Professor Gerasimos Tsourapas
- Professor of International Relations (Political & International Studies)
telephone:
01413308832
email:
Gerasimos.Tsourapas@glasgow.ac.uk
42 Bute Gardens, Room 1204, Glasgow G12 8RS, Phone 8832
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2746-9752Biography
Gerasimos Tsourapas is a Professor of International Relations at the University of Glasgow. He also serves as the Chair of the Ethnicity, Nationalism, & Migration Studies (ENMISA) Section of the International Studies Association and is the Editor-in-Chief of Migration Studies (Oxford University Press).
In 2024–25, Gerasimos is a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Distinguished University Scholar at the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies, The American University in Cairo. He has previously served as a Visiting Scholar at the Center for European Studies, Harvard University (2019–20), and Migration Research Center, Koç University (2023–24).
Gerasimos holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and Political Science from Yale University (2006), an MSc in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2007), and a PhD in Politics from SOAS, University of London (2016), under the supervision of Laleh Khalili and Charles Tripp.
Research interests
Gerasimos Tsourapas’s research explores the intersections of migration, international relations, and global governance, with a particular focus on the Middle East and the Global South. He has pioneered the concepts of migration diplomacy and migration interdependence, advancing theoretical frameworks that analyze the interplay between foreign policy and cross-border mobility.
Currently, he leads a five-year European Research Council Starting Grant project on migration diplomacy building on his previous award-winning research on migration interdependence in the Mediterranean, which earned the 2017 Martin O. Heisler Award by the International Studies Association. His latest book, Migration Diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa – Power, Mobility, and the State (Manchester University Press, 2021), supported by grants from the British Academy and the Council for British Research in the Levant, examines how states leverage migration to achieve foreign policy objectives. In 2021, he received the ENMISA Emerging Scholar Award in recognition of his contributions to migration studies.
A second strand of Gerasimos’s research focuses on migration politics across the Global South. He has extensively published on postcolonial migration regimes in the Middle East and South Asia, as well as on the emergence of a transnational social contract in South-South migration, developed in collaboration with Kamal Sadiq (University of California, Irvine). He co-edited a special issue on Diasporas and Sending States in World Politics with Maria Koinova (University of Warwick) for International Political Science Review. His doctoral dissertation, which explored migration policymaking in Egypt following the 1952 Free Officers Revolution, was awarded the American Political Science Association’s Best Dissertation Award on Migration & Citizenship in 2016. His first book, The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt: Strategies for Regime Survival in Autocracies (Cambridge University Press, 2018), received the 2020 ENMISA Distinguished Book Award and was shortlisted for the L.H.M. Ling Outstanding First Book Prize by the British International Studies Association.
Gerasimos is also researching forced migration governance, with a particular focus on the commodification of refugees in domestic and international politics. Based on fieldwork in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey during the Syrian refugee crisis, his work has uncovered processes of refugee rent-seeking, where host states leverage refugee populations for political and economic gain. His research on ‘blackmailing’ and ‘backscratching’ strategies by refugee rentier states was recognized with the 2020 VIADUCT Research Award (Erasmus+ European Union). In 2024, he co-edited a volume on the topic with Marc Lynch (George Washington University) under the auspices of the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).
Gerasimos is a frequent commentator on migration, refugee, and diaspora politics, with his work featured in The New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, The New Humanitarian, and other leading publications.
Research groups
Grants
- 'Securitisation Without Security: How Migration is Shaping the Global Order'
Co-PI – Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2024–26.
Budget: £381,292 ($500,000) - ‘Disappearing Act: Reconstructing the Crime of Disappearances in Times of Political Violence.’
Co-PI – European Research Council Consolidator Grant, 2023–28.
Budget: £1,725,371 (€1,990,598) - ‘The International Politics of Mobility Sanctions.’
PI – European Research Council Starting Grant, 2022–27.
Budget: £1,299,765 (€1,499,836) - ‘De-Centring the Study of Migrant Returns and Readmission Policies in Europe and Beyond.’
