What has your career path (in and out of the LSE) been like to date?
I have actually had a rather unusual career path. After finishing my PhD, I went to work for a major international security think tank. There I was responsible for coordinating a major project promoting better relations between Greece and Turkey. I then worked for a political consultancy firm in Greece before establishing my own small think tank in Cyprus. I decided to return to academia in 2006 and joined the LSE in 2008. This years spent outside academia have been vital in terms of being able to connect with policy makers and opinion formers. Even now I do a lot of advisory work with governments and international organisations and often contribute to the media; something that has been warmly welcomed and encouraged by the School.
How long have you worked at the LSE?
I have now been at the School for six years. I originally came as a visiting fellow for six months in Autumn 2008. This was then extended for a further six months. I then applied for a five year senior research fellowship that had been created following a generous grant from an external donor. This has recently been extended.
What does your job entail?
I am part of the research unit on South East Europe (LSEE) based in the European Institute. As such, my post is not tied to a specific research project. This means that I can set my own research agenda. Obviously, this is wonderfully liberating and has allowed me to develop my work in interesting and unusual directions. (My latest work on recognition has actually involved looking at island states in the South Pacific!) However, in addition to my research, I play a much wider role in my department and in the School. For example, as well as serving as the coordinator for my research unit's event programme, I teach a postgraduate course on South East European politics and am also supervising a couple of PhD students. I have also been very active in trying to enhance the role and visibility of research staff at the LSE. I helped to co-found the School's Research Staff Association and serve on the Research Staff Committee.
What bits about your job get you out of bed in the morning?
There are so many different things it is difficult to know where to start. I think the thing that I really love about my job is the chance to be able to explain the significance of regional developments to a wider audience. I have never believed that academia should be about academics talking to each other. We have a duty to make our work relevant to the wider community. I do a lot of media work. This is something that I relish precisely because I get the chance to explain why a seemingly small and irrelevant event in South East Europe could actually have wider international repercussions. As we commemorate the centenary of World War I, this seems particularly apt!
What's the best thing about working at the LSE?
At a personal level, the sense of community in my research unit is perhaps the thing I would put at the top of my list. It is really wonderful to be in an environment with other people who share such a close interest in my field, and that we all work together so well. Many of my colleagues have become good friends since I have been here. Likewise, it has been great to get to know so many other people around the European Institute and the School as a whole, especially fellow researchers. From a professional perspective, I have always felt that it is hugely important to encourage interaction between policy makers and academics. The LSE has been an ideal place to do this. It really does attract an outstanding array of speakers. In developing my research unit's visiting speaker programme, I have been fortunate to have been able to organise and chair public and private talks by senior officials - including presidents and prime ministers - from across the Balkans. These have been fantastic occasions that have often allowed for frank exchange of views.
What advice would you give to people who want to join us at the LSE?
Try to become engaged in the life of the School. It is very easy to sit on the edges and just get on with your specific research project. However, you will only get the most out of the your time here if you try to be a full member of the community; both in terms of your department or research centre, as well as more widely. It really is a unique place. The more people you meet, and the more things you do to contribute, the more this will become apparent and the more you will benefit from being here.