Dr. Thomas Peak
Associate Professor
Department
Department of International Relations
Research areas
International Relations
Research
Language(s) of War
Additional info
thomas.peak@tspmi.vu.lt
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Thomas Peak is Associate Professor at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University. His research explores the intersections of historical international relations, world orders, critical genocide/atrocity studies, and international theory. He received his PhD in Political Science (International Relations) from Central European University, and he holds a Master’s degree in Modern European History from Oxford and a Bachelor’s in History from Queen Mary, University of London. Prior to joining TSPMI, he undertook a postdoc at Cambridge University. His first book, Westphalia from Below, was published in 2021. His peer-reviewed articles appear in journals including International Affairs, Global Policy, and Global Responsibility to Protect. He has held visiting research fellowships at the University of Bucharest, University of Tennessee, Central European University, and University College Dublin.
Thomas Peak is open to supervising students within any area of his research interests. Please feel free to enquire with him directly.
Membership of international organisations, editorial boards, international working groups, etc.
Intervention and Responsibility to Protect Working Group, British International Studies Association.
National and international awards
2021: Research Grant, Vilnius University Foundation and Marius Jakulis Jason Foundation 2020: Vice Chancellor’s Awards for Research Impact and Engagement, Cambridge University (team award; runner-up)
2018: Dissertation Completion Grant, Central European University
2018: Global Teaching Fellowship (taken at Debrecen University, Hungary)
2017: Doctoral Research Support Grant (taken at Cambridge University)
2014: Budapest Foundation Full Doctoral Scholarship
2013: Brasenose College Award, Oxford University
Research projects and grants
-
Language(s) of War, 1 February 2024 – 31 January 2026, Funding agreement S-PD-25-66, ongoing.
Conference papers
- 2023: From the Liberal International Order to the Realist International Order, West Point SOSH Seminar.
- 2023: Halting Genocide in a Post-Liberal International Order, American Political Science Association Annual Conference.
- 2023: Halting Genocide in a Post-Liberal International Order, Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference.
- 2022: International Intervention in a Post-Liberal World Order, Intervention and Responsibility to Protect (IR2P) Working Group of the British International Studies Association Annual Conference.
- 2022: Genocide Prevention in a Post-Liberal International Order, Lithuanian Political Science Association Annual Conference.
- 2022: Contesting the Responsibility to Protect, British International Studies Association Annual Conference.
Courses taught
Transformations of the Global Order
Mass Atrocities & International Intervention
Research interests
International relations
Responsiblity to Protect
World orders
Genocide and atrocities
Critical security studies
Publications
Peak, Thomas, “Norm Modification and the Responsibility to Protect: Towards a Four-Pillar Framework.” Global Policy 16, no. 1 (February 2025): 4–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13457
Peak, Thomas, “What a Fracturing Liberal International Order Means for Genocide Prevention.” International Affairs Blog (blog), April 13, 2023. ttps://medium.com/international-affairs-blog/what-a-fracturing-liberal-international-order-means-for-genocide-prevention-2360aa55755a
Peak, Thomas, “Halting Genocide in a Post-Liberal International Order: Intervention, Institutions, and Norms.” International Affairs 99, no. 2 (March 2023): 787–804.
Peak, Thomas, “Response to Glenda Sluga’s Review of Westphalia from Below: Humanitarian Intervention and the Myth of 1648.” Perspectives on Politics 21, no. 1 (March 2023): 340–41.
Peak, Thomas, Charlie Laderman, and Cecilia Jacob. “Introduction: Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect: Past, Present, and Futures.” Global Responsibility to Protect 14, no. 3 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1163/1875-984X-14030002
Peak, Thomas, Charlie Laderman, and Cecilia Jacob. “Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect: Past, Present, and Futures.” Global Responsibility to Protect 14, no. 3 (2022).
