Petros Makris-Kourkoulos

Work
Petros is currently working for a Greek Newspaper covering the energy report of the Ministry of Energy and Climate Change of Greece. Moreover, he cooperates with the online magazine Global Politics as a freelance writer. He has worked for the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he has also served the antenna of AEGEE in Florina, Greece, as Vice Chairman.

Education
Graduated as first student from the University of Western Macedonia in Greece, where he gained a BA in Balkan Studies taking a broad education in Economy, Political Science, Philosophy, International Law, History and the Serbian language. After he specialized in the Balkan Peninsula, Petros acquired an MSc in International Relations from the University of Bristol in the UK, giving him the opportunity to develop his interest in Pipeline Diplomacy and how energy affects the contemporary foreign policy under the realist perspective.

Areas of Interest
Petros has a strong interest in geopolitics, the power of energy in national policies and especially how energy supplies around the world affect the multilateral international system. He is specialized in natural gas and oil supplies, whilst he has a strong background in geography. Furthermore, he spends hours in daily research in order to define the most reliable way for europe’s energy security. His master’s dissertation was focused on the dispute between the Nabucco and the South Stream Pipelines.

Personal
Petros was born and grew up in Thessaloniki, but he spends every summer in Corfu. He has played in many music bands, playing the drums and has also played on a few basketball teams. His free time he uses to paint, and enjoying jazz music. Additionally, the last ten years he spends more on a train than in his home, travelling around the Balkans and Europe.