People

Jonathan Topaz

AFFILIATION
International Relations Network
College
St Antony's College
Course
MPhil International Relations

I am an MPhil International Relations candidate (2022–2024) and incoming DPhil (2024-) at DPIR and St Antony’s College. Prior to joining DPIR, I completed a BA in History at Hertford College, Oxford. I have previously interned at the Central Bank of Luxembourg, London-based venture capital fund Dawn Capital, international tech and media leader Minute Media, and Luxembourg-based private equity firm Cube Infrastructure Managers. I am broadly interested in strategy, foreign policy, and the interaction between technology, investment, and geopolitics.

My current research focus is on regional cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, with a particular focus on energy and infrastructure. My MPhil thesis weighs the causes behind the 2022 Lebanon-Israel Maritime Boundary Agreement, examining the interaction between economic and security considerations and how these are analysed and balanced by policymakers.

Research interests

  • Regional cooperation

  • Strategic interactions

  • Energy politics

  • Resource disputes

  • Eastern Mediterranean

  • Interstate bargaining and disputes

  • Rational choice

Extra-curriculars

  • Treasurer @ Oxford International Relations Society

  • Senior Analyst @ London Politica

  • Senior Consultant @ Oxford Strategy Group