Co-PI – Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme, 2022–25.
Budget: £2,939,545 (€3,392,025) - ‘Refugees and Diplomacy in Power Politics.’
PI – Independent Research Social Foundation Small Group Project, 2022–23.
Budget: £2,435 - ‘Migrants and Refugees in the Levant.’
PI – Council for British Research in the Levant (British Academy) Project, 2022–23.
Budget: £12,000 - ‘The Libyan Migration State.’
PI – Society for Libyan Studies Grant (British Academy), 2021–23.
Budget: £7,160 - ‘Migration, Diasporas, and Transnational Authoritarianism in the Middle East.’
PI – Council for British Research in the Levant (British Academy) Pilot Grant, 2020–22.
Budget: £5,875 - ‘Non-State Actors and Migration Diplomacy in the Middle East.’
PI – Economic and Social Research Council Impact Acceleration Account Grant, 2020–22.
Budget: £7,450 - ‘The International Politics of Middle East Migration: Problems, Policy, Practice.’
PI – British Academy Rising Star Engagement Award, 2018–19.
Budget: £14,957 - ‘Migration Diplomacy and Inter-State Politics of Population Mobility in the Middle East.’
PI – Council for British Research in the Levant (British Academy) Pilot Grant, 2017–19.
Budget: £5,700 - ‘The Politics of Forced Migration, Interstate Bargaining & Issue-Linkage in Greece & Jordan.’
PI, British Academy & The Leverhulme Trust Small Research Grant, 2017–18.
Budget: £9,379 - ‘Syrian Refugees and Higher Education.’
Co-PI, University of Birmingham Global Challenges Doctoral Fellowship, 2017–20.
Budget: £56,224 - ‘The Politics of Migration Interdependence in Lebanon.’
PI, George Washington University POMEPS Grant, 2017–18.
Budget: £2,368 ($3,000) - ‘Unpacking the Sending State: Regimes, Institutions and Non-state Actors in Diaspora and Emigration Politics.’
Co-PI, International Studies Association Venture Research Grant, 2016–17.
Budget: £8,138 ($10,310)
Supervision
Passionate about mentoring, Gerasimos has supervised five PhD projects to completion and currently supervises two doctoral students on migration, refugees, and Middle East politics. He is currently serving on the External Advisory Board of the Marie-Curie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network EuroMedMig, the Euro-Mediterranean Research Network on Migration.
Gerasimos welcomes potential doctoral students who are interested in his areas of expertise, namely:
- Migration diplomacy and the broader politics of cross-border mobility
- Refugee rentierism and forced migration governance
- Transnational authoritarianism and diaspora politics
- The politics and political economy of the Middle East
Previous PhD students (as primary, or co-supervisor) include:
- Al-Khulaifi, Sultan (2021–24)
Echoes of Peace: Qatar’s Manoeuvres in the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict (1995–2013) - Piazzese, Giovanni (2018–22)
The Evolution of the Egyptian State's Emigration Policy: Transforming Neglect into Engagement - Alshamsi, Reem (2017–21)
Implementation of the International Standards for Countering Terrorist Financing in Different National Contexts - Wu, Wen-Yu (2017–21)
Waiting, Hopes and Futures: Experiences in Accessing Higher Education for Displaced Students from Syria in Lebanon and Jordan - Mustafa, Ziad Abu Attiya (2015–18)
The Causes of Palestinian Disunity, 1993-2014
Currently, Gerasimos is supervising the following PhD students:
- Habersky, Elena
Navigating Restrictions: How Sudanese in Cairo Contest the Egyptian-Sudanese Border. - Heneghan, Matthew
Remittance Regimes: Migrational (inter)dependencies between Russia and Eurasia and the comparative effects on political and institutional development
Teaching
Gerasimos has extensive experience in designing and delivering undergraduate and postgraduate courses on topics such as migration politics, international relations of the Middle East, and global governance at several leading higher education institutions across the UK. He has also delivered regular invited lectures at institutions including the United Nations University's School of Modern Diplomacy and other prominent organizations, sharing his expertise on migration diplomacy, refugee governance, and global power dynamics.
