BA(Hons)(Oxf) MA PhD(Lond)
James Headley’s research interests are in Russian foreign policy, the European Union, nationalism, and International Relations theory. He is the author of Russia and the Balkans: Foreign Policy from Yeltsin to Putin (Hurst and Co./Columbia University Press) and is currently working on a co-authored book on Russian foreign policy to be published by Polity. He completed his PhD at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London.
Teaching
- POLS 105 Comparative Politics – Introduction
- POLS 216 Politics of the European Union
- POLS 315 Nationalism and Identity
- POLS 550 Comparative Regional Conflicts
Contact details
Room 4N1, 4th floor, Arts (Burns) Building
Tel +64 3 479 8616
Email james.headley@otago.ac.nz
Selected books
Publications
Headley, J. (2025). The Russkii mir and the Anglosphere: Co-constructing a world of civilisations? Australian Journal of International Affairs. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/10357718.2025.2588418 Journal - Research Article
Headley, J. (2024, June). The russkii mir and the Anglosphere: Parallels, intersections, clashes. Verbal presentation at the Global Britain and EU-Anglosphere Relations in the 2020s Workshop, Prato, Italy. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2024, June). Narratives of Russian national and state identities and the war in Ukraine. Verbal presentation at the British International Studies Association (BISA) 48th Annual Conference, Birmingham, UK. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2024). Navalny wasn't Russia's last hope. Newsroom, (20 February). Retrieved from https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/02/20/it-may-seem-like-it-but-navalny-wasnt-russias-last-hope/ Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles
Headley, J. (2024). Putin landslide surprises nobody: But what comes next? Newsroom, (18 March). Retrieved from https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/03/18/putin-landslide-surprises-nobody-but-what-comes-next/ Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles
2025
Journal - Research Article
Headley, J. (2025). The Russkii mir and the Anglosphere: Co-constructing a world of civilisations? Australian Journal of International Affairs. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/10357718.2025.2588418
2024
Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles
Headley, J. (2024). Navalny wasn't Russia's last hope. Newsroom, (20 February). Retrieved from https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/02/20/it-may-seem-like-it-but-navalny-wasnt-russias-last-hope/
Headley, J. (2024). Putin landslide surprises nobody: But what comes next? Newsroom, (18 March). Retrieved from https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/03/18/putin-landslide-surprises-nobody-but-what-comes-next/
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2024, June). The russkii mir and the Anglosphere: Parallels, intersections, clashes. Verbal presentation at the Global Britain and EU-Anglosphere Relations in the 2020s Workshop, Prato, Italy.
Headley, J. (2024, June). Narratives of Russian national and state identities and the war in Ukraine. Verbal presentation at the British International Studies Association (BISA) 48th Annual Conference, Birmingham, UK.
Burlyuk, O., Headley, J., & Axyonova, V. (2024, June). Russia's war against Ukraine and politics of materiality. Panel discussion at the Central and Eastern European International Studies Association and the International Studies Association (CEEISA-ISA) Joint International Conference: Knowing the global-local: Imagining pasts, debating futures, Rijeka, Croatia.
Headley, J. (2024, February). The Gorchakov thesis revisited: Was the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine inevitable? Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Political Studies Association, Te Kāhui Tātai Tōngorapū o Aotearoa (NZPSA/TKTToA) 2023/24 Annual Conference: The Rising Pacific, Auckland, New Zealand.
2023
Journal - Research Article
Chaban, N., & Headley, J. (2023). Responsibility not to be silent: Academic knowledge production about the war against Ukraine and knowledge diplomacy. Journal of International Relations & Development, 26, 733-747. doi: 10.1057/s41268-023-00300-7
Journal - Research Other
Headley, J., & Tan, L. (2023). Encounters, institutions & lessons: 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement. Peace Review, 35(3), 401-403. doi: 10.1080/10402659.2023.2224249
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2023, June). The 'horror mirror' reversed: Russia's war on Ukraine through the lens of the Yugoslav conflicts. Verbal presentation at the British International Studies Association (BISA) 47th Annual Conference, Glasgow, UK.
