Date: 05/November/2025
Meet Professor Doug Stokes: Leading International Relations at Modul University Vienna
Professor Doug Stokes, Head of the School of International Relations at Modul University Vienna, brings a rare blend of scholarly depth, global experience, and real-world engagement to his teaching and research.
Born and raised in Hackney, East London, Stokes grew up in a working-class family surrounded by diversity. “It taught me that there are many ways of seeing and experiencing the world,” he reflects. That curiosity led him to study Social Anthropology at the University of London before taking his first steps into international affairs in post-war Bosnia, where he lived and worked in Mostar and Brčko, and co-founded an NGO focused on ethnic reconciliation.
“Seeing the transformative power of war firsthand sparked my lifelong interest in international relations,” he says. “Conflict destroys lives, but it also reshapes global orders.”
After completing a Master’s and PhD in International Relations, Stokes went on to spend over two decades teaching and researching global security, American foreign policy, and great power competition. He served as Director of the University of Exeter’s Centre for Advanced International Studies and the Strategy and Security Institute, and, for more than ten years, as a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the UK’s leading defence think tank.
Today, as Head of the School of International Relations at Modul University Vienna, Stokes is building an ambitious program that connects theory with practice. “Vienna is one of the best places in the world to study international relations,” he notes. “It’s home to the UN, the OSCE, and countless international organizations. Our students will be able to engage directly with policymakers, diplomats, and business leaders right on their doorstep.”
The new International Relations program focuses on geopolitics, diplomacy, conflict, and global governance—skills that are increasingly vital in an era of rapid global change. Stokes emphasizes three qualities he hopes every student will develop: humility, self-discipline, and critical thinking.
“Much of what we take for granted rests on fragile conditions that can change quickly,” he says. “Our graduates will leave with the ability to see the bigger picture, think critically about global challenges, and navigate them with intelligence and empathy.”
For Professor Stokes, the goal is simple: to shape globally aware, thoughtful leaders ready to engage with the world. “At Modul University, we’re not just teaching international relations—we’re preparing the people who will help define it.”
About Professor Doug Stokes
Professor Doug Stokes is an acclaimed author and academic whose work explores the intersection of geopolitics, elite ideology, and the Western liberal order. He has published numerous world-leading books, including America’s Other War (Zed Books, 2005), Global Energy Security and American Hegemony (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010), and Against Decolonisation: The Campus Culture Wars and the Decline of the West (Polity, 2023), which was nominated for the Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year. His forthcoming book, US Foreign Policy (Oxford University Press, 2026), is the fourth edition of a leading textbook in the field.
His latest work, Against Decolonisation, has been widely acclaimed. Lord Sumption praised it for its “verve and force,” while Dr Munira Mirza, former head of the No. 10 Policy Unit, described it as a “highly insightful and persuasive contribution.” The Times Literary Supplement called it “incisive, humane and brave,” and it was nominated for its book of the year in 2023.
His new book, Realism or Ruin, looks at European Geopolitics in the context of American retrenchment and is due out in 2027.
Across his career, Professor Stokes has held senior research and advisory positions, including:
- Director, Strategy and Security Institute, University of Exeter
- Senior Research Fellow, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
- Senior Adviser, Prosperity Institute, London
- Senior Research Fellow, Danube Institute, Budapest
His earlier academic work examined American counterinsurgency in Latin America, coercive statecraft in energy markets, and liberal order-building after the Cold War. He is one of the few UK scholars whose research spans both theory and grand strategy, combining theoretical sophistication with policy relevance.
Public Commentary
A regular contributor to major international outlets, Professor Stokes writes for The Times, The Telegraph, The Spectator, The Critic, and City AM. His commentary and analysis also appear frequently in broadcast and podcast media, including GB News, TalkTV, The New Culture Forum, Triggernometry, and UnHerd. His work has been cited in UK Parliamentary briefings, and he has advised senior political and defence figures across Europe.
Books by Professor Doug Stokes
- US Foreign Policy (4th Edition, Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2026)
- Against Decolonisation: The Campus Culture Wars and the Decline of the West (Polity Press, 2023)
- Global Energy Security and American Hegemony (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010)
- Foucault and International Relations (Routledge, 2010, co-edited)
- America’s Other War: Terrorizing Colombia (Zed Books, 2005)
Academic Highlights
- Published in world-leading journals including International Affairs, Journal of Strategic Studies, Review of International Political Economy, and The Chinese Journal of International Politics
- Co-edited landmark issue of International Affairs on Ordering the World? Liberal Internationalism in Theory and Practice
- Frequently cited in public policy debates on transatlantic relations, energy security, and international security.