Teaching Recognition
- Highly Innovative Teaching Award, Students' Representative Council – Students’ Representative Council, University of Glasgow (shortlisted, 2022)
- Senior Fellow (SFHEA) – Higher Education Academy (2021)
- Fellow (FHEA) – Higher Education Academy (2017)
- Director's Teaching Prize – SOAS, University of London (2015)
Additional information
Gerasimos is committed to ensuring that his research reaches wider audiences and contributes to addressing critical global challenges. His work on migration diplomacy, forced displacement, and authoritarian governance has been shared beyond academia through lectures, discussions, and media contributions. By engaging with policymakers, practitioners, and the public, he seeks to foster dialogue and drive meaningful change in areas of pressing societal concern.
He has delivered invited talks at leading institutions worldwide, including the United Nations University, the American University in Cairo, Harvard University, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Notably, he has been invited to deliver distinguished named lectures, such as the 2024–25 Karkalas Lecture for the Scottish Hellenic Society and the 2020 Council for British Research in the Levant Annual General Meeting Lecture, reflecting the recognition of his expertise and impact in the field. These lectures demonstrate his dedication to translating academic research into accessible insights that inform public debate and policy.
Below is a selection of his recent invited talks and media contributions.
Invited Talks
- ‘New Theories, Old Regimes? Arab Diasporas and Authoritarian Politics After 2011’ (30–01–2025)
Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (CAREP), Paris - ‘The Significance of Migration Diplomacy in the Context of the OSCE’ (13–12–2024)
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Vienna - ‘Bordering Power: Unpacking the Authoritarianism-Migration Nexus in Egypt’ (28–11–2024)
University of Copenhagen - ‘Understanding the Logic of Migration Crises in the Mediterranean’ (18–11–2024)
The American University in Cairo - The 2024–25 Karkalas Lecture: ‘Greek-Turkish Relations and the Importance of Migration in Shaping the Two Countries’ History and Politics’ (12–11–2024)
Scottish Hellenic Society - ‘Migration Diplomacy and Electoral Politics in Greek-Turkish Relations’ (15–10–2024)
London School of Economics and Political Science - ‘Tracing the Effects of the Transnational Social contract on Political Behaviours Across South-South Migration’ (28–05–2024)
Oxford University - 'Remittances, Immigration, and Global Challenges' (26–04–2024)
Institute for Humane Studies, George Washington University - ‘The Transnational Social Contract in the Global South’ (27–02–2024)
Toronto Metropolitan University - ‘Migrations in the Mediterranean: Which Research Agenda for the Coming Years?’ (23–01–2024)
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona - ‘Greek-Turkish Relations and Migration Power Politics in the Mediterranean’ (11–12–2023)
British School at Athens - ‘Migration Diplomacy as a Three-Level Game in the Mediterranean’ (13–11–2023)
Henry J. Leir Institute for Migration & Human Security, The Fletcher School, Tufts University - ‘Migration Diplomacy & Conflict: Greek-Turkish Relations as a Three-Level Game’ (9–11–2023)
Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies – University of California, Irvine
- ‘Migration Diplomacy & Greek-Turkish Relations: A Three-Level Game Approach’ (10-05-2023)
Faculty of Arts & Sciences – Sabancı University - ‘Migration Diplomacy & Greek-Turkish Relations: A Three-Level Game Approach’ (03-05-2023)
Migration Research Center – Koç University - ‘Migration Diplomacy as a Three-Level Game in Greek-Turkish Relations’ (28–03–2023)
European Institute – London School of Economics & Political Science - ‘Migration Diplomacy & the 2023 Elections in Greece and Turkey’ (07–03–2023)
Swedish Institute of International Affairs - Panel on ‘European Migration Management in the Eastern Mediterranean’ (02–03–2023)
Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence – University of Athens - Panel on ‘Politicised Migration and the Politics of Asylum’ (12–05–2022).
Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum – University of Cambridge - Panel on ‘Management of Forced Migration in the Global South’ (02–02–2022)
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs – Syracuse University - ‘The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt’ (05–11–2020)
Middle East Centre – London School of Economics & Political Science - ‘Egypt and the Politics of Migration in the Mediterranean’ (17–02–2020)
Amsterdam Centre for European Studies – University of Amsterdam - Panel on ‘Refugees, Migration & Governance in the Middle East & North Africa’ (25–11–2020)
Migration Policy Centre – European University Institute - The 2020 Council for British Research in the Levant Annual General Meeting Lecture: ‘Migration Diplomacy in the Levant: Lessons from the Syrian Refugee Crisis’ (15–11–2020)
Council for British Research in the Levant – London, United Kingdom - ‘The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt’ (20–11–2019)
Elliott School of International Affairs – George Washington University - ‘Syria, Forced Displacement, and the Rise of Refugee Rentierism’ (08–11–2019)
Center for European Studies – Harvard University - ‘The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt’ (05–11–2019)
Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies – New York University - ‘The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt’ (30–10–2019)
Marist College - ‘The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt’ (24–10–2019)
University of Pittsburgh - ‘The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt’ (10–10–2019)
Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies – Boston University - ‘The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt’ (24–09–2019)
Macmillan Center for International and Area Studies – Yale University - ‘Migration and Authoritarianism in Egypt’ (04–2019)
Department of Politics – University of Liverpool - 'Diasporas as Soft Power' (30–10–2017)
Center for Migration and Refugee Studies – The American University in Cairo - ‘Migration Diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean’ (15–07–2017)
Sijal Institute for Arabic Language and Culture in Amman, Jordan - ‘Agents of Nationalism: The Arab Cold War & Politics of Egyptian Migration’ (20–01–2016)
Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies – SOAS, University of London
Impact
- European Commission – Migration Diplomacy: An Analysis of Policy Approaches and Instruments (2024)
- Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe – Transnational Repression and the Rule of Law (2023)
- UK Parliament – National Security Strategy Inquiry on Defending Democracy (2024)
- Swedish Government – DELMI Policy Brief on Return Migration Diplomacy (2024)
- Austrian Institute for International Affairs – The Impact of Migration on International Relations (2024)
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Migration Diplomacy in the Biden-Harris Administration (2024)
- Human Rights Watch – “We Will Find You”: A Global Look at Government Repression Abroad (2024)
- International Foundation for Electoral Systems – Understanding and Interrupting Authoritarian Collaboration (2024)
- Friedrich Ebert Foundation – Policy Brief on Migration Diplomacy (2024)
- Mixed Migration Centre – Power Dynamics and Migration Diplomacy (2024)
- Amnesty International – “On my campus, I am afraid”: China’s Targeting of Overseas Students (2024)
- Human Rights Action Group – Transnational Repression by Eritrea’s Dictator (2024)
- Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy – Migration Diplomacy and the Athens-Berlin-Ankara Axis (2023)
- United States Congress – Congressional-Executive Commission on China Annual Report (2023)
- United States Congress – China’s Global Police State: Background and U.S. Policy Implications (2023)
- Freedom House – Out of Sight, Not Out of Reach: The Global Scale and Scope of Transnational Repression (2021)
- Foreign Policy Centre – Countering Transnational Repression: The Importance of Integrating New Immigrants (2020)
Media Interviews & Coverage
- 2023, Jackson, L. ‘Tunisia’s Influence in Europe.’ The New York Times.
- 2023, Hindrichs, B. and A. Doran. ‘Refugees as a Commodity is the New Normal’ [in German]. Krautreporter.
- 2021, ‘Repressive Regimes are Tightening their Grip on their Citizens Abroad.’ The Economist.
- 2019, 'New Texts Out Now: Gerasimos Tsourapas, The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt: Strategies for Regime Survival in Autocracies'. Jadaliyya.
