Dr. Alexander Mattelaer is an Associate Professor at the VUB Brussels School of Governance, where he serves as the Vice Dean for Research, and a Senior Research Fellow at Egmont – the Royal Institute for International Relations. He is also affiliated to the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defence as chairman of the Scientific Committee. As Fulbright Schuman fellow he completed research stays at Harvard University and at the National Defense University in Washington DC. His research interests include the politics of European integration; NATO & transatlantic relations; deterrence, defence and military strategy; and the perpetual redefinition of international relations and statecraft. His teaching portfolio includes courses on the European Union, international security, diplomacy and defence policy-making. He obtained his PhD in Political Science from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Master degrees from the University of Bath and the University of Leuven.