Agora has been made possible by the ideas and energy of countless people. Our thanks go to everyone who has contributed to our project and we hope that our number will continue to grow as we progress on our journey.
Pascal Roelcke – Chair
Pascal has been Chair of Agora since its inception in 2017. He works as Senior Research Executive in Public Affairs at IpsosUK, following a time working for the Centre for Public Impact. He studied International Relations and Postcolonial Studies in Geneva, Istanbul and London and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
[email protected] | @Pascal_Roelcke
John McStravick – Vice-Chair
When not involved with Agora, John is a researcher at Queen’s University Belfast, where his work focuses on Brexit and borders. Prior to this, he followed UK and EU politics for a political monitoring company and spent some time in the think tank and NGO sectors. He holds an MA in International Relations and European Politics from the University of Bath, having previously studied in York and Regensburg, Germany. His interests include the EU’s relations with its neighbourhood, trade, and geopolitical trends.
[email protected] | @JS_McStravick
Ellen Groom – Treasurer
Since graduating with a degree in Business and Law from University College Dublin, Ellen shares her time working as a legal analyst and running Agora’s regional group in Belfast. She has a particular passion for human rights and social justice, having been involved in development and education in both India and Tanzania and has brought these interests to her previous work in Irish foreign affairs. She looks forward learning more during her upcoming LLM in Public International Law at the University of Leiden.
Micheil Page – Co-Head of Energy & Climate Programme
Micheil has an MSc in Global Energy and Climate Policy from SOAS, University of London, where he specialised on climate mitigation policy and the Arctic. He also holds a BA in Development Studies and Geography, also from SOAS. He has worked in policy and research, both at Agora and at the Polar Research and Policy Initiative (PRPI). His current interests are in Climate Diplomacy and bridging the gap between science and policy.
Hannah Kuehn – Co-Head of Migration Programme
Hannah holds an MSc in Migration, Mobility and Development from SOAS, University of London, in which she specialised in the technology-migration nexus. Before moving to London, she completed her BSc in Public Governance across Borders at the University of Münster, Germany and University of Twente, Netherlands. She currently works for a charity as a responder to modern slavery.
Anna Le Bars- Co-Head of the Defence and Security Programme
Anna has an MSc in International Security, from the University of Bristol, where her thesis focused on the privatisation of security and defence, using the case study of Russian private security groups in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa and the regional and international implications these may have. She also holds a BA in Spanish and International Relations. She now works in the civil service within the Ministry of Justice in Bristol.
[email protected]
Will Shao - Co-head of Agora South East
Will currently works at the Ditchley Foundation as the Technology and Democracy Networks Lead. His work in this role centres around the impact and future of emerging and disruptive technologies, including semiconductors, generational models, and XR systems.
Will holds a BA in Classics with minors in International Relations and Modern Languages from Stanford University, as well as an MSt in Classics from the University of Oxford. His thesis for the latter focused on the relevance of the Promethean myth to ethical AI.
Topaz Brownhall – Co-Head of Agora South West
Topaz is a third-year history student at the University of Bristol. Her recent dissertation focused on green capitalism through the perspective of the history of whaling. Before starting her BA, Topaz worked in Cambodia as a legal researcher on economic land concessions.
[email protected]
Bradley Tait – Co-Head of Agora London
Bradley Tait - Co-Head of Agora, LondonBradley is an MSc candidate in Politics of East Asia at the School of Oriental and African Studies. His research is focused on East Asian defence and security, with a particular focus on China. Prior to starting his MSc, Bradley lived and worked in Washington DC, where he attended George Washington University as an undergraduate, pursuing a BA in International Relations.
[email protected] | @bg_tait
Lauren Atkins – Head of Editorial Board
Lauren has worked in political monitoring, across a range of sectors, specialising in UK education and welfare policy. She studied Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath where she graduated with a First. Her dissertation investigated the international approach to the problem of child soldiers in modern conflict. She has also worked in the civil service. In her spare time she enjoys reading, playing netball, and BBC crime dramas.