2022
Journal - Research Other
Headley, J. (2022). Narratives of national and state identities in the war in Ukraine [Analysis]. Australian Outlook, (14 April). Retrieved from https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/narratives-of-national-and-state-identities-in-the-war-in-ukraine
Chaban, N., & Headley, J. (2022). Perceptions, narratives and attitudes: New perspectives and geographies in the study of external perceptions of the EU [Special section (part 2)]. European Foreign Affairs Review, 27(1), 57-60. doi: 10.54648/EERR2022004
Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles
Headley, J. (2022). Russia fought against Nazism but is now itself a fascist state. Newsroom: Ideasroom, (18 March). Retrieved from https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/russia-fought-against-nazism-but-is-now-itself-a-fascist-state
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Patman, R., Headley, J., & Chaban, N. (2022, July). Putin's Ukraine invasion: The consequences. Panel discussion at the University of Otago Winter Symposium Series, [Online].
Headley, J. (2022, November-December). Putting Russia back on the world stage: Performing great power-ness in words, images, and force. Verbal presentation at the Performing Global Crises Conference, [Hybrid].
Ellis, L., Winter, C., Headley, J., Goldsmith, L., Patman, R., Roper, B., & Nel, P. (2022, August). World in crisis panel. Panel discussion at the Otago Politics Day School, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Other Research Output
Headley, J. (2022, April). Russian foreign policy and the Ukraine War: Continuity or departure? MEISA Webinar: Putin's War Path: Understanding Russian Foreign Policy from the Middle East to Ukraine. [Research Presentation].
2021
Journal - Research Article
Headley, J. (2021). Communicative distraction?: Russia's and the European Union's rival perception managements. European Foreign Affairs Review, 26(4), 559-578. doi: 10.54648/eerr2021043
Journal - Research Other
Chaban, N., & Headley, J. (2021). Perceptions of the EU in its eastern neighbourhood: 30 years on from the collapse of the Soviet Union [Special section (part 1)]. European Foreign Affairs Review, 26(4), 553-558. doi: 10.54648/eerr2021042
2019
Chapter in Book - Research
Headley, J. (2019). Russia resurgent: The implications for New Zealand. In A.-M. Brady (Ed.), Small states and the changing global order: New Zealand faces the future. (pp. 213-229). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-18803-0_13
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2019, June). Between the rhetoric of cooperation and the practice of antagonism: Russia in Antarctica. Verbal presentation at the British International Studies Association (BISA) 44th Annual Conference, London, UK.
2018
Journal - Research Article
Headley, J. (2018). Perceptions of the Ukraine crisis: A clash between a modern Russia and a postmodern European Union? European Foreign Affairs Review, 23, 101-117.
Journal - Research Other
Chaban, N., Knodt, M., & Headley, J. (2018). The EU and Its eastern neighbours: Perceptions and strategic dialogue in the region [Introduction]. European Foreign Affairs Review, 23, 1-22.
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Headley, J. (2018). Brexit as secession. Proceedings of the New Zealand Political Studies Association (NZPSA) Annual Conference: Representation and Responsibility. (pp. 43). Retrieved from https://nzpsa.com
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2018, June). Russia, Ukraine and the influence of presumed media influence in international relations. Verbal presentation at the British International Studies Association (BISA) 43rd Annual Conference, Bath, UK.
Headley, J., Rudd, C., James, J., Schick, K., Timperley, C., Eichbaum, C., & Kearney-Parata, R. (2018, November). Teaching politics. Panel discussion at the New Zealand Political Studies Association (NZPSA) Annual Conference: Representation and Responsibility, Wellington, New Zealand.
Headley, J., Hall, E., Grace, P., James, J., & Rudd, C. (2018, October). ‘Learning is not a spectator sport’: Using simulations to motivate and engage students. Workshop presentation at the Teaching and Learning Symposium: Rebuilding Your Ship at Sea: Cultivating Identity, Integrity, Community and Collegiality in Times of Change, Dunedin, New Zealand.
2017
Chapter in Book - Research
Headley, J. (2017). Post-communist Russia and the West: From crisis to crisis? In M. S. Fish, G. Gill & M. Petrovic (Eds.), A quarter century of post-communism assessed. (pp. 271-294). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-43437-7_11
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2017, June). Russian rhetoric in the UNSC: Challenging Western normative hegemony. Verbal presentation at the 42nd British International Studies Association (BISA) Conference, Brighton, UK.
Headley, J. (2017, August-September). Principles and practices of recognition: Former Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union. Verbal presentation at the European Union Centres Network New Zealand (EUCN NZ) International Symposium: Statehood, Sovereignty, and Secession: The EU and Beyond, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Headley, J., & Kalogeropoulou, S. (2017, October). Expressing Greekness in a time of crisis: kalozoia ['good life'] versus austerity? Verbal presentation at the European Union Centres Joint Conference: Fulfilling the Vision: EU Futures? Melbourne, Australia.
