Prof. Dr. Michael Reiterer
AIES Senior Advisor
Education
Michael Reiterer pursued his academic career always in parallel to his diplomatic one at the Austrian and then European service. After graduating as Dr. jur. from the University of Innsbruck (1978), post-graduate studies at the Johns Hopkins University/Bologna Centre (Diploma 1979) and the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva (Diploma 1983), participation in the French-speaking course of the The Hague Academy of International Law (1981), were further stepping stones to his habilitation (PhD equivalent) in International Politics at the University of Innsbruck (2005, Institute for Political Science) focussing on EU-Asia relations. EU foreign policy, EU-Asia relations in particular with Japan and Korea, the Indo-Pacific, inter-regionalism, security issues, new forms of diplomacy including cyber diplomacy, economic security, human rights are now the main focus of his research, having previously published extensively on international trade law and relations including WTO, trade and environment and the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM).
Current Academic Activities
Michael Reiterer is presently Distinguished Professor at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) of the VUB and honorary founding editor of the CSDS policy brief series.
Adjunct professor for international politics at University of Innsbruck; Webster University, Vienna; Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali “Guido Carli” (LUISS), Rome; Danube University, Krems/Austria.
Guest Professorships at the Graduate School of International Relations/Ritsumeikan/Kyoto and Asia Pacific University/Beppu 2023/24 and 2025/26; March 2022 online at the Law Faculty of Ritsumeikan University, April-July 2022 in situ at Kobe University as well as previously in 2014, 2015, and at Keio University (2008), the Graduate School of Political Science, Tokyo Japan.
Main research areas: EU foreign policy, EU-Asia relations with a focus on Japan and Korea, Northeast Asia, security policy and interregionalism, cybersecurity, new forms of diplomacy, human rights. Numerous publications on these topics, as well as teaching activities, primarily in the form of intensive seminars and guest lectures.
Diplomatic Career
In September 2020 he retired from the European Diplomatic Service (European External Action Service-EEAS) as Ambassador plenipotentiary and extraordinary of the European Union to the Republic of Korea (2017-2020); previous posts incl. Ambassador to Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein (2007-2011), Deputy Head of Mission/Minister at the EU Delegation to Japan (2002-2006), Counsellor in charge of ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) at the European Commission (1998-2001), Minister Counsellor at the Austrian Permanent Representation to the EU (1997-1998), Counsellor at the Austrian Permanent Representation to the GATT (1990-1992), Austrian Deputy Trade Commissioner for West Africa (out of Ivory Coast, 1982-1984) and to Japan (1985-1988). He co-chaired the Joint Group of Trade and Environment Experts at the OECD, served as panellist in the WTO dispute settlement and was a member of the European Economic and Social Committee.
Additional Activities
Associate Fellow, Global Fellowship Initiative at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)
Senior Research Associate, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW)
Senior Advisor: Center for Asia Pacific Strategy (CAPS), Washington D.C.
Member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Centre for EU-Asia Connectivity, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence at Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Forum Alpbach/Austria
Member of the Council of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe, Lausanne/Switzerland
Member of the Advisory Board of the Austrian Society for European Policy (former VP).
Distinctions: Order of Merit in Silver with Star (2019), Government of the Republic of Austria; Honorary Citizenship of Seoul (2020), Seoul Metropolitan Government, Republic of Korea.