Ms Fotini BELLOU is Assistant Professor of International Relations in the Department of International and European Studies at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki. She holds a BA in Political Science and Public Administration (University of Athens), an MA in International Relations (University of Kent at Canterbury), and a Ph.D in War Studies (King’s College London). She also teaches in the Interdepartmental Joint MA progamme on ‘International Relations and Security’ with the Supreme Joint War College in Thessaloniki and she is visiting Instructor to the Multinational Training Centre for Peace Support Operations at Kilkis, Greece. She is Special Advisor to the NRDC-GR in Thessaloniki on civil-mil cooperation and gender aspects and is a member of its civilian cell. From 2000 to 2004 she was Research Fellow with the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, ELIAMEP and Managing Editor of the Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, (Taylor & Francis). From October 2004 through June 2007 she was Head of the Department of International and European Relations, in the Research Centre for Gender Equality (KETHI), Ministry of Interior. She has published on transatlantic relations, European and international security, aspects of conflict resolution and international relations and of international politics on Southeastern Europe.