Brussels Staff Profiles

Tomislava Penkova started her PhD studies in International Relations at BSIS in January 2011. She earned a MA in International Relations and a LLM in Law both from the State University of Milan (Italy) and she specialized in Russia’s Foreign Policy and EU-Russia relations at MGIMO Institute in Moscow (Russia). In 2011 and 2012 she was a Visiting Researcher at Carnegie Moscow Centre (Russia). She is also working as a Research Fellow on Russia and the EU Eastern Neighbours at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies with which she has extensively published on issues regarding Russia’s foreign policy. She is lecturing on Russia’s policies in the former Soviet space and Russo-Ukrainian relations at the Catholic University of Milan (Italy).

Publications

• Penkova, T. (2012), EU Eastern Partnership Policy: A second chance for the EU transformative power?, monograph on EU-Azerbaijan relations, Franco Angeli Milan
• Penkova, T. (2012) Re-evaluating EU Eastern Neighborhood Policy: The cases of Belarus and Ukraine. In: N. Bubnova (ed.), World in their hands: Ideas from the next generation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Press
• Penkova, T. & Giusti S. (2012), The EU and Russia: Engaged in building a strategic partnership. In: F. Bindi (ed.), The Foreign Policy of the European Union. Assessing Europe’s Role in the World. Washington, Brookings Press, 2nd edition
• Penkova, T. & Giusti S. (2012), Ukraine and Belarus: Floating between the EU and Russia. In: F. Bindi (ed.), The Foreign Policy of the European Union. Assessing Europe’s Role in the World. Washington, Brookings Press, 2nd edition
• Penkova, T. (2011), Is there an Eastern pathway in Russia’s modernisation agenda?, Research project conducted for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Russia’s modernisation
• Penkova, T. (2011), The European Union and Russia’s integration policies in the post-Soviet space, PECOB Series Paper n. 9
• Penkova, T. (2010), Russia and the US “reset” after the new START, ISPI Analysis
• Penkova, T. & Giusti S. (2009), Ukraine in NATO: An inconsistent recipe for a troublesome country. In: A. Carati, C. Frappi (ed.), NATO in the 60th Anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty: Challenges and Strategic Divergences for Euro-Atlantic Security, Franco Angeli Milan publisher
• Penkova, T. & Giusti S. (2009), EU policy toward Ukraine and Belarus: Diverging paths? In: F. Bindi (ed.), The Foreign Policy of the European Union. Assessing Europe’s Role in the World. Washington, Brookings Press, 1st edition
• Penkova, T. & Giusti S. (2008), From ideology to pragmatism: The new course of Russian foreign policy, World Affairs, 12, 4
• Penkova, T. (2008), Russia’s attitude towards the post-Soviet space after the war in Georgia, ISPI Policy Brief
• Penkova, T. (2008), Russia: Just a normal great power?, Research project conducted for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Penkova, T. (2008), Ukraine and the EU: Towards an Eastern Partnership?, ISPI Policy Brief
• Penkova, T. (2007), Russia and the US: A new military confrontation?,ISPI Policy Brief

Research

Tomislava’s research interests include Russia’s post-1991 self-image construction, foreign policy and regional integration in the post-Soviet space. In particular, she is analysing how Russia is constructing its post-Soviet identity and what is the relationship between this process and the regional integration in Russia’s ‘near abroad’ carried out through organisations such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Community and the Customs Union between Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan, and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

Tomislava is a seminar tutor for “Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research” course.

Tomislava’s research supervisors are Dr. Tom Casier and Prof. Richard Sakwa.

Nadine read for her MA degree in International Development at the University of Kent – Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS) in 2011, and has continued on to the PhD programme in International Conflict Analysis in September 2011. Prior to that, she earned her BA in Marketing from the University of Jordan in 2005, and has worked in the field of Marketing Communications and e-Marketing.

Research

Nadine’s general research interests include Conflict Studies, Diaspora Studies, Migration Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, and theories on identity and belonging. Her research focuses on aspects of the Palestinian Diaspora in countries in the Middle East and Europe.

Nadine’s research supervisors are Dr Elise Féron and Dr Amanda Klekowski van Koppenfels

Teaching

Nadine teaches on the following modules:

• The Politics of International Development
• Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research

Irina read for her MA degree in European studies at the University of Maastricht in 2006. She enroled on the PhD programme as a part time student in International Relations at the University of Kent-BSIS in September 2011. She currently works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia.

Research

Irina’s general research interests include European studies and International relations and theories on political elites, European integration and regional integration. Her research focuses on the importance of political elites in the European integration and Regional integration processes in the Western Balkans.

Irina’s research supervisors are Dr Tom Casier and Dr Albena Azmanova.

Teaching

Irina is a Teaching assistant on the module on Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research.