Dr Migena (Megghi) Pengili

Profile

I read my PhD studies at the School of Politics and International Studies during Feb 2020-Mar 2024. The thesis, itself, supervised by Dr Neil Winn and Dr James Worrall  explored the influence that Italian and Israeli partnerships  between industry (cyber, aerospace and maritime) and public bodies have on the innovation of institutions, the governance methods and the performance of the defence policy by contracting and processing specialised knowledge. 

Background

I come as a practitioner in the academia.My working experience, prior reading the doctoral programme,  was of various composure e.g. national security institutions, international organizations, regional environmental organizations etc.  hold an MA in International Relations, from the University of Sussex (Chevening Scholarship, 2007) and an Executive Master in EU Studies from the Centre International de Formation Europeene (CIFE Berlin-Nice,2018) graduating  with Summa cum Laude. The thesis entitled “In Search of a theory for PeSCo- A Dialogue Between Rational Choice and Fusion Thesis” was itself supervised by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wessels. I am also a “George C.Marshall Center” Scholar ( Marshall Centre Scholarship 2007) having conducted a research project on the Security Privatization in the Western Balkans under the supervision of Prof. Jack (John) Treddenick. For 2021-2023, I was a Visiting non-resident PhD researcher at the Blavatnik Centre for Interdisciplinary Cyber Studies, University of Tel Aviv, Israel. The affiliation was supported by the scholarship of Rafa and Paula Atlas and Joel Atlas Skirble Endowment, USA. In the period  February- August 2021 I worked as a Research Assistant for Dr Nora Stappert  in an interdisciplinary project between the School of Law and GCSC (POLIS) which aimed at identifying overlapping areas for potential cooperation between both Schools. While between February- September 2021 I was engaged as research assistant to Dr James Worrall and Dr Sean Fear in an interdisciplinary project between School of History and GCSC (POLIS). 

Since 2022, I am also Asst. Editor for the Civil Wars journal. In April 2024 I was awarded the title of Visiting Fellow at POLIS, University of Leeds.

Research interests

• EU and Mediterrenean Defence Studies
• Innovation Governance in Defence
• Defence Industry
• Civil-Military Relations and AI
• Modelling defence innovation ecosystems and knowledge management
• Energy defence resources and cybersecurity

Professional memberships:

• Co-founding member and secretariat member for the Military Innovation Network (MIN)
• Member of the International Consortium of the Economic Warfare (ICEL)
• George C.Marshall Centre ( GCMC) 
• CIFE Alumni
• Chevening Alumni
• The British International Studies Association (BISA)
• Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
• International Studies Association (ISA)
• The European Association for Israel Studies (EAIS)

Qualifications

• PhD in Innovation Governance and Defence Studies
• MA International Relations MA European Studies
• MA European Studies
• Scholar of “George C. Marshall”
• Visiting non-resident PhD researcher , Blavatnik ICRC