Ragnar Weilandt
Doctoral research
Working title: Tunisian perceptions of the European Union
The European Union's increased relevance as a regional power makes an understanding of what its Southern neighbours know about it, think of it and expect from it a prerequisite for tailoring adequate and effective policies towards these countries. In order to contribute to creating an understanding of the external perceptions of the EU, my PhD therefore analyses how it is perceived among Tunisian politcs and civil society elites, what creates these perceptions and how they affect the Union's relations with Tunisia.
I am part of the GEM Erasmus Mundus programme and conduct my doctoral studies under joint supervision (cotutelle de thèse) at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the University of Warwick. My supervisors are George Christou (Warwick), Barbara Delcourt (ULB) and Nicola Pratt (Warwick).
Further research interests
In addition to my doctoral research, I am working on Euro-Mediterranean relations, European Neighbourhood Policy, EU democracy promotion, EU enlargement, Arab civil society, civil-military relations in the Middle East as well as Egyptian and Tunisian domestic politics.
Conference Papers
"Does the EU Care About What Others Think? European Diplomatic Practices and the EU’s Understanding of its Image in the Arab World", co-authored with Tina Freyburg, presented at the ECPR General Conference, 04.09.2014, Glasgow, United Kingdom
"One hand? Public perceptions of the Egyptian Armed Forces", presented at the DCAF Conference on Civil-Military Relations in Egypt, 04.04.2014, Montreux, Switzerland
Academic work expierience
Since 01/2014: Research Assistent for the ESRC Project "Transatlantic Interests and Democratic Possibilities in a Transforming Middle East"
Academic teaching
Etudes approfondies de questions de science politique (POLI-D-404), Université libre de Bruxelles, seminar tutor
Monde arabe contemporain: Approches socio-politiques (SOCA-D-506), Université libre de Bruxelles, contributing individual lectures
Non-academic teaching
In addition to my academic teaching I regularly organise and teach publicly-funded civic education seminars on contemporary political developments for the German association "Verein zur Förderung politischen Handelns e.V.":
Arabischer Frühling! Arabischer Herbst? Demokratisierung oder Rückfall in die Diktatur? (WA-1404), 11.04.2014 - 13.04.2014, Bornheim, Germany (seminar on contemporary developments in the Arab, co-organised with Tilman Daiger)
Der Ukrainekonflikt. Beginn eines neuen Kalten Krieges? (WA-1501), 06.02.2015 - 08.02.2015, Bornheim, Germany (seminar on the Ukraine crisis, co-organised with Tilman Daiger)
S.O.S. Europa! Die EU-Flüchtlingspolitik. Politische Studienreise nach Brüssel (WA-1524), 15.11.2015 - 18.11.2015, Brussels, Belgium (study trip to Brussels on EU migration policy, co-organised with Iris Weber)
Die Eurokrise. Oder: Was hat der griechische Beamte mit der Bankerin in den USA zu tun? (WS-1522), 27.11.2015 - 29.11.2015, Paderborn, Germany (seminar on Greece and the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis, co-organised with Tilman Daiger)
Education
MSc Politics and Government in the European Union, London School of Economics
MSc International Relations, Royal Holloway
BEng Business Administration and Engineering, DHBW Ravensburg
Background
I hold Masters from the London School of Economics and Royal Holloway and have spent more than two years in Africa and the Middle East. My professional experiences include traineeships and part time jobs at the European Commission, KPMG, the German Chamber of Commerce in Dubai as well as Airbus Defence and Space. In addition to my academic work, I am writing for various media outlets including SPIEGEL ONLINE, ZEIT ONLINE, The European, openDemocracy, The Huffington Post UK, European Geostrategy, Your Middle East and The Conversation. A list of my published work can be found here. Moreover, I co-founded and co-edited FactCheckEU.org, a watchdog that monitored European politicans' statements on EU affairs from 02/2014 to 05/2015. Feel free to visit my website and to follow me on twitter or facebook.