I am a DPhil candidate in International Relations, under the supervision of Dr Robert Johnson and Professor Dominic Johnson. Broadly, my research explores various strategic policy interventions in state and state-based actors' foreign policy decision-making towards the cyber and digital domains. As part of this study, I explore the interplay between geopolitical strategic thought, sovereignty, and the development of cybersecurity policy by the European Union. Secondly, I examine the role of digital development initiatives in the EU, US and China's foreign policy objectives. My research is jointly funded by the Grand Union DTP (Economic and Social Research Council) and Nuffield College. This dissertation project expands upon the research undertaken while reading for the MPhil in European Politics and Society programme (at Oxford’s DPIR), for which I received a Distinction classification.
Beyond my PhD research, l am a Special Lecturer in Politics for Magdalen College (teaching International Relations and the Practice of Politics), and I lead the Cyber Strategy and Information Operations research group affiliated with the Centre and Nuffield College. Recently, l had the pleasure of attending the European Summer Workshop on the Analysis of Military Operation and Strategy (Euro-SWAMOS) in July 2022, run by the European Initiative for Security Studies and the Hertie Centre for International Security (Berlin).
Prior to graduate studies at Oxford, I obtained a BA (Hons. with Distinction) in Political Studies and World Language Studies at Queen’s University, in Canada, as the recipient of a major national scholarship and four subject prizes in politics and German language studies.
Undergraduate Teaching
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Practice of Politics (PPE/HistPOL)
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International Relations (PPE/HistPOL)
Research Interests
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Substantive: Cyber strategy, geopolitics and digital technologies, policy conceptualisation and development, European defence and security, EU foreign policymaking and global strategy, (cyber/digital) capacity building, and consequences of great power competition for non- traditional actors
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Methodological: Qualitative analysis, elite interviews, quantitative text analysis, archival research
Postgraduate Honours and Awards
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ESRC Grand Union DTP Studentship (with Nuffield College)
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Dahrendorf Scholarship (St Anthony’s College)
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William R Miller Postgraduate Award, St Edmund Hall College
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St. Edmund Hall Schools' Prize
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Emerging Thought Leader in Law and Security (Women in International Security Organization, Canada Chapter)
Languages
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English (native)
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French (advanced)
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German (intermediate), and
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Russian, Spanish, Italian, Dutch (beginner)
Publications
/ Conference Contributions
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‘Developing Digital Peripheries for Strategic Advantage: A Comparative Analysis of American, EU, and Chinese Projects in Africa.’
Paper accepted to ‘Future of War Conference 2022’, hosted by the Netherlands Defence Academy in Amsterdam, October, 2022; Co-chairing the panel on Weaponizing Interdependence in the Digital Age: Implications for Contemporary and Future Conflicts, together with Scott Singer. -
‘Mainstreaming a maverick? European digital sovereignty discourse and the EU’s evolving external relations policy towards cyberspace.’ Paper presentation and Panel co-Chair, for the 11th Biennial Conference of the ECPR Standing Group on the European Union (Luiss University, Italy) in June 2022.
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Presenter, ‘Cyber security and cyber defence: Pressing challenges and avenues for future cooperation between NATO and the EU.’ For The Future of NATO Conference, May 25, 2022, hosted by the Changing Character of War Centre, Pembroke College, University of Oxford, UK. View the Nato in 2022-23: a new era? - report.
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‘A sheep in wolf’s clothing? The influence of European digital sovereignty discourse on EU external relations policy change.’ Forthcoming paper presentation at the 'Digital Sovereignty – Rhetoric and Reality’ Conference (Centre for European Integration Research (EIF), Department of Political Science, University of Vienna) in April 2022. To be published in an EIF special issue following the conference.
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‘Zero Tolerance for Gender Considerations: Deconstructing Barriers in
Trump’s America’, Politicus Journal (Volume 5, April 2019). -
'Ascription, association or animosity? Heating nationalism and cooling regional relations in the post-Soviet space.’
Paper presented at the National Undergraduate European Studies Conference (University of Guelph, Canada) in November 2018. Awarded Honourable Mention for paper and presentation.