Professor David Lewis OBE

David Lewis is Emeritus Professor in International Relations at the University of Exeter and Senior Political Counsellor at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). He is a specialist in international relations, with a regional focus on Russia and Eurasia. His latest book, Occupation: Russian Rule in South-Eastern Ukraine (Hurst/OUP 2025), examines political, military and economic governance in the occupied territories of Ukraine. 

Professor Lewis studied in Aberdeen and Moscow and earned his PhD in Soviet history from the London School of Economics. Before returning to academia, he worked as a political risk consultant at Control Risks Group in London and directed research teams for the International Crisis Group in Central Asia and Sri Lanka.

At the University of Exeter, he held several academic positions, including Professor of Global Politics. From 2019 to 2022, he was seconded to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as an ESRC Knowledge Exchange Fellow.

He has provided advice and consultancy to governments, international organisations, and NGOs, including NATO, the EU, the International Crisis Group, the Asian Development Bank and the Foreign Policy Centre.