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Nick Vaughan-Williams

Professor Nick Vaughan-Williams FAcSS is Vice-Provost and Chair of the Faculty of Social SciencesLink opens in a new window at the University of Warwick. He is Professor of International Security in the Department of Politics and International Studies (PAIS) and Discipline Lead for Warwick's Round 3 £1.25M ESRC Impact Accelerator AccountLink opens in a new window (2023-28). He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social SciencesLink opens in a new window and is currently Chair of the Academy's Forum for Leaders of Social Sciences.

Professor Vaughan-Williams' programme of research - supported by grants from the British Academy, UK Economic and Social Research Council, and Leverhulme Trust - focuses on the international politics of borders, migration, and security. He is a former recipient of the Philip Leverhulme Prize for outstanding research in Politics and International Studies and Gold Winner of the Association for Borderlands Studies Past Presidents' Book Award. Research findings have been presented to the EU Commission, Frontex, the UK Cabinet Office, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the UK Home Office, and the Maltese Presidency.

Professor Vaughan-Williams' latest research monographs are Vernacular Border SecurityLink opens in a new window (Oxford University Press, 2021, 2023) and Reclaiming MigrationLink opens in a new window (with Vicki Squire, Nina Perkowski, and Dallal Stevens) (Manchester University Press, 2021). Earlier books include Europe's Border Crisis (Oxford University Press, 2015, 2017), Everyday Security Threats (with Daniel Stevens) (Manchester University Press, 2016, 2019) and Border Politics (Edinburgh University Press, 2009, 2012). He is also co-author (with Columba Peoples) of Critical Security StudiesLink opens in a new window (Routledge, 2010, 2015, 2021), now in its third edition, and founding co-editor (with Jenny Edkins) of the Routledge Interventions book series. He is on the Editorial Boards of Political GeographyLink opens in a new window and Alternatives: Global, Local, PoliticalLink opens in a new window. A full list of research publications can be found hereLink opens in a new window.

For five years (2015-18 and 2019-21) Professor Vaughan-Williams served as Head of Department in PAIS. He was Director of the MA in International Relations and has contributed to the delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate modules in International Relations and Security in PAIS. Before joining Warwick he held lectureships at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and the University of Exeter. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and holds degrees in Modern History and International Relations from the University of Oxford (BA and MA), the University of Warwick (MA), and the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (PhD).

Externally-funded research programmes as PI/Co-I

(2023-28) Economic and Social Research Council, Impact Accelerator Account, Round 3: Warwick (ES/X004635/1). Discipline Lead/Co-I.

(2019-23) Economic and Social Research Council, Impact Accelerator Account, Round 2: Warwick (ES/T502054/1). PI from 2021-23.

(2016-19) The Leverhulme Trust, 'Everyday Narratives of European Border Security and Insecurity' (2015 Philip Leverhulme Prize in Politics and International Relations, PLP-2015-081) (PI).

(2015-17) Economic and Social Research Council, 'Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat: Mapping and Documenting Migratory Journeys and Experiences' (ES/N013646/1) (Co-I), with Vicki Squire (PI), Dallal Stevens, Angeliki Dimitriadi, and Maria Pisani.

(2013-15) Economic and Social Research Council, Arts and Humanities Research Council, Dstl, 'Science and Security: Research Impact and Co-Production of Knowledge' (ES/K011367/1) (Co-I), with Jon Coaffee (PI), Stuart Croft, George Christou, and Oz Hassan.

(2012-13) Economic and Social Research Council, 'Public Perceptions of Threat in Britain: Security in an Age of Austerity' (ES/J004596/1) (Co-I), with Daniel Stevens (PI).

(2011) British Academy-National Science Foundation Taiwan, 'European-East Asian Critical Border Studies' (JP100035) (PI), with Joyce C. H. Liu.

(2007-8) British Academy, 'Lines in the Sand? Non-Territorial Bordering Practices in Global Politics' (SG-50847) (PI), with Noel Parker.

(2003-6) Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, 'Border Studies Research Studentship', Department of International Politics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Post-doctoral mentoring

(2018-21) The Leverhulme Trust, 'The EU's Contested Forms of Border Governance in the Mediterranean Sea', Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship awarded to Dr Maurice Stierl (Mentor).

(2018-21) The Leverhulme Trust, 'The Enemy Inside the Gates: Anti-Elite Hostility and the Political Agency of the "Everyday" in Europe and the US', Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship awarded to Dr Georg Lofflmann (Mentor).

PhD supervision

Current

(2020-) Junil Yoon, University of Warwick (co-supervised with Chris Hughes).

(2021-) Silvester Schlebruegge, University of Warwick (co-supervised with John Solomos). Department scholarship.

Completed

(2011) Dr Sarah Bulmer, ‘Securing the Gender Order: Homosexuality in the British Armed Forces’, University of Exeter (primary supervisor). University scholarship.

(2014) Dr Georg Lofflmann, ‘The Fractured Consensus: How competing visions of grand strategy challenge the geopolitical identity of American leadership under the Obama presidency’, University of Warwick (co-supervised with Stuart Croft).

(2014) Dr Maurice Stierl, ‘Migration Resistance as Border Politics: Other Imaginaries of EUrope’, University of Warwick (co-supervised with James Brassett). University scholarship.

(2015) Dr Hidefumi Nishiyama, ‘Race, Biometrics, and Security in Modern Japan: A History of the Government of Race’, University of Warwick (co-supervised with Chris Hughes). Department scholarship.

(2015) Dr Tanvi Pate, ‘US and the Global Nuclear Order: Narrative Identity and Representation of India as the ‘Other’’, University of Warwick (co-supervised with Trevor McCrisken).

(2016) Dr Miriam Grinberg, ‘The US-Japan Alliance and the Relocation of Futenma: Sites of Discursive Exchange in the Reproduction of Security Alliances’, University of Warwick (co-supervised with Chris Hughes). Department scholarship.

(2017) Dr Victoria Pereyra Iraola, ‘Struggles Against Deemed Disposability: Counter-Conduct and Carceral Governmentality Around Federal Prisons in Argentina’, University of Warwick (co-supervised with Shirin Rai). University scholarship.

(2018) Dr Mara Duer, ‘The Right to Belong to the Land: Coloniality and Resistance in the Araucanía’, University of Warwick (co-supervised with Stuart Elden). Department scholarship.

(2020) Dr Katie Dingley, 'Emotional Attachment: Emotions and Gender in Japanese Conservatives’ Pursuit of Ontological Security' (co-supervised with Chris Hughes). Department scholarship.

(2020) Dr Bo Tandrup Christensen, 'The Limits of Destruction: A Critical Analysis of the Collateral Damage Dispositif' (co-supervised with Tony King). Department scholarship.

(2023) Dr Charlie Price, 'Who Controls the Border? An Analysis of the Nordic Far-Right' (co-supervised with Christopher Browning). ESRC DTP 1+3 studentship.

Professor of International Security
Vice-Provost and Chair of the Faculty of Social Sciences

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