Dr Alexandra Hennessy

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Email
alexandra.hennessy@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 872219
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Location
5.421, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
Wednesdays 13-15
Profile
Biography
Dr Hennessy's areas of specialisation include European Union Politics, EU trade and foreign policies, financial crises, and EU-Indonesia relations. She is co-Director of the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence (with Prof Han Dorussen) and member of the EU-Asia Security and Trade (EAST) research group. Her research contributes insights into the complex dynamics of decision-making, policy implementation, and accountability within the European Union. She studies how EU member states and institutions respond to challenges like the euro crisis, Russia鈥檚 war against Ukraine, and the clean energy transition. Her book on the European single pension market shows how the EU, in interaction with member states, helped make workplace pensions portable. Her articles have appeared in journals such as Socio-Economic Review, International Interactions, Journal of European Public Policy, Journal of Common Market Studies, Journal of Public Policy, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, and Journal of European Integration, among others. Her book, titled The Europeanization of Workplace Pensions, was published by Cambridge University Press (2014). Together with Dr Ryan Bakker, she is the co-recipient of the Supervisor of the Year award for the Faculty of Social Sciences (2024). She received the EUSA Best Dissertation Award (2009) and honourable mention for the Best Paper presented at the EUSA conference. Dr Hennessy always welcomes PhD students whose research falls in the broad fields of European Union Politics and Comparative Political Economy.
Qualifications
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Ph.D. in Political Science, Boston University, Massachusetts
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B.A./ M.A. (Diplom) in Social Sciences, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany
Appointments
糖心Vlog
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Deputy Director, 糖心Vlog Summer School in Social Science Data Analysis, Government, 糖心Vlog (1/9/2024 - present)
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Director of Employability, Government, 糖心Vlog (1/9/2021 - 1/9/2023)
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Co-convenor of speaker series, Government, 糖心Vlog (17/9/2017 - 1/7/2021)
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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International Relations: Theories and Approaches (GV214)
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Contemporary European Politics: Continuity, Challenge, and Change (GV952)
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Governance and Policy of European Economies (GV955)
Current supervision
Previous supervision

Degree subject: Government
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 31/3/2025
Publications
Journal articles (12)
Hennessy, A., Choulis, I. and Siakas, G., (2024). . Socio-Economic Review
Hennessy, A., (2023). . Journal of European Integration. 45 (3), 559-575
Hennessy, A., (2017). . German Politics and Society. 35 (3), 1-23
Hennessy, A., (2017). . JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. 55 (4), 744-761
Hennessy, A., (2016). Inequality in the Workplace: Labor Market Reform in Japan and Korea. By Jiyeoun Song. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2014. 248p. $49.95.. Perspectives on Politics. 14 (2), 532-534
Hennessy, A., (2015). Skills and Inequality: Partisan Politics and the Political Economy of Education Reforms in Western Welfare States. By Marius R. Busemeyer. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014. 326p. $99.00.. Perspectives on Politics. 13 (4), 1172-1174
Hennessy, A., (2014). . Journal of European Public Policy. 21 (2), 151-168
Hennessy, A. and Steinwand, MC., (2014). . International Interactions. 40 (4), 477-505
Hennessy, A., (2013). Informal Governance and the Eurozone Crisis. Journal of Contemporary European Studies. 21 (3)
Hennessy, A., (2011). The Role of Agenda Setting in Pension Market Integration. Journal of European Integration. 33 (5)
Hennessy, A., (2008). Explaining German Selectivity Regarding European Union Pension Directives. Journal of Public Policy. 28 (3)
Hennessy, A., (2008). Economic Interests and the Construction of a European Single Pension Market. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations. 10 (1)
Books (1)
Hennessy, A., (2014). The Europeanization of Workplace Pensions. Cambridge University Press. 1107041058. 9781107041059
Book chapters (3)
Hennessy, A. and Winanti, PS., (2022). EU-Indonesia Trade Relations. In: The European Union in International Affairs. Springer International Publishing. 319- 342. 9783030812805
Hennessy, A. and Winanti, P., (2022). . In: A Geo-Economic turn in Trade Policy? EU Trade Agreements in the Asia-Pacific. Editors: Adriaensen, J. and Postnikov, E., . Palgrave Macmillan. 319- 342. 978-3-030-81280-5
Hennessy, A., (2015). informal governance and the Eurozone crisis. In: the european union beyond the crisis. Editors: Stefanova, B., . Lexington Books. 429- 446
Grants and funding
2019
Patronage politics in Greece's public sector: Did policy conditionality increase performance-based hiring and promotions
British Academy
Contact
Academic support hours:
Wednesdays 13-15