Dr. Marco Bocchese is a Visiting Professor of International Relations and International Law at the American University in the Emirates (AUE). His areas of expertise include international law, international security, political violence, international criminal justice, and global governance, with a particular focus on state behavior in conflict and post-conflict settings. His scholarship lies at the intersection of public international law and international relations, examining how states engage with international legal institutions, manage accountability, and respond to transnational security threats.
Dr. Bocchese’s research interests include political violence, foreign fighters, arms trafficking, international criminal tribunals, and transitional justice. His recent work has addressed foreign fighters in Ukraine, state cooperation with international prosecutions, and the politics of international justice in Africa. He is the author of more than twenty-five publications in peer-reviewed journals, law reviews, and policy outlets, including the Journal of International Criminal Justice, Global Governance, European Security, and the Journal of Modern African Studies. He has also contributed policy-oriented analysis to leading think tanks and media platforms and has served as an external consultant on projects related to genocide, political violence, and international criminal law.
Prior to joining AUE, Dr. Bocchese served for over four years as Assistant Professor of International Relations and International Law at Webster Vienna Private University, where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in international law, international relations, and security studies, supervised numerous BA and MA theses, and organized more than thirty-five high-level academic and policy events with diplomats, UN officials, and senior policymakers. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University and an LL.M. in International Law from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Dr. Bocchese has professional experience with diplomatic missions and international organizations and maintains active academic affiliations in Europe (CEEISA; EISA) and beyond (ISA; IAGS). His teaching excellence and academic service have been recognized through multiple teaching awards and competitive research and professional opportunities.