Research focus within MERCURY
EU-Africa relations, multilateral development policies, inter-regionalism.

Short C.V.
Dr Lorenzo Fioramonti is Research Fellow in the Department of Political Sciences. He is the author of a number of publications on the European Union and its relationship with other emerging global powers. Dr. Fioramonti is also the editor of the CIVICUS Global survey of the State of Civil Society (Kumarian Press, 2007).

E-Mail: Lorenzo.fioramonti(at)gmail(dot)com

Website:  http://web.up.ac.za/

Research focus within MERCURY
Within MERCURY, Julian Kitipov focuses on the link between the Africa-EU partnership and regional integration in Africa, and attempts to answer the question of whether the European Union's case is a viable model for Africa.

Short C.V.
Mr Julian Kitipov is a Junior Lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria. He also was a Visiting Lecturer in the Institute of African Studies at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea. Mr Kitipov has published articles on the EU enlargement and reforms, Russia's increasing assertiveness internationally and the development of security communities/regimes in Africa. he speaks Bulgarian (mother tongue), English, Russian and French fluently.

E-Mail: julian.kitipov(at)up(dot)ac(dot)za

Website:  http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID=1322

Research focus within MERCURY
Within MERCURY, Alida focuses on the EU's development strategy and development co-operation with Africa.

Short C.V.
Ms Alida Kok is a Master’s student and Junior Lecturer at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Political Sciences where she also obtained a BA Honours in International Relations (cum laude). Ms Kok has been involved in several projects that analysed the relationship between the EU and Africa. These included a position as research assistant in the Framework Six Programme during which she researched South Africans’ perceptions of the EU. In the beginning of 2009, Ms Kok did the research for a project, in which the Madariaga College of Europe Foundation in Brussels and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes in South Africa partnered, that studied natural resource conflicts in Africa. She did research in Burundi, the DRC and Kenya and the report which she co-wrote was used as the basis for roundtable discussions between African civil society and the EU in September 2009.

E-Mail: alida.kok(at)up(dot)ac(dot)za

Website:  http://www.up.ac.za/    Personal Profile

Research focus within MERCURY
Francis’ focus in Mercury is on regionalism, multilateralism and the role of Africa.

Short C.V.
Francis Kornegay is Research Associate at the Institute for Global Dialogue and at the Research Unit on Euro-African Studies of the University of Pretoria. A political analyst on a wide range of foreign affairs and international relations themes, he is especially widely published in the following areas: South Africa’s foreign policy and its African agenda; African continental and regional integration; U.S. foreign policy and U.S.-African/South African relations; South-South cooperation and global geopolitical dynamics. Kornegay, a graduate of the University of Michigan, holds Masters degrees in African Studies from Howard University and in International Public Policy from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, both in Washington, DC.

E-Mail: fkornegay.kornegay(at)gmail(dot)com

Website:  http://www.up.ac.za/    Personal Profile

Research focus within MERCURY
EU and African Multilateralism

Short C.V.
Gerrit Olivier holds a DPhil degree in International Relations from the University of Pretoria. Presently he is director of the Centre for African and European Studies at the University of Johannesburg and Honorary Professor in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria. In his earlier career he was professor of International Politics at the University of Pretoria and an official in the South African Department of Foreign Affairs. He served as the first South African Ambassador  Plenipotentiary to the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. He is the author of various books and articles on international relations. 

E-Mail: golivier(at)up(dot)ac(dot)za

Website:  http://web.up.ac.za/

Research focus within MERCURY
Multilateralism and security issues, African conflicts, EU-Africa and multilateral security cooperation

Short C.V.
Maxi Schoeman holds a PhD in International Politics from the University of Wales (Aberystwyth) and has been head of the department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria since 1 November 2000 and is an adjunct professor in the School of Public Policy, George Mason University (USA). She is deputy chair of the Institute for Global Dialogue (SA) and serves on the SA Ministry of Defence Transformation and Monitoring Board (TAMB).

Research and teaching areas: African/regional security, Southern African integration, Africa-China relations, SA foreign policy.

E-Mail: maxi.schoeman(at)up(dot)ac(dot)za

Website:  http://web.up.ac.za/    Personal Profile

Research focus within MERCURY
Within MERCURY, Yolanda Spies focuses on the potential synergy between the EU and AUs multilateral attempts to reform global political governance, specifically the UN Security Council.

Short C.V.
Dr Yolanda Spies is a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria and is the Programme Director of its new Master of Diplomatic Studies programme. She was a South African diplomat until she joined the university in 2006, and in the course of her career lived and worked on four continents. Her academic specialisation is in Foreign Policy and Diplomacy, but she teaches also in the fields of Political Behaviour, Conflict Resolution, African Politics, and global North-South relations.

E-Mail: yolanda.spies(at)up(dot)ac(dot)za

Website:  http://web.up.ac.za/

Research focus within MERCURY
Rita is assisting the UP team with project administration and finances.

Short C.V.
Rita Swanepoel has a wide experience in research contracts, research projects and financial administration.  She is familiar with the systems and procedures of the University of Pretoria as well as the majority of research institutions and funders.
Rita was previously responsible for the formulation and negotiation of research related contracts on behalf of the University with Industry and other parties.  She also provide project management and support, including budgeting and financial management to larger projects.
She currenly acts as manager for research projects and assist with the financial management of  Mercury.

E-Mail: rita(at)konditek(dot)co(dot)za

Website:  http://web.up.ac.za/