Jesse Cornelis

Jesse Cornelis is a PhD researcher at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy (CSDS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). He holds an MSc in Political Science: European and International Governance (Pre-Doctoral Track) from the VUB, and a BSc in Social Sciences with a major in Political Science from VUB and Ghent University. Before pursuing an academic career, he worked as a professional ballet dancer and educator. His research focuses on the EU’s foreign and security policy, with particular attention to its diplomatic practices, Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and defence initiatives. He is especially interested in the mechanisms of coordination among these instruments. In addition, his work examines how the EU and its member states anticipate and respond to geopolitical shocks, exploring broader issues of societal preparedness and resilience in periods of tension and conflict.