02/09/2021
Global citizens and change-makers, our Master in International Relations and Master in International Development professors provide support and knowledge based on years of professional experience.
Our Master in International Relations and Master in International Development offer versatile training in global affairs, with a distinctly practical orientation. Thanks to the diverse expertise of our faculty, these programs are taught with an interdisciplinary focus and annually-updated global insights. With professional experiences that go from peace-keeping at the UN to stockbroking on Wall Street, our professors are committed to helping you master the skills you need to become a leader in global and public affairs.
Meet our inspiring professors
Milo Jones, Visiting Professor of Security and Counter-Terrorism
Acquiring a diversity of knowledge has always motivated Milo Jones. Majoring in art history, he has gained professional experience in the US Marine Corps, dabbled in archaeology, and become familiar with the corporate world as a stockbroker, consultant, and senior manager at a Fortune 500 company. Beyond that, he’s also found the time to get a master’s and a Ph.D.!
When it comes to learning, Milo believes that variety equals vitality. He has carried this through his teaching career, where students at IE University have been benefiting from his rich knowledge base and open-minded outlook for over 12 years. In the Master in International Relations, his classes focus on geopolitics and business, always remaining true to his philosophy of specializing in being a generalist.
Milo emphasizes individual integrity, curiosity and a passion for learning as important assets for postgraduate study. He advises honing in on these when it comes to the world of work:
“If students recognize and act upon that, their careers will take care of themselves!”
Evan Liaras, Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics
Hailing from the Balkans, Evan Liaras’ experience of an area torn apart by conflict drives him to keep searching for answers in history and international affairs.
Studying history at Havard for his undergraduate studies, Evan went on to gain both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from MIT. Since then, his career has taken him around the world, including to Greece where he volunteered during the financial crisis.
Today, Evan is a full-time professor at IE University. Teaching the Master in International Relations, he notes the importance of interdisciplinary training and learning lessons from the collective human experience. In such a diverse educational environment as IE University, Evan relishes the chance to meet people from all over the world—something that enriches the study of international relations.
“When you meet people who come from such diverse backgrounds, you’ll be surprised by what you discover about yourself in the process.”
Francesca Grandi, Adjunct Professor of International Development
Francesca Grandi’s passion for global and public affairs is rooted in her experience volunteering at a refugee camp in a war-torn Yugoslavia. It was in these challenging conditions that her desire to help resolve conflicts and protect victims of violence became clearer than ever before.
To that end, Francesca’s career has included conflict prevention projects in various Latin American countries, a UN peace-keeping mission in Timor-Leste, and sector-defining research into armed conflict and forced displacement at two London-based think tanks.
Francesca’s impressive academic background includes a Ph.D. in International Relations and Comparative Politics from Yale University. As a scholar of policy-making and diplomacy, she also understands the need to balance international programs with local and community work. Having spent a year teaching English and yoga at the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, she continues to volunteer with local initiatives.
Today, Francesca works at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva alongside teaching on the Master in International Development. Her role as a professor ensures that she constantly reflects on her ideas through open discussion with students.
“I like my classes to be a genuine exchange, not just between myself and the students, but amongst the students as well.”
Waya Quiviger, Professor of Practice of Global Governance and Development
With a diverse upbringing and a career that has taken her around the world, Waya Quiviger considers herself a global citizen. Born in Belgium and raised in the US, she is half-French and half-Filipino, making for childhood experiences that cemented a preference for cosmopolitan and multilingual environments. As a lover of international relations and different cultures, this has certainly been a fitting backdrop!
In her role as a professor, Waya’s expertise spans international business, economics and politics. You’ll hear from her in subjects like Global Governance & International Institutions; Aid, Development & Social Entrepreneurship; Global Governance & International Organizations; and Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement.
In her other role as Executive Director of IE University’s Transatlantic Relationship Initiative, Waya coordinates debate on European affairs, US-Hispanic politics and Ibero-American issues, working to consolidate transatlantic ties between institutions.
“People are usually quite appreciative of someone that is genuinely interested in getting to know their culture.”
Simona Costanzo Sow, Visiting Professor at IE University
Motivated by the clear-cut objective of making a positive impact on society, Simona Costanzo Sow’s main focus is on migration, civic engagement and sustainable development. These specializations form her distinctive perspective on the workings of politics around the world—but Simona is not content to only understand things in theory. With impressive advocacy and volunteering experiences behind her, she is always striving to apply academic learnings to real-world challenges.
Throughout her career, Simona has dedicated herself to a range of important causes. She has worked closely with the UN for many years, firstly as a director of UNESCO affiliate CCIVS and later as the Project Manager for the United Nations Volunteers program.
As a visiting professor at IE University, her teaching emphasizes the need to incorporate local perspectives and knowledge into policy-making. In the classroom, Simona encourages imaginative thinking and an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to problems—an outlook that is central to developing a global skill set.
