Biography

Alexandra Stafford is an International Relations scholar and a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute. Alexandra’s research examines the theory and history of international order and institutions, with a current focus on the making of modern international criminal law. Her research has been published in International Studies Quarterly.

As a Max Weber Fellow, Alexandra will work on her book project, “Capturing International Criminal Law: Expertise and Politics in International Legal Governance.” The project offers a theoretical and empirical answer to the question: “how was the International Criminal Law field transformed from a state-run field defined by ‘high-politics’ and diplomacy in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to one characterized by a rhetorical commitment to de-politicized expert rule in the name of individual human rights?” She will also work on related projects concerning the discourse of “independent expertise” in global governance; how initially marginal actors shape global order; and how practitioners from disparate backgrounds interact at the international level.

Prior to joining the EUI, Alexandra completed her DPhil in International Relations at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. She received an MPhil in International Relations from Brasenose College, University of Oxford, and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) in International Politics from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Alexandra also has experience working as a Senior Advisor and Social Policy Researcher for the Canadian federal government.

Mentor

• Jeffrey T., Checkel