Erman Atak has joined FASoS as Research Fellow with a grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (2019-2020). As a part of Dr Bosse’s ongoing ASPASIA project, Erman’s research will focus on the influence of lobby groups on EU military operation ‘Sophia’ against migrant smugglers.
This research provides new insights into how the EU decides on highly risky operations abroad, presenting the first systematic study on unaccountable lobby groups’ influence on operation “Sophia”; one of the largest and most expensive EU operations to date.
Erman holds master’s degrees in international relations (The University of Oklahoma) and security strategies (Istanbul). His previous work has its roots in (inter)national security and decision-making processes. Before joining Maastricht University, he worked for international multilateral security organisations, and think tanks in Brussels with a focus on the Libya crisis and irregular migration.