Alexander earned his PhD (Politics) at the University of Edinburgh, with a thesis analysing the impact of informal political networks on the EU accession processes of Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia.
His thesis has been adapted for publication as
Europeanization and Informal Networks in Southeastern Europe
Routledge, 2024
Since finishing his PhD, Alexander has been a teaching assistant at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Stirling, and has worked as a Temporary Lecturer in Politics at the University of Strathclyde.
He has also worked on the H2020 projects ENGAGE, on EU external action, and REDEMOS, on EU democracy support given to the Eastern Partnership.
Alexander has published in Europe-Asia Studies and International Studies Quarterly, written book chapters and working papers, presented at numerous conferences, and has contributed to research for the US government’s Chairmans Action Group advising the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
At the EUI, as part of the UnLib project, Alexander is studying the impact of transnational linkages on the diffusion of populism and illiberalism across Central and Eastern Europe.
This involves using social network analysis paired with elite interviews to understand the impact of such networks on the diffusion of populism and illiberalism.
Alexander’s research interests include populism and illiberalism, diffusion, Europeanisation, informality, the politics of Central and Southeastern Europe, and EU politics more generally.
He has run undergraduate seminars on UK politics, political theory, and comparative methodology, and has lectured on US national security policy, EU internal and external politics, and democratisation.
