experts
Sophia Besch
Senior Fellow, Europe Program
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about

Sophia Besch is a senior fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her area of expertise is European defense policy.  

Before joining Carnegie, Sophia was a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform (CER) in London and Berlin, where she led research on European armament policy, the EU’s role in European defense, transatlantic relations, German defense policy, and the security implications of Brexit.

Sophia has also worked with the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies and the Atlantic Council's Europe Centre, where she served as co-chair of the US-Germany Renewal Initiative.  Earlier in her career, Sophia was a Carlo Schmid fellow in NATO’s Policy Planning Unit and a researcher for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. She is a member of the Atlantik Brücke Young Leaders program. 

Sophia regularly comments on political and defense issues in print and broadcast media and has published opinion pieces in the Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Internationale Politik, Politico, Project Syndicate, War on the Rocks, and others. She has served as an expert witness for the UK House of Commons Defence Select Committee, the German Bundestag EU Committee, and the European Parliament Subcommittee for Security and Defence.  

She holds a doctorate in European Studies from King’s College London, and degrees in international relations and international security from Sciences Po Paris and the London School of Economics. 

affiliations
areas of expertise
Foreign PolicyWestern EuropeUnited KingdomFranceGermanySecurityMilitaryEurope
education
PhD, King’s College London; MSc, London School of Economics ; MA, Sciences Po Paris, BA, Münster University  
languages
English, French, German

All work from Sophia Besch

filters
60 Results
sunset over clouds
Q&A
Emissary
The Promises and Risks of a Controversial Approach to Cooling the Planet

Solar geoengineering could be a climate lifeline. It’s also a gamble, with no comprehensive global governance.

· October 4, 2024
podcast
The Geopolitics of Climate Engineering: A Climate Lifeline or Pandora’s Box?

Sophia sits down with Cynthia Scharf, a senior fellow at the International Center for Future Generations, to discuss the geopolitics of solar geoengineering.

· September 26, 2024
People walk by a drone in a conference center
Q&A
Emissary
Two Ways Washington Should Shift Its Strategy Toward the Middle East

The narrative of a retreating superpower and emerging competition from China and Russia is doesn’t capture what’s happening on the ground. U.S. policy should change accordingly.

· September 16, 2024
podcast
Inside the U.S.-China Rivalry: Great Power Competition in the Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East and North Africa region is witnessing a fierce competition among the world’s current “great powers”—the U.S., Russia, and China. Director of the Carnegie Middle East Program Amr Hamzawy joins Sophia to discuss the current state and future of great power competition in the region.

· September 12, 2024
In The Media
in the media
A European Plan for Trump (and Harris)

A Trump win is still possible. Germany and Europe should develop innovative tactics to position themselves intelligently in case of transatlantic chaos. Even if Harris wins, these efforts wouldn’t be in vain.

· September 4, 2024
Internationale Poltik
In The Media
in the media
Summer Special: Unpacking the Washington, DC Think Tank Scene

A summer special conversation on the Washington, DC think tank scene from a European perspective.  

· August 14, 2024
The Eurofile Podcast (CSIS)
In The Media
in the media
Cautious Optimism in Washington: Brussels Sprouts and Friends from the Halls of the NATO Public Forum

A discussion on the current situation in Ukraine, what a bridge to membership for Ukraine might look like, reflections on past NATO enlargement, the role of NATO in supporting freedom and democracy, the European industrial defense base, burden sharing, NATO partnerships and much more.

· August 8, 2024
Brussel Sprouts
In The Media
in the media
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: NATO at 75

A discussion on NATO and European security. An explanation on the outcomes of NATO's 75th anniversary summit, and what Donald Trump’s return would mean for the alliance and for European security more broadly.

· August 2, 2024
Center for European Reform
Marine Le Pen walks through a gate, surrounded by reporters and security
Q&A
Emissary
What the French Far Right Wants Next

After the recent election, the National Rally is learning from its mistakes.

· July 16, 2024
podcast
Macron’s Election Gamble: What’s Next for France and Europe?

Did Macron's political gamble pay off or backfire? Tara Varma from the Brookings Institution joins Sophia to discuss the outcome of France's recent snap elections and how they might shape the future of Europe.

· July 11, 2024