Dr Alexis Vahlas is an Associate Professor of Public Law at the University of Strasbourg. He is also Director of the Master’s-Level Diploma on European Security and International Stability (SESI). He is also Research Director and teaches at the French graduate school “École nationale d'administration”, especially teaching classes for foreign diplomats. After having obtained a PhD in International Law from the University of Paris II, Alexis has since worked on issues pertaining to the alliance of civilizations and the stabilisation of post-conflict areas. He has visited more than 90 countries and numerous crisis areas, including Sudan, Kosovo and Crimea. As a practitioner, Alexis was the Chief Political Advisor for the NATO Joint Force Command in Naples from 2006 to 2010, dealing with the crisis in the Balkans, Iraq, Somalia and the Mediterranean Sea. He also contributes to numerous international missions such as the EU twinning programmes, OSCE election observation missions and the Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe.