Research in the International Relations Department at Webster University, Vienna addresses major questions of governance and security internationally, focusing on various regions, but with special emphasis on these matters within the European Union and as they affect the Transatlantic Alliance with the United States.

Professor Dr. Johannes Pollak’s research is structured into three pillars: The first pillar is political representation beyond the nation state. This research focuses on the question of the conceptual development of representation and on the ways new forms of government beyond the state change the link between citizens and their representatives. The main hypothesis is that in multi-level governance systems the existence of non-hierarchically ordered modes of representation leads to a collision or collusion of those modes to the detriment of the democratic quality of a polity. Professor Pollak has published extensively on the topic. Currently he is working on a book about “Representation as Claims-making,” which deals with the different systems of representation envisaged for the European Union by various actors.  

The second pillar of Professor Dr. Pollak’s research deals with the participation of national parliaments in European affairs: how and to what extent can national parliaments influence European policy-making. Numerous articles and conference contributions have been made in recent years.

Finally, Professor Dr. Pollak, together with the Head of the Department, Dr. Samuel R. Schubert,  deals with the topic of European Energy Policy. Currently one book on this topic, the first comprehensive German one, is in print describing and analyzing the history, the actors and processes in this European policy field. Research questions concern energy security (supply safety), energy transport and the emergence of a liberalized European energy market. In addition, Professor Dr. Pollak and Dr. Schubert are working on an English book analyzing Europe’s energy challenge.

Dr. Schubert's research is structured in two interrelated tracks: energy and political violence. On energy his research is built on three pillars: (1) establishing a framework for comparing internal energy policies based on a utility-first, market-second approach to national interests; (2) examining the affects of internal energy policies on external outcomes and in particular testing the suggestion that inter-state competition for energy resources leads to conflict; and (3) investigations into how the resource curse makes afflicted states unreliable supply partners due to their vulnerability to exogenous shocks.

The second track of his research focuses on political violence and trends in terrorism and counter-terrorism. The underlying hypothesis of this work is that terrorism is increasingly becoming a successful tactic of warfare for weaker forces engaged in asymmetric conflicts against large open societies. Some significant features of that tactic are the increasing roles of religion, women, and the franchising of ideologies and organizations. Emerging features include the targeting and protection of critical infrastructure by non-state actors and the adoption of indirect warfare techniques by states as a means of counter-terrorism strategies.

Dr. Gregory Weeks’ research interests center on political violence and humanitarian issues, especially genocide and human trafficking prevention and intervention. His current research is on genocide in the twentieth century and its treatment by career diplomats and government officials. He has written extensively on the Holocaust, National Socialist crimes in Austria, and restitution. Furthermore, Dr. Weeks researches diplomatic and military history and is currently working on projects related to police during the Holocaust and a military history of Germany as well as a collection of essays on anti-Americanism worldwide, which focuses on the roots causes of anti-Americanism, especially in post-World War II Europe. In addition, Dr. Weeks has worked on topics related to Central European History, the Austrian-Hungarian Dual Monarchy, and the United States’ role in re-building Europe after World War II, especially Marshall Plan aid and U.S. involvement in Austria up until the signing of the State Treaty in May 1955.