Role
An Jacobs is a Senior Lecturer in Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Relations with teaching and leadership responsibilities at undergraduate and postgraduate level. She also supervises PhD students.
An is the Course Leader for the MA Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Relations Distance Learning Course, and the Module Leader for various online and taught undergraduate and postgraduate modules. She teaches on subjects related to Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Security, Security Studies, Peacebuilding, EU Foreign Policy, and Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Relations in Theory and Practice.
Career overview
Before joining the Department in September 2019, An Jacobs held the position of Senior Lecturer in Defence and Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Affairs at the Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst for over five years. She has operational experience working as a Political Advisor in the EU Rule of Law Mission EULEX in Kosovo for two years, and has furthermore held positions at the Center for Security Studies (ETH Zurich) and Maastricht University (NL). She has conducted fieldwork in the Balkans, Ukraine, Uganda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and she has taught at military academies in Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East and South America.
Research areas
An's research interests include operational and institutional aspects of peacebuilding, security sector reform, the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defence Policy, African security issues, military education, and education as a peacebuilding tool.
External activity
An is a Visiting Fellow at the at Loughborough University London.
She is also on the editorial board of
She is a member of the British Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Studies Association (BISA) and University Association of Contemporary European Studies (UACES).
Publications
Academic Articles / Book Chapters (selection)
- Jacobs, A (2019) ‘Educating British Strategic Lieutenants through Applied Learning’, Parameters, US Army War College Quarterly.
- Jacobs, A (2016) ‘Teaching IR at Sandhurst: Blended Learning through an Integrated Approach’ in ‘Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Relations in Professional Military Education’, Infinity Journal Special Edition, winter 2016, pp. 50-55.
- Jacobs, A (2012) ‘Explaining Institutional Europeanization in Security and Defence: the German Administration under Schroeder and Merkel’, European Security, 21(3), pp. 414-431.
- Jacobs, A (2012) ‘Africa’s Sore Spot: Regional Conflicts across the Middle and the Horn’, in Daniel Möckli (ed.), Strategic Trends 2012: Key Developments in Global Affairs, Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich, pp. 35-54, online available at
- Jacobs, A (2012) ‘EU Crisis Management in Berlin: The Fall of the Ministerial Walls?’, West European Politics, 35(3), pp. 466-490.
- Vanhoonacker, S. & Jacobs, A. (2010) ‘ESDP and Institutional Change: The Case of Belgium’, Security Dialogue, 41(5), pp. 559-581.
Policy Briefs / Opinion Pieces / Book Review (selection)
- Tallis, B., Heilmann, I-L., and Jacobs, A. (September 2019) ‘Still Liberal After All These Years? The EU needs to combine politics and principle at home with pragmatism abroad’, European Security Foresight Scenario Workshop, Dahrendorf Forum.
- Jacobs, A. & Rossi, N. (2019), Best Practices in Academic Contributions to UK Defence Engagement: Teaching Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Conflict Management in Chile, Army Wish Stream Journal
- Jacobs, A & Vanhoonacker, S. (2018) ‘EU-UK cooperation in CSDP after Brexit. Living apart together?’, Dahrendorf-Forum, Debating Europe, online available at
- Jacobs, A & Rossi, N (2017) ‘Educating Conflict Management and Practicing Peacebuilding: The Case of Lebanon’, E-Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Relations, online available at
- Jacobs, A (2012) BOOK REVIEW: Transaction Costs and Security Institutions: Unravelling the ESDP – By M. Weiss, JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 50(2), pp. 359-360.
- Jacobs, A (2011) ‘A Fragmented Europe in a Frail Congo’, CSS Analysis in Security Policy 99, CSS, ETH Zurich, online available at
- Jacobs, A. (2011) ‘What’s in a name: The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy’, Fair Observer, August 17, 2011, online available at
- Jacobs, A. (2011) ‘Civilian CSDP Missions: The Curious Case of German Institutions’, German Institute for Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé and Security Affairs, Research Division EU External Relations, Working Paper FG 02, online available at