Headley, J. (2017, November-December). Russia's resurgence and New Zealand: The Asia-Pacific context. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Political Studies Association (NZPSA) Conference: (Dis)ordering politics: Exclusion, Resistance and Participation, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Headley, J. (2017, November-December). Russian rhetoric and practice in the UN Security Council: Challenging Western normative hegemony. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Political Studies Association (NZPSA) Conference: (Dis)ordering politics: Exclusion, Resistance and Participation, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report
Headley, J. (2017). Russia's resurgence and New Zealand: The Asia-Pacific context [Policy brief no. 7]. Christchurch, New Zealand: Small States and the New Security Environment (SSANSE), University of Canterbury. Retrieved from http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/arts/research/ssanse/pop-up-think-tank/
2016
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2016, June). The Ukraine crisis: A clash between a modern Russia and a postmodern European Union? Verbal presentation at the First Annual Tartu Conference on Russian and East European Studies: Europe under Stress: The End of a Common Dream? Tartu, Estonia.
Headley, J. (2016, June). Russia and the West: Contesting the domain and content of international politics. Verbal presentation at the Central and Eastern European International Studies Association and the International Studies Association (CEEISA-ISA) Joint International Conference, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2015
Chapter in Book - Research
Headley, J. (2015). Russia’s complex engagement with European Union norms: Sovereign democracy versus post-Westphalianism? In A. Björkdahl, N. Chaban, J. Leslie & A. Masselot (Eds.), Importing EU Norms: Conceptual framework and empirical findings. (pp. 211-230). Springer.
Journal - Research Article
Headley, J. (2015). Challenging the EU's claim to moral authority: Russian talk of 'double standards'. Asia Europe Journal, 13(3), 297-307. doi: 10.1007/s10308-015-0417-y
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2015, November). Thickening EU norms: Internal-external links and political implications. Verbal presentation at the European Union (EU) Centres Conference: Europe: New Leadership, New Directions? Auckland, New Zealand.
Headley, J. (2015, February). European Union as a peace project: Lessons from Ukraine. Verbal presentation at the A Quarter Century of Post-Communism Conference: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Headley, J. (2015, February). Considering the EU as a moral exemplar through a virtue ethics lens. Verbal presentation at the European Union Centre Network NZ (EUCN NZ) International Symposium: Strategic Narratives of Identity: The EU, Europe and the World, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Headley, J. (2015, June). Russia-EU normative relations through a virtue ethics lens. Verbal presentation at the British International Studies Association (BISA) 40th Anniversary Conference, London, UK.
2014
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J., & Kalogeropoulou, S. (2014, June). Expressing Greekness in a time of crisis: 'Kalozoia' versus austerity? Verbal presentation at the 10th Central and East European International Studies Association (CEEISA) Convention, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Headley, J. (2014, February). Challenging the EU's claim to moral authority: Russian talk of 'double standards'. Verbal presentation at the Joint Jean Monnet Chair and Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Symposium: Normative Power Europe? European Union External Outreach and International Identity, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Headley, J. (2014, June). Russian policy on the war in Syria in comparison to the Yugoslav conflicts. Verbal presentation at the British International Studies Association (BISA) Postgraduate Network Annual Conference, Dublin, Ireland.
2013
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2013, September). Still leading by virtuous example? Virtue ethics and the EU in a time of crisis. Verbal presentation at the 'Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive' International Conference: Researching the EU from Australia and New Zealand, Canberra, Australia.
Headley, J. (2013, December). Russian policy on the war in Syria. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Political Studies Association (NZPSA) Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Other Research Output
Morris-Suzuki, T., Headley, J., & Leckie, J. (2013, October). Migration in turbulent times. Asian Migrations Theme, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Public Seminar].
2012
Edited Book - Research
Headley, J., Reitzig, A., & Burton, J. (Eds.). (2012). Public participation in foreign policy. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 259p.
