Derek joined the University of Birmingham in 1991, following several years working for industrial companies trading with the Soviet Union and East/Central Europe. He has been research-active for 35 years. Much of his academic and policy-related work reflects a deep and enduring interest in Russia and Eurasia, inspired by early language study (he is fluent in Russian) and regular visits as a representative of UK industrial companies during a period of rapid change in the USSR.
He has published numerous extensively cited academic and policy-related articles on Russia’s relations with the EU and NATO, its role in European security governance, and arms control in the post-Soviet period. His expertise in Russian international relations has led to successful research funding bids from the UK Government (with continuous awards from 1991 to 2015), European Union-funded projects involving European and Russian scholars, and a NATO Advanced Research Workshop grant.
Derek’s research interests have evolved to encompass broader security-related aspects of international politics. He has written on Russia’s policy in the Middle East and North Africa, including a monograph published by Manchester University Press in 2024. His current research focuses on the political and institutional consequences of the shift in Russia’s foreign policy orientation following the war in Ukraine, its relations with the Global South, and its approach to nuclear deterrence and non-proliferation. He has also taught on undergraduate and master’s programmes at Birmingham, as well as on master’s programmes at the College of Europe (Natolin) and the University of Bologna.