A. Thomas Hughes
Biography
I am originally from the UK, arriving in North America in 2014 to pursue a Master's Degree at the University of Denver, specializing in Comparative Politics, International Relations, and International Security. Following this (and after a short Internship at the UN International Crime and Justice Research Institute) I moved to Canada in 2016 to study for a PhD at Queen's University. My dissertation examined the political effects of military exercises in Europe since 1975, exploring how Russia, the Soviet Union, and NATO understand "threat", how this translates into their military actions, and thinking about the role of openness and transparency in building relationships. Prior to joining the Department of Politics and International Relations I was the McKenna Postdoctoral Fellow at Mount Allison and the Canadian Defence and Security Network Postdoctoral Fellow, where I worked primarily on Arctic defence policy. My current research and teaching interests are in defence and defence policy (including International Humanitarian Law), with particular emphasis on Arctic politics, North American and European defence policy, and confidence-building measures. I now co-host the CDSN podcast 'Battle Rhythm'.
Publications
Edited Volumes and Special Issues:
2021. von Hlatky, Stéfanie, Irina Goldenberg, and Thomas Hughes (eds.). "The Many Faces of Diversity in Military Employment." Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health 8, Special Issue I.
2018. Leuprecht, Christian, Joel J. Sokolsky, and Thomas Hughes (eds.). North American Strategic Defense in the 21st Century: Security and Sovereignty in an Uncertain World. Switzerland: Springer.
Articles:
2024. Hughes, Thomas, James Fergusson, and Andrea Charron. “Nuanced Futures: Canadian and US defence in the North American Arctic.” Canadian Foreign Policy Journal 30, no.2, 176-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/11926422.2024.2346902.
2024. Hughes, Thomas. “Is Security Still the Chiefest Enemy? The Challenges and Contradictions in European Confidence- and Security-Building.” Journal of Trust Research (2024). 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/21515581.2024.2319667.
2024. Hughes, Thomas. “Défense dans l’Arctique.” In L’Année Arctique 2024: Revue Annuelle, edited by
Michael Delaunay and Magali Vullierme, 82-91. Observatoire de la Politique et la Sécurité de l’Arctique: December, 2024.
2024. Hughes, Thomas. “SOF and Deterrence.” Chapter in Edited Volume Rethinking SOF: The Role of Special Operations Forces in Great Power Competition, edited by Kevin D. Stringer and H. Christian Breede. Forthcoming.
2023. Hughes, Thomas. “Managing the Sino-American Rivalry in the Arctic.” In The Ascendancy of Regional Powers in Contemporary US-China Relations, K. Roberts and S. Bano (eds.), 259-278. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37612-2_14.
2023. Hughes, Thomas. "Clear Communications and Solid Foundations: The principles of decision-making in Arctic defence." Kingston Conference on International Security, Insights 3, no. 1: 1-8.
2022. Hughes, Thomas. "The European Arctic: Developments in 2022." North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network.
2021. Hughes, Thomas. "Undermining a Measure of Confidence: Examining NATO's response to Soviet and Russian military exercises, 1980-2017." Journal of Transatlantic Studies 19:465-493.
2021. Hughes, Thomas. "The European Arctic: Developments in 2021." North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. December.
2020. MacDonald, Adam, and Thomas Huges. "Développements Militaires Arctiques en 2020: Trois Tendances Clé." L'Annee Arctique 2020: Revue Annuelle (Observatoire de la Politique et la Sécurité de l'Arctique. December.
2019. MacDonald, Adam and Thomas Hughes. "L'Arctique Face à l'Accélération de la Compétition Stratégique." L'Annee Arctique 2019: Revue Annuelle (Observatoire de la Politique et la Sécurité de l'Arctique. December.
Other Publications:
2023. Hughes Thomas. “A Comment on A Secure and Sovereign Arctic.” North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. June.
2022. Hughes, Thomas. “Multi-Domain Operations: A Comparative Analysis.” Centre for International and Defence Policy. November.
2022. Hughes, Thomas. “Outrage over the U.S. decision to give Ukraine cluster bombs overlooks facts.” The Conversation.com. July. https://theconversation.com/outrage-over-the-u-s-decision-togive-ukraine-cluster-bombs-overlooks-facts-209721.
2022. Hughes, Thomas. “Canada’s ability to maintain adequate defence in the Arctic requires more than counting equipment.” The Hill Times. May 30, 2022.
https://www.hilltimes.com/2022/05/30/canadas-ability-to-maintain-adequate-defence-in-thearctic-requires-more-than-counting-equipment/364192
2022. Hughes, Thomas. “The Ukraine-Russia standoff is a troubling watershed moment for NATO.” TheConversation.com. February 10, 2022. https://theconversation.com/the-ukraine-russiastandoff-is-a-troubling-watershed-moment-for-nato-175963.
2021. Goldenberg, Irina, Stéfanie von Hlatky, and Thomas Hughes. “Guest Editorial: The Many Faces of Diversity in the Military and the Need for Cultural Change.” Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health 8, Special Issue 1 (2021).
2019. Hughes, Thomas. The Art of War Games: Canada and the Political Effect of Military Exercises. Conference of Defence Associations Institute, Vimy Paper. March.
Education
- 2021, PhD - Queen's University
- 2016, MA - Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver
- 2009, BA - University of Durham
Teaching
Courses 2025/2026:
- POLS 1001 - Foundations of Politics
- POLS 2221 - Introduction to Comparative Politics
- POLS 3241 - Human Rights
- POLS 4991 - Arctic Politics
Courses Taught Previously:
- POLS 3220 - European Politics
- POLS 3341 - Security Studies
- POLS 4200 - Political & Cultural Change
Research
My primary research focus is on defence policy, with particular regional specialization in the Arctic. This leads to lines of study on North American defence, Russian politics, and the politics of NATO, comparing how countries and communities understand why and how to fight, how they seek to influence others without fighting, and how relationships develop.
Grants, awards & honours
- Queen's University 2021 Social Sciences Outstanding Thesis
- 2022 Nominee for the the CAGS ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award