Dr Hannes Stephan

Senior Lecturer

Politics Pathfoot Building (A93) University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Dr Hannes Stephan

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About me

After completing his PhD at Keele University in 2009, Hannes Stephan has worked as a research fellow at Keele University and at Lund University, Sweden, before joining the University of Stirling in 2012.

He teaches two undergraduate environment-related modules, a postgraduate module on resource conflicts, and conducts research on environmental politics and energy politics/policy.

His current research examines low-carbon energy transitions through the lenses of energy security, energy justice, narrative politics/policy, and discourse coalitions, with a particular focus on unconventional gas extraction (shale gas). Another long-standing research interest is the cultural politics of the environment, especially in relation to agri-food issues such as genetically modified/edited crops and animals.

Hannes Stephan was a co-convenor of the Environmental Standing Group of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) between 2011 and 2019.

Divisional / Faculty Contribution

Divisional Learning & Teaching Officer
University of Stirling


Professional Career

Co-convenor, Environmental Politics Standing Group of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR)


Professional membership

British International Studies Association (BISA)

Political Studies Association (PSA)


Professional qualification

Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (HEA)
Professional recognition for supporting learning and teaching in higher education


University Contribution

Member of Teaching Panel of the Education & Student Experience Committee (ESEC)
University of Stirling


Research (1)

Environmental and energy politics & policy, particularly:

  • food & agriculture, GMOs
  • climate change/policy
  • energy justice/security
  • sustainability
  • shale gas

Culture and politics Discourse analysis and narrative politics Narrative policy framework (NPF)

Projects

Connecting with a low-carbon Scotland
PI:
Funded by: The Royal Society of Edinburgh

Outputs (20)

Outputs

Book Chapter

Cairney P, Timonina I & Stephan H (2024) What are the prospects of a just transition towards sustainable climate change policies? The search for practical lessons from policy studies.. In: Pandemic Recovery? Reframing and Rescaling Societal Challenges. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 224-237. https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/pandemic-recovery-9781802201109.html


Website Content

Stephan HR (2021) Communication strategies for supporting ambitious climate policy. University of Stirling Public Policy Blog [Blog post] 13.12.2021. https://policyblog.stir.ac.uk/2021/12/13/communication-strategies-for-supporting-ambitious-climate-policy/


Book Chapter

Stephan H (2016) Energy and Climate Policy: Synergies, Conflicts, and Co-Benefits. In: Heffron R & Little G (eds.) Delivering Energy Law and Policy in the EU and the US: A Reader. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 581-586. https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-delivering-energy-law-and-policy-in-the-eu-and-the-us.html


Authored Book

Stephan H (2015) Cultural Politics and the Transatlantic Divide over GMOs. Basingstoke: Palgrave. http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/cultural-politics-and-the-transatlantic-divide-over-gmos-hannes-r-stephan/?isb=9780230284579


Article

Jenkins K, McCauley DA, Heffron RJ & Stephan H (2014) Energy Justice, a Whole Systems Approach. Queen’s Political Review, II (2), pp. 74-87. https://queenspoliticalreview.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/article-5-energy-justice-a-whole-systems-approach-p74-87.pdf


Book Chapter

Vogler J & Stephan H (2013) Governance Dimensions of Climate and Energy Security. In: Dyer H & Trombetta M (eds.) International Handbook of Energy Security. Elgar original reference. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, pp. 297-318. http://www.e-elgar.com/bookentry_main.lasso?id=15019


Book Chapter

Stripple J & Stephan H (2013) Global Governance. In: Falkner R (ed.) Handbook of Global Climate and Environment Policy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 146-162. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/book/10.1002/9781118326213


Book Chapter

Zelli F, Pattberg P, Stephan H & van Asselt H (2013) Global Climate Governance and Energy Choices. In: Goldthau A (ed.) Handbook of Global Energy Policy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 340-357. http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470672641,descCd-description.html


Book Chapter

Stephan H & Zelli F (2007) International Organizations and the Global Environment. In: Okereke C (ed.) Politics of the Environment: A Survey. Europa Politics of ... Series. London: Routledge, pp. 52-70. http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9781857433418/


Teaching

Undergraduate modules:

  • Green Politics in the Age of Climate Change (POLU9GP)
  • Political Economy and the Global Environment (POLU9GE)
  • Research Methods for Politics Dissertation (POLU9RM)

Postgraduate modules:

  • Climate Change, Human Security, and Resource Conflicts (ICCPP10)

Teaching

POLU9RM (Research Methods in Politics)
University of Stirling

This module prepares students for undertaking a dissertation in Politics, International Politics or PPE. Students are introduced to research design, the literature review, and qualitative and quantitative approaches to analysing data. Taught in 2017/18 and from 2020 to 2022.

POLU9EZ (Environmental Politics in an International Context)
University of Stirling

This level 10 module is designed to survey the current literature and debate on the environment in International Relations. It combines conceptual and practical aspects of international environmental politics and encourages students to study in depth current issues such as – environmental security and sustainable development in the North and South; biodiversity, and tackling climate change.

ICCPP10 (Climate Change, Human Security, and Resource Conflicts)
University of Stirling
This module examines the role of natural resources in violent and non-violent conflicts. Based on a series of country case studies, it seeks to assess the causes, processes, solutions and implications of ‘resource conflicts’ motivated by either scarcity or abundance of resources. It explores a diverse set of theoretical literatures associated with such conflicts from the perspectives of political science, international relations, peace and conflict studies, and development studies. In particular, it assesses resource conflicts from the perspective of equity, ethics and justice within the context of resource scarcity and accelerating climate change.

POLU9DT/IT (Politics Dissertation & International Politics Dissertation)
University of Stirling
The Politics/International Politics dissertation is an extended piece of written work that allows students to investigate a particular topic of interest and explore it systematically. In coordination with a Politics member of staff, students define a project, conduct the research, and write the dissertation.

POLU9GE (Political Economy and the Global Environment)
University of Stirling
This module examines global environmental affairs through the lens of political economy. Starting with an in-depth analysis of global sustainability and drawing on key concepts from environmental economics, it considers how different actors (individuals, states, international financial institutions (e.g. World Bank), NGOs, multinational corporations) shape the global market, determine resource consumption around the world, and contribute to environmental change and degradation. Against the background of economic globalisation and trade liberalisation, students will reflect on the prospects of a global sustainability transition from four different political-economic perspectives, namely market liberalism, institutionalism, bio-environmentalism, and social ecology.

POLU9GP (Green Politics in the Age of Climate Change)
University of Stirling
This module offers an in-depth study of green political thinking, green actors and their involvement in different political settings such as Scotland, the UK, Germany, USA and China. The module will cover the following themes: green concepts, ideologies and approaches; state and non-state actors and their role/ influence in environmental politics; comparing different political settings and their varying degrees of green policy integration.