Vasiliki Poula

Vasiliki Poula currently pursues her DPhil in International Development at St Hugh's College, University of Oxford. Her research explores how the material infrastructure of UN peacekeeping missions impacts political identities, economies, and ecosystems in post-conflict communities.

Her research stems from a broader interest in the spatial dynamics of law and policy with a focus on the accountability of spatial governance and inequalities affecting people’s living environments.

She holds a Bachelor and Master of Laws from the London School of Economics, where she focused on EU legal geography through various strands of case law, such as on urban wildlife protection, Airbnb regulation, and urban air pollution.

Her interest in spatial governance began during her tenure as head of policy in the Cabinet of the Greek Minister of Education, where she saw how educational infrastructure shaped educational outcomes. Her subsequent policy experience in the European Commission and the OECD, as well as the non-profit sector, further instilled in her the significance of spatial considerations for effective policymaking across national, supranational, and intergovernmental institutions.

Vasiliki is the recipient of various awards and fellowships, such as the McKinsey Achievement Award and Leventis Foundation Fellowship. She has presented at conferences in Europe and the US, and her work has featured in publications associated with Harvard, Yale, UCLA, and Columbia.

Passionate about place-making in her home country, Greece, she regularly contributes to initiatives that advocate, fundraise, and raise awareness for sustainable spatial planning with a particular emphasis on the Greek islands.