Roland Vogt’s research examines the role of perceptions, reputations, ideas and individual leadership in the conduct of European foreign and security policies. With a particular interest in the way Europe interacts with other parts of the world, his research highlights the extent to which Europe’s global footprint is influenced by ideational and non-material factors. 

His monograph Personal Diplomacy in the EU: political leadership and critical junctures in European integration (Routledge, 2017) demonstrates how the pathway of European integration was driven not - as is often assumed - by institutions and abstract market forces but by individuals. Based on extensive archival and rich empirical research, his book makes a significant contribution in a field that is heavily characterised by reductionist institutional and structural explanations for the political evolution of Europe. In addition, he has published two edited volumes, several book chapters and articles in top-tier academic journals such as International Affairs. Roland is the Associate Editor of the renowned journal International Relations, published by the David Davies Memorial Institute. He is also a regular commentator and contributor on European affairs in the international and Hong Kong media (BBC, Bloomberg, Channel News Asia, CNN, CNBC, N-TV, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Kauppalehti, Nikkei Asian Review, RTHK, South China Morning Post, etc.).

Roland’s research expertise is in International Relations with a special emphasis on European diplomacy, technology and security policies. He currently works on two projects. The first one analyses the EU’s ambivalent role in the global rivalry for technology supremacy. The second one examines the ability (or inability) of European states to learn and adopt security practices developed in the Global South. Taking Latin America as an example, his research focuses on security policies developed against money laundering and transnational organised crime, both of which have emerged as major security risks in different European societies. Both projects are supported by competitive external research funding. 

Roland is the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (2020-2023) and an Associate Professor of European Studies. He received his PhD in International Politics from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. A former Fulbright fellow, he holds a MA in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Delaware. He conducted his undergraduate studies in Political Science, History, and Law at the University of Bonn. In 2017, he was a Doris Zimmern fellow at the University of Cambridge (Hughes Hall). From 2012-2017, he was the Deputy-Director of the European Union Academic Programme (EUAP) in Hong Kong, an interdisciplinary research and teaching consortium of the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong co-funded by the European Commission. Since November 2019, Roland is the Chairman of the Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre (HKHTC), an independent, non-political and secular non-profit organisation dedicated towards advancing Holocaust awareness and education in East Asia.

KE Activies

RTHK, ‘The Pulse’, interview on Israeli-Palestinian conflict (2021)

Kauppalehti, interview on EU-China investment treaty (2021)

Kauppalehti, interview on EU-China relations (2020)

St Paul’s Co-Educational College, talk on the Holocaust (2019)

German-Swiss International School, talk on Holocaust denial (2019)

BBC, interview on Chinese investment in German strategic industries (2018)

Reuters, interview on Macron’s visit to China (2018)

RTHK, ‘Backchat’, interview on tensions in Catalonia (2017)

CNN, interview on EU-UK Brexit negotiations (2017)

Bloomberg, interview on Brexit referendum (2016)