Athanasios Stathopoulos is a University Lecturer at the Institute for History.

More information about Athanasios Stathopoulos

Athanasios Stathopoulos is a University Lecturer at the Institute for History. He completed his PhD at the School of International Relations, at the University of St Andrews. Prior to joining the Institute for History in 2019, Athanasios worked as a lecturer and tutor at the BA International Studies, Leiden University, at the School of International Relations, University of St Andrews, and as a European Masters Fellow at the European Inter-University Centre in Venice, Italy.

Research

Athanasios’ main fields of interest include the study of secessionist movements, weak states, governance, the responsibility to protect, sovereignty, intervention, and borders.

Athanasios has explored the relationship between the norm of territorial integrity, weak states and secessionism for the purpose of his PhD thesis. He conducted fieldwork research in Somaliland, funded by the Russell Trust Awards, to explore processes of institutionalization, conflict resolution, and identity formation, among others. The thesis argued that system-level changes have transformed the types of states that exist in the world, with that being one of the reasons for the rise in secessionist movements post-1945. Using a combination of system-level analysis with unit-level interpretation, it was suggested that the prevalence of weak states, sustained by the international system, generate the conditions for secessionism.

Athanasios has worked on individual and group projects submitted for international research fellowships (European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie, and Fulbright Schuman) relating respectively to the impact of international sanctions, and governance in areas of limited statehood. Athanasios is currently working on the effect of non-state actors on governance and the responsibility to protect, and the link between international norms, secessionism, and borders.

Teaching and supervision

Athanasios has taught a number of courses, ranging from Politics, and International Relations, to Research skills, and Politics of Africa. At Leiden, Athanasios is the coordinator for the Politics courses (Politics, International Relations, and Politics by Area), is supervisor for BA theses for International Studies, and is part of the consultancy project course ‘Practising International Studies’.

Activities