What’s your job title and how long have you been at Loughborough?

I’m a Reader in Politics and International Relations and, since August 2024, Head of International Relations, Politics and History. I joined Loughborough in 2010.

Tell us what a typical day in your job looks like?

As with many others who have answered this question, and just like the British weather, the main constant is variety. That said, there are two main categories of days (or three): when on campus, and when working from home (the third would be conferences). On campus, the day will involve various formal and less formal in-person meetings with colleagues, and of course any teaching and student-facing activities. Home is where most of my research gets done, so when working from home, I try to focus on research in the morning, and turn to the inbox, admin work, and Teams meetings for the rest of the day. I think I’m more productive and focused from home, but the all-important social glue that keeps us together is mainly generated and renewed on campus.

What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on?

It’s hard to say. There are all sorts, and I’m not sure about identifying single “favourites” anyway. But perhaps I’d mention the Journal of Pacifism of Nonviolence. Sparked by a helpful PDR meeting, it started by contacting some key researchers in the field and quickly snowballed into a project to set up and launch this new journal. A large and growing community of scholars across the world threw their support behind it. Our Institute of Advanced Studies was very helpful along the way. Now we’re two years into publishing the journal. As a big long-term project, it has involved lots of different activities – from finding a publisher to organising multiple workshops, roundtables and open events, growing the research network, running the journal and now reading lots of fascinating papers submitted to it – and I precisely like that variety.

What is your proudest moment at Loughborough?

Again, it’s hard to single out one moment. I’m proud when team efforts bring results (which could be around admissions, NSS results, research projects, etc.). It’s also always nice to get moving student feedback. Ditto when colleagues are grateful when you can help them. There are lots of different moments of ‘pride’.

Tell us something you do outside of work that we might not know about?

I grew up in Belgium, where one thing that was (and still is) quite big is techno. And I still like it. I might be deep in my forties, but I like a good loud electronic music night (or just doing the dishes more efficiently on it).

What is your favourite quote?

There could be many. “Be the change you want to see” (attributed to Gandhi but without definitive evidence he ever said it) could be one. But I suppose one I often find myself paraphrasing is from Jiddu Krishnamurti: “It is not a sign of good health to be well adjusted to a sick society”. You come across many people in life who are struggling, internalising that struggle, and feeling guilty for it, when actually the wider context is at least as responsible as they might be. I like that quote as a reminder that not complying or being comfortable with widespread norms and expectations isn’t something one should necessarily feel guilty about. I think it’s incumbent on politics and international relations scholars (or at least for me anyway) to dissect some of these wider structural issues and help inform a more perceptive analysis of the way forward.

If you would like to feature in ‘5 Minutes With’, or you work with someone who you think would be great to include, please email Lilia Boukikova at L.Boukikova@lboro.ac.uk