Michael Reiterer is Distinguished Professor at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) of the VUB; honorary founding editor of the CSDS policy brief series. Michael Reiterer pursued his academic career always in parallel to his diplomatic one at the Austrian and then European service. After graduating as Dr. jur. from the University of Innsbruck (1978), post-graduate studies at the Johns Hopkins University/Bologna Centre (Diploma 1979) and the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva (Diploma 1983), participation in the French-speaking course of the The Hague Academy of International Law (1981), were further stepping stones to his habilitation (PhD equivalent) in International Politics at the University of Innsbruck (2005, Institute for Political Science) focussing on EU-Asia relations. EU foreign policy, EU-Asia relations in particular with Japan and Korea, the Indo-Pacific, inter-regionalism, security issues, new forms of diplomacy including cyber diplomacy, economic security, human rights are now the main focus of his research, having previously published extensively on international trade law and relations including WTO, trade and environment and the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM).
Adjunct professor for international politics at University of Innsbruck; Webster University, Vienna; Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali “Guido Carli” (LUISS), Rome; Danube University, Krems/Austria. Guest Professorships at the Graduate School of International Relations/Ritsumeikan/Kyoto and Asia Pacific University/Beppu 2023/24 and 2025/26; March 2022 online at the Law Faculty of Ritsumeikan University, April-July 2022 in situ at Kobe University as well as previously in 2014, 2015; Keio University (2008), the Graduate School of Political Science, Tokyo Japan. Guest lectures i.a. at Waseda University, International Christian University, University of Tokyo, University of Foreign Languages, Hitosobashi University, Aoyama University, Hosei University, Sophia University (Tokyo); Kyushu University, Kyushu Sangyo University (Fukuoka), Doshisha University (Kyoto), Kyoto University, Kwansei University, Setsuma University, Osaka University; Kagawa University, University of Oita, Kyushu University. Republic of Korea: i.a. Seoul National, Korea University, Yonsei University; Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS); Kyung Hee University; Ewa Womens University/ Seoul; Wonkwang University/Iksan, Busan National University. 2025 Erskine Fellowship at the University of Canterbury/Christchurch, New Zealand.
In September 2020 he retired from the European Diplomatic Service (European External Action Service-EEAS) as Ambassador plenipotentiary and extraordinary of the European Union to the Republic of Korea (2017-2020); previous posts incl. Ambassador to Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein (2007-2011), Deputy Head of Mission/Minister at the EU Delegation to Japan (2002-2006), Counsellor in charge of ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) at the European Commission (1998-2001), Minister Counsellor at the Austrian Permanent Representation to the EU (1997-1998), Counsellor at the Austrian Permanent Representation to the GATT (1990-1992), Austrian Deputy Trade Commissioner for West Africa (out of Ivory Coast, 1982-1984) and to Japan (1985-1988). He co-chaired the Joint Group of Trade and Environment Experts at the OECD, served as panellist in the WTO dispute settlement and was a member of the European Economic and Social Committee.
Selected Research
“South Korea”, In Kim So Jeong. George Christou, Wilhelm Vosse, Joe Burton, Joachim Koops (eds). The Palgrave Handbook on Cyber Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan (2025): 593-612.
“EU Cyber Diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific: Pick Up Speed and Strengthen Set-Up”, Policy Science in Commemoration of Professor Noriko Yasue, 32(5) (2025): 15-38.
“European Historical Reconciliation and East Asia: Implications, Lessons, Interests and Roles” in Kimie Hara (ed.) Reconciliation and Symbiosis in East Asia from Comparative Perspectives (Studies in International Relations in East Asia, 2025): 305-330
“Introduction to Conference on Perspectives for Cooperation of Japan and South Korea to Stabilize the Volatile Security Situation – Bilateral and Multilateral Aspects”, Ritsumeikan Kokusai Kenkyu, 37(3), February 2025.
“The Economic Security Tightrope: EU Economic Security Strategy, Friend-Shoring, and European Relations with Indo-Pacific States”, Journal of East Asian Affairs, 36(2) (2024): 169-217 – with Il-Houng, L.
“Cyber Security – Pilot Project for Security Cooperation between the EU and South Korea”, Korea Europe Review, 5, December 2023.
“Looking at 2083: Perspectives for EU-Korea Relations”, in Kim Sihong, Lee Moosung, Nicola Casarini, Eric J. Ballbach (eds.) 60 Years of EU-Korea Relations, 1963-2023, (HUFS, 2023): 253-270.
“The Indo-Pacific taking centre-stage for the EU’s security policy”, Zeitschrift für Europarecht (EuZ), 07/23: I1-I 18.
“From Connectivity to Global Gateway, from Asia to the Indo-Pacific – building an Inclusive Liberal International Order” in Shiong Kim, Michael Reiterer (eds.) Connecting Europe and Asia: Security, Economy and Mobility, (HUFS University Press, 2023): 11-22.
“EU Cyber Diplomacy: Value- and Interest-Driven Foreign Policy with New Focus on the Indo-Pacific”, in Boulet, Reiterer, Pacheco (eds.), Cybersecurity Policy in the EU and South Korea from Consultation to Action. Theoretical and Comparative Perspectives. (Palgrave, 2022): 17-39.
Selected Policy Analysis
“NATO Summit in The Hague with IP4 Summit”, Korea on Point, 30 June 2025.
“Navigating the Indo-Pacific: Strategic Priorities for the New EU Leadership”, CSDS Policy Brief 30/2024 – with Tercovich, G., Calcara, A., Fiott, D., Pacheco Pardo, R., Pejsova, E. and Simón, L.
“NATO and the Republic of Korea: The AP4 in the Indo-Pacific”, 38 North, 9 April 2024.
“Answering the Bell — Japan’s Indo-Pacific Leadership Aspirations”, East Asia Forum, 2 August 2022 – with Richey, M.
“Regional Trade Agreements in the Indo Pacific does the EU Risk Losing Sight of their Importance?”, CSDS Policy Brief, 1/2022.
“A China Policy is not an Asia Policy, but no Asia Policy is Without a China Policy”, EUI Policy Briefs, 2021/50.
“The EU and the US in search of Common Ground: Extending the Transatlantic to an Indo-Pacific Partnership?”, CSDS Policy Brief, 4/2021 – with Pacheco Pardo, R.
“EU Security Policy After COVID: Walking the Talk or Losing Credibility”, CSDS Policy Brief, 1/2021.
“EU security interests in the Korean Peninsula”, The Defence Horizon Journal, 19 February 2021.
“The European Union and Security Cooperation: Bringing Northeast Asia into Focus”. Global Asia, The East Asia Institute, Seoul, 10 November 2020.
Full list of publications
