Jamal Shahin is a part time Research Professor at the Institute for European Studies (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and part time Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam. He holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Hull (2004). In Amsterdam, he lectures on the BA and MA programmes in European Studies. His courses concern the governance of the contemporary EU and the importance of linking theory and practice to inform better research and policy. He is also very interested in implementing new teaching methods in his work. He is a member of the European Studies Board of Studies. His research interests focus on: global internet governance, political participation in the European Union, EU governance, and the impact of the internet on policymaking. Jamal is keen to explore how new forms of social and political organisation at the global level influence effectiveness and legitimacy of decision making. He is also particularly interested in the way in which the EU attempts to communicate its role in both domestic and international venues. Jamal is also very interested in the relationship between science and society, and has carried out research with colleagues at the IES on how to optimise dialogue between disciplines to ensure relevant and useful research can help critique, design and improve policy.

Political science studies