Strategic Analyst
Irina Patrahau is a Strategic Analyst and Chair of the Energy Security and Critical Minerals initiatives within the broader Geoeconomics research pillar at HCSS. Irina’s work is focused on the impact of geopolitical tensions and strategic competition on the security and resilience of energy and raw materials supply chains in the EU. Her work also centers on the political economy of the energy transition, including emerging clean tech markets and low-carbon supply chains, and the implications for critical energy infrastructure and the decarbonization of energy intensive industries.
In addition to geoeconomic topics, Irina is also part of broader HCSS work on the climate-security nexus. She is part of the Water, Peace and Security Partnership, a consortium that seeks to address water-related security challenges through innovative tools and services.
Irina holds a BSc degree (cum laude) in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations from Leiden University and a minor in Geo-Resources for the Future at the TU Delft. She attained her MSc degree (cum laude) in Political Economy from University of Amsterdam, where she studied the energy relations between China and Eastern Europe in the context of the energy transition. Prior to joining HCSS, she worked with Karama Europe, an NