to the 2nd Annual EU Debate and Symposium, Virginia Tech, March 15, 2022.
National Council for the Social Studies Centennial Conference, Washington DC, “Strengthening K-12 Education: The Role of Jean Monnet Chairs and Jean Monnet Centers of Excellence,” December 2021