Michael Cox (academic)
Michael E. Cox was born in March 1947 and began his academic life at the University of Reading. His career took him across continents before he settled at the London School of Economics. He taught at Queen's University Belfast from 1972 until 1995. In 1986, he spent a year at San Diego State University. The College of William and Mary in Virginia hosted him between 1987 and 1989. Later, he moved to the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he worked from 1995 to 2001. A stint at the Catholic University of Milan followed in 2003 and 2004. He also served as visiting professor at the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies in Canberra, Australia, during that same period. By 2004, he had taken up a chair at the University of Melbourne. These positions laid the groundwork for his later influence on international relations theory.
In 2004, Michael Cox helped establish the Cold War Studies Centre at the London School of Economics alongside Professor Odd Arne Westad. They served together as co-directors and Co-Editors of the journal Cold War History. This initiative brought academic rigor to the study of superpower dynamics after the Soviet Union dissolved. The centre expanded significantly in 2008, evolving into LSE IDEAS, a foreign policy think tank designed to bridge academia and policy-making circles. An international survey conducted in 2014 ranked IDEAS second globally among university-affiliated think tanks. The transformation marked a shift from narrow historical analysis to broader strategic engagement with contemporary global issues. Cox continued to lead the centre's intellectual direction while overseeing its growing impact on public discourse about American power and post-Cold War order.
Cox authored numerous books examining American foreign policy and the behavior of major powers. His 1990 publication Beyond the Cold War: Superpowers at the crossroads? explored tensions between dominant states during the late twentieth century. In 1995, he edited The Ideas of Leon Trotsky, bringing attention to radical political theory within IR scholarship. A 1998 article titled Rethinking the Soviet collapse examined how scholars interpreted the end of communism and its implications for Russia. He contributed to multiple edited volumes including Empires, System and States: Great Transformations in International Politics published by Cambridge University Press in 2001. His work appeared regularly in journals such as Review of International Studies and International Relations. By 2022, his book Agonies of Empire: American Power from Clinton to Biden offered a critical assessment of U.S. leadership across two decades. These writings reflect a consistent focus on how great powers navigate periods of transition and uncertainty.
From the 1990s onward, Cox held executive roles in several key international relations organizations. He served on the executive committee of the British International Studies Association and the Irish National Committee for the Study of International Affairs. Starting in 1994, he became an associate research fellow at Chatham House in London. Between 2001 and 2002, he directed the David Davies Memorial Institute for the Study of International Politics. In 2002, he was appointed senior fellow at the Nobel Institute in Oslo. That same year, he chaired the United States Discussion Group at the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Cox joined the board of Cambridge Studies in International Relations in 2003. He managed the Publications portfolio within the European Consortium for Political Research before being elected chair of ECPR in 2006. As head of what is described as Europe's largest political science association, he oversaw global scholarly collaboration during a period of rapid change in IR theory.
In 2011, Michael Cox launched the Executive Masters in Global Strategy program at LSE. This course targets mid-career professionals from public, private, and NGO sectors dealing with diplomacy, security, and international business. He currently serves as director of this initiative. The program operates through TRIUM, an alliance between NYU Stern, the London School of Economics, and HEC School of Management. Since joining LSE, Cox has also acted as academic director of both the LSE-PKU Summer School and the Executive Summer School. These educational efforts extend his influence beyond traditional academia into practical training for leaders shaping global affairs. His teaching reflects a commitment to connecting theoretical insights with real-world decision-making processes used by those managing complex international challenges today.
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Common questions
When was Michael Cox born and where did he begin his academic career?
Michael E. Cox was born in March 1947 and began his academic life at the University of Reading.
Which universities did Michael Cox teach at between 1972 and 2004?
Michael Cox taught at Queen's University Belfast from 1972 until 1995, worked at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth from 1995 to 2001, and took up a chair at the University of Melbourne by 2004.
What international relations organizations did Michael Cox lead or join starting in 1994?
Starting in 1994, Michael Cox became an associate research fellow at Chatham House in London and directed the David Davies Memorial Institute for the Study of International Politics between 2001 and 2002.
How did Michael Cox help establish the Cold War Studies Centre at the London School of Economics?
In 2004, Michael Cox helped establish the Cold War Studies Centre at the London School of Economics alongside Professor Odd Arne Westad as co-directors and Co-Editors of the journal Cold War History.
When was the Executive Masters in Global Strategy program launched by Michael Cox at LSE?
In 2011, Michael Cox launched the Executive Masters in Global Strategy program at LSE which targets mid-career professionals from public, private, and NGO sectors dealing with diplomacy, security, and international business.
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