Prof. Dr. Christian Kaunert

Professor Christian Kaunert is the ICPS Director and Professor/Chair of Policing and Security at the University of South Wales. He was previously Professor and Academic Director, IES, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, and Professor of International Politics, as well as Director of the European Institute for Security and Justice at the University of Dundee. Prof. Kaunert has, in a short time, developed a profile as a leading international researcher in the area of European security and counter-terrorism policy. He recently completely a research monograph on Refugees, Security and the European Union, published in 2019 by Routledge in the prestigious Routledge/UACES Contemporary European Studies Series. His current work involves the completion of a research monograph on Europe as a Global Counter-Terrorism Actor (book contract with Edward Elgar). He previously led a team of several excellent researchers (Politics and International Relations), following the award of a prestigious British Academy International Partnership Grant with Egypt/North Africa for three years. He also quickly gained wide experience of mentoring and working with younger colleagues notably through his extensive supervision of PhD students. Already thirteen students have successfully achieved doctorates under his supervision, with a further seven currently working towards their PhDs. He has also been mentoring several early-career lecturers, who are quickly gaining in stature. Gaining promotion to Full Professor in less than seven years is an extremely unusual achievement and demonstrates his very high level capabilities in the fields of both teaching and research. Producing over 45 article publications, in addition to several monographs and special issues in highly rated journals whilst also gaining seven prestigious Marie Curie Fellowships, four Jean Monnet Chairs (awards in July 2012, in July 2013, July 2017 and July 2018), and, finally, research funding in the form of a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence with the VUB (2017) and Dundee (2014) is testament to both his academic ability and industry. Finally, he has been awarded a large Horizon 2020 research grant – Mindb4Act – which investigates radicalisation and counter-radicalisation policies across the European Union, whether at the European Union level, or at the level of the member states. He is currently Editor of the Journal of Contemporary European Studies (together with Prof Martin Bull, University of Salford). He was also previously an elected member of the national (UK) Executive Committee of the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES) in 2009-2012. Finally, he co-founded and co-led (with Prof. J. Occhipinti) the special interest section on the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice of the European Union Studies Association (EUSA) since 01/10/2012, and I am currently serving member of the Council of EUSA. His research output is vast and can be found here.

Prof. Sarah Léonard

Prof. Sarah Léonard Prof. Leonard is currently Professor of International Security at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). She is a Visiting Professor at the University of South Wales and a research collaborator with Prof. Christian Kaunert of the University of South Wales. Prof. Leonard has very significant research experience in terrorism and counter-terrorism, as well as border management and migration. Prof. Leonard will become the co-Director of the newly created European Institute for International Security. She was previously Associate Professor in International Affairs at Vesalius College, which is affiliated with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. At Vesalius College, she also served as the Associate Dean for Research and External Grants. In that capacity, she developed a new research strategy for the College and supported all research activities within the College, including publications, research events, the development of international research networks and the preparation of research funding bids. Prof. Leonard also became the Head of the Department of International Affairs in 2017. In that role, she provided strong academic leadership to about 25 colleagues, managed staff performance and ensured the best student experience. Before joining Vesalius College, she was Senior Lecturer in Politics and the Deputy Director of the European Institute for Security and Justice (a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence) at the University of Dundee, where she was also a member of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) under the leadership of Professor Nick Fyfe. Prior to that, she worked for two years at the prestigious Centre for European Studies of Sciences Po in Paris thanks to a highly competitive Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship financed by the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) of the European Commission, as well as a Lecturer in International Security at the University of Salford. She completed her doctoral studies in the renowned Department of International Politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (now Aberystwyth University). She has taught courses on international security, migration, border security, asylum and migration, the European Union at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She has published widely on these topics and will bring significant value added to USW. Prof. Leonard has been very successful in capturing research funding over the last few years, notably a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship for Career Development (funded under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission), a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant (funded under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission), two Erasmus+: Jean Monnet grants of the European Commission (including one for a prestigious Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence), four Jean Monnet Programme/Lifelong Learning Programme grants of the European Commission, as well as two grants of the British Academy. She is now drawing upon that experience to support the growth of external research funding for postgraduate research students in the Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences at the University of the West of England, where she currently works with the Associate Deanfor Research as the Faculty Lead for Postgraduate Research funding. Moreover, Prof. Leonard has considerable experience in organising research events, as evidenced by the numerous seminar series, workshops and international conferences that she has organised; those have led to a significant number of publications.