Chapter in Book - Research
Headley, J., & Burton, J. (2012). Conclusion: Some reflections on public participation in foreign policy. In J. Headley, A. Reitzig & J. Burton (Eds.), Public participation in foreign policy. (pp. 234-249). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Headley, J., & Reitzig, A. (2012). Does the public want to participate? In J. Headley, A. Reitzig & J. Burton (Eds.), Public participation in foreign policy. (pp. 21-37). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Headley, J., & van Wyk, J.-A. (2012). Debating the public's role in foreign policy. In J. Headley, A. Reitzig & J. Burton (Eds.), Public participation in foreign policy. (pp. 3-20). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Journal - Research Article
Headley, J. (2012). Near abroads and arcs of instability: Conceptualising the region in the South Pacific and Eurasia. Canterbury Law Review, 18, 15-40.
Headley, J. (2012). National and transnational challenges in the former Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia. Global Change, Peace & Security, 24(2), 251-269. doi: 10.1080/14781158.2012.679922
Headley, J. (2012). Is Russia out of step with European norms? Assessing Russia's relationship to European identity, values and norms through the issue of self-determination. Europe-Asia Studies, 64(3), 427-447. doi: 10.1080/09668136.2012.661924
Headley, J., & Reitzig, A. (2012). Does foreign policy represent the views of the public? Assessing public and elite opinion on New Zealand's foreign policy. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 66(1), 70-89. doi: 10.1080/10357718.2011.637318
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2012, June). Russia in the South Pacific: A response to the rise of China. Verbal presentation at the 2nd Joint British International Studies Association (BISA) and International Studies Association (ISA) International Conference: Diversity in the Discipline: Tension or Opportunity to Global Challenges, Edinburgh, UK.
Headley, J. (2012, November). Russia in the South Pacific: A response to the rise of China? Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Political Studies Association (NZPSA) Conference, Wellington, New Zealand.
2011
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2011, December). Constructing 'near abroads': Perception of a region as a source of threat/opportunities. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand European Union Centres Network (EUCN) Colloquium: Regional Integration and Identity in the Pacific, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Headley, J. H. (2011, June ). Russia and the European Union in the “common European house”: Sovereign democracy against post-Westphalianism? Verbal presentation at the 8th Central and East European International Studies Association (CEEISA) Convention: Whither the ‘Post-Westphalian’ World? Inequalities, Conflicts and Solidarity in the Twenty-First Century, Istanbul, Turkey.
Headley, J. (2011, December). “Common European house”: Sovereign democracy against post-Westphalianism? Verbal presentation at the New Zealand European Union Centres Network (EUCN) Conference: European Dilemmas: Internal and External Issues Facing the European Union, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Headley, J. (2011, November). National and transnational challenges in the former Soviet space and former Yugoslavia. Verbal presentation at the Australia and New Zealand Slavists' Association (ANZSA) Conference: Translations/Transitions, Christchurch, New Zealand.
2010
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper
Headley, J. (2010). Russia and the BRIC group. In B. Lynch (Ed.), Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA) 75th Anniversary Series of Addresses & Lectures. 2, (pp. 175-183). Wellington, New Zealand: NZIIA. [Full Paper]
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2010, June-July). Moral choice and identity in foreign policy. Verbal presentation at the 4th Oceanic Conference on International Studies (OCIS), Auckland, New Zealand.
Other Research Output
Headley, J. (2010, August). The significance of "solidarity". Guest Lecture at the Polish Association of New Zealand Exhibition: Polska Droga do Wolnosći: Poland's Passage to Freedom. Wellington, New Zealand. [Public Seminar].
2009
Other Research Output
Headley, J. (2009, September). Public opinion and New Zealand's international identity. University of London, Centre for New Zealand Studies Lecture, London, UK. [Public Seminar].
Headley, J. (2009, September). Security issues in the Asia-Pacific Region: Perspectives from New Zealand and Australia, Moscow, Russia. [Public Seminar].
Headley, J. (2009, April). How New Zealanders perceive the world. University of Otago Centre for Research on National Identity Seminar Series. Wellington, New Zealand. [Public Seminar].
2008
Authored Book - Research
Headley, J. (2008). Russia and the Balkans: Foreign policy from Yeltsin to Putin. New York: Columbia University Press, 544p.
Chapter in Book - Research
Headley, J. (2008). Russia. In K. DeRouen, Jr & P. Bellamy (Eds.), International security and the United States: An encyclopedia (Vol. 2). (pp. 628-649). Westport, CT: Praeger Security International.
Headley, J. (2008). The way opened, the way blocked: Assessing the contrasting fates of Chechnya and Kosovo. In A. Pavković & P. Radan (Eds.), On the way to statehood: Secession and globalisation. (pp. 85-99). Aldershot, UK: Ashgate.
Journal - Research Other
Headley, J. (2008). [Review of the book Convergence and divergence: Russia and Eastern Europe into the twenty-first century]. New Zealand Slavonic Journal, 42, 170-172.
Headley, J. (2008). When frozen conflicts melt down [Analysis article]. Transitions Online, (18 August). Retrieved from http://www.tol.org/client/article/19838-when-frozen-conflicts-melt-down.html
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2008, December). Russia and 'European norms'. Verbal presentation at the British International Studies Association 33nd Annual Conference, Exeter, UK.
Headley, J., Reitzig, A., Nel, P., & Patman, R. (2008, June). Public opinion and New Zealand foreign policy. Verbal presentation at the 43rd University of Otago Foreign Policy School, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Headley, J. (2008, August). Interests, values and identity in New Zealand's foreign policy. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Political Studies Association Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.
Headley, J. (2008, November). Russia and 'European norms'. Verbal presentation at the University of Otago Russian Studies Research Cluster Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Other Research Output
Headley, J. (2008, October). Causes and repercussions of the conflict in Georgia. New Zealand Institute of International Affairs Meeting, Wellington, New Zealand. [Public Seminar].
2007
Journal - Research Other
Headley, J. (2007). It's not a Cold War [Analysis article]. Transitions Online, (20 July). Retrieved from http://www.tol.org/client/article/18852-its-not-a-cold-war.html
Headley, J. (2007). Déjà vu for Russia [Analysis article]. Transitions Online, (28 May). Retrieved from http://www.tol.org/client/article/18744-dj-vu-for-russia.html
Headley, J. (2007). [Review of the book New Zealand in world affairs IV 1990-2005]. Political Science, 59(2), 105-106.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2007, December). Identity in foreign policy analysis. Verbal presentation at the British International Studies Association 32nd Annual Conference, Cambridge, UK.
Headley, J. (2007, August). Where/when will EU enlargement end? Conceptualising the limits of Europe. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Political Studies Association Annual Conference, Wellington, New Zealand.
2006
Chapter in Book - Research
Headley, J. (2006). Globalization and the 'new wars': The case of Chechnya. In R. G. Patman (Ed.), Globalization and conflict: National security in a 'new' strategic era. (pp. 151-167). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Journal - Research Other
Headley, J. (2006). [Review of the book From ethnic conflict to stillborn reform: The former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia]. Journal of Peace Research, 43(3), 354-355.
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper
Headley, J. (2006). Ethnic relations and ideas of the nation in the enlarged European Union. Proceedings of the Central and Eastern European International Studies Association 4th Convention. Retrieved from http://www.ceeisaconf.ut.ee/109100
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2006, August). Arcs of instability, near abroads, and archipelagos of opportunity: Identity, geo-politics, and new security threats. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Political Science Association Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand.
2005
Journal - Research Article
Headley, J. (2005). War on terror or pretext for power? Putin, Chechnya, and the 'Terrorist International'. Australasian Journal of Human Security, 1(2), 13-35.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2005, December). European values and identity in Putin's Foreign Policy. Verbal presentation at the 30th Anniversary British International Studies Association Conference, University of St Andrews, Scotland.
2004
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Headley, J. (2004, December). Russian perspectives on the conflicts in former Yugoslavia. Verbal presentation at the Contemporary Europe Research Centre Conference: Clash of Civilisations? Culture and the Manipulation of Identity in Europe and Australia, Melbourne, Australia.
Headley, J. (2004, September). The European Union and ethnic relations in Central/Eastern Europe. Verbal presentation at the Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the European Union from the Asia-Pacific Region Conference: Outside Looking In, Christchurch, New Zealand.
2003
Journal - Research Article
Headley, J. (2003). Russia and NATO forge closer ties. New Zealand International Review, 28(5), 7-11.
Headley, J. (2003). Sarajevo, February 1994: The first Russia-NATO crisis of the post-Cold War era. Review of International Studies, 29, 209-227.
Headley, J. (2003). The Cyprus conflict and the process of EU enlargement. Asia-Pacific Journal of EU Studies, 1(2), 137-159.
2000
Awarded Doctoral Degree
Headley, J. H. (2000). The Russian Federation and the conflicts in former Yugoslavia, 1992-1995 University of London, London, UK. 334p.