PhD title 

The quest for coherence: a comparative analysis of EU crisis management in Africa  

 

PhD supervisors

Prof. John Peterson (University of Edinburgh) and Prof. Wolfgang Wessels (University of Cologne)

 

Background 

Nicole defended her PhD thesis at Edinburgh University in September 2014. She holds a Master's degree in Politics and Management from the University of Constance and  one in EU International Relations and Diplomacy from the College of Europe (Bruges). Since September 2014, she has been working as a researcher on the EU's institutional and political challenges at the Jacques Delors Institut - Berlin. In early 2014, she joined the Institute for European Politics in Berlin as a research associate. In 2011 and 2012 Nicole worked as a researcher with the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome and the Trans European Policy Studies Association in Brussels. Before starting her PhD, she worked as a personal assistant to Prof. Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (Potsdam) and as a research assistant in an EU-funded project on early warning and conflict prevention at King's College (London). Her main research interests are the EU's political and institutional challenges, EU external action, security policy, and conflict prevention. 

 

Publications

Journal articles (peer-reviewed)

• Koenig, N. (2014) "Between conflict management and role conflict: The EU in the Libyan crisis", European Security, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 250-269. 
• Koenig, N. (2011) "Zwischen Handeln und Zaudern - die Europäische Union in der Libyen-Krise", Integration, Heft 4/2011. 
• Koenig, N. (2011) "The EU and the Libyan Crisis - In Quest of Coherence", The International Spectator, vol. 46 no. 4, pp. 11-30.
• Koenig, N. Schneider, G. (2010), "Diplomaten zwischen Sozialisation und Kalkulation: Bestimmungsfaktoren des Berufserfolgs im Auswärtigen Dienst", Politische Vierteljahresschriftvol. 51, no. 2, pp. 297-322.

Policy papers, briefs, and reports

• Koenig, N. (2015), "Resetting EU external action: potential and constraints", Jacques Delors Institute, Policy Paper no. 125.
• Together with Y. Bertoncini (2014), “Euroscepticism or europhobia: voice vs. exit?”, Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute, Policy Paper no. 121.
• Koenig, N. (2014), “20 years after ‘Core Europe’: where do we stand and where are we heading”, Synthesis, Jacques Delors Institut, Berlin. 
• Together with M. Siddi (2014), "A difficult Presidency", Diplomatist, August. 
• Together with M. Siddi (2014), Country Report for Italy – EU-28 Watch, Institut für Europäische Politik, Berlin. 
• Together with E. Alessandri & M. Siddi (2014) “Priorities and Challenges of the 2014 Italian EU Presidency", report and recommendations of the TEPSA Pre-Presidency conference, Istituto Affari Internazionali, 24-25 March 2014, Rome. 
• Together with E. Dari & M. Price & J. Van der Wal & M. Gottwald (2012) "CSPD Missions and Operations: Lessons Learned Processes", study for the European Parliament, Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union, Brussels.
• Koenig, N. (2012) "Libya: A wakeup call for CSDP?", TEPSA Brief, Trans European Policy Studies Association, Brussels. 
• Koenig, N. (2011) "The EU and the Libyan Crisis - In Quest of Coherence", IAI Working Paper, vol. 11, no. 19, Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome.
• Contribution to Fioramonti et al. (2012), "The EU and Multilateral Crisis Management: Assessing Cooperation and Coordination with the UN", MERCURY E-paper, no. 19.
• Koenig, N., Franke, U. E., Münch, J., and Rothenspieler, S. (2010) "Armed Conflicts in Europe's Greater Neighbourhood", Towards a Safer Europe,policy paper no. VII, European Values Network, Brussels/Prague, pp. 56-64.
• Koenig, N. (2010) "The EU and NATO: Towards a Joint Future in Crisis Management?", EU Diplomacy Paper, no. 11/2010, College of Europe, Bruges.

Conference papers 

Book chapters and reviews

• Koenig, N. (2014) "Libya and the challenges of post-Lisbon crisis coordination", in Doris Dialer, Heinrich Neisser, Anja Opitz (eds.) The EU's External Action Service: Potentials for a one voice Foreign Policy, Innsbruck University Press. 
• Koenig, N. (2012) "EU conflict prevention and crisis management: looking back to look ahead", review of the book EU conflict prevention and crisis management : roles, institutions, and policies, edited by Eva Gross and Ana E. Juncos, in: The International Spectator, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 130-132.
• Koenig, N. (2011) Review of the book Making EU foreign policy: national preferences, European norms and common policies, edited by D. C. Thomas, The International Spectator, vol. 46 no. 4., pp. 145-147.

 

Presentations

• Speaker on the panel “Foreign and Security Policy Priotities”, at COMOS conference on New political challenges for Germany, Turkey, and the EU, 28-29 May 2014, Istanbul, Turkey. 
• Commentator of the panel entitled “Policy concepts and strategies in European Union external action and their implications for policy formulation and implementation”, EUSA Thirteenth Biennial Conference, 9-11 May 2013, Baltimore, USA
• Presentation in the Research Group on International Relations, University of Edinburgh, 11 March 2013 
• Participation in EXACT round table discussion on "EU Executive Powers and External Action", 26 September 2012
• Presentation on "The Arab Spring: Testing the EU's Crisis Response Capacity" at COMOS conference entitled "From Arab Spring to European Fall: die EU in Zeiten der Krise", Nice, 4-5 May 2012
• TEPSA conference on "The Arab Spring: Managing Tensions and Crisis inside and outside the EU", Fondation Universitaire, Brussels, 15 March 2012
• Diplomatic Academy Vienna, LISBOAN seminar on "The European Union - A Major International Player?", 9-10 December 2011
• Egmont Institute - Observatoire de l'Afrique, briefing on "Libya: Post-Gadaffi challenges and opportunities", Brussels, 7 October 2011
• IAI seminar on "The EU and the Libyan crisis: In quest of coherence?", Rome, 28 September 2011

 

Teaching 

• EU in International Affairs, Politics and International Relations, University of Edinburgh, summer term 2014 
• EU as a Global Actor, Politics and International Relations, University of Edinburgh, winter term 2013 

 

Awards and scholarships

• Publication award for 2011 article in the journal 'Integration', Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Cologne, March 2013
• Nomination for the Fritz-Thyssen Award for best article in German social sciences journals (Koenig and Schneider 2010)
• Marie Curie PhD Fellowship, European Commission, 2010-2013
• Scholarship, College of Europe, Netzwerk Europäische Bewegung, 2008-2009
• Restitution of tuition fees for academic achievements, University of Constance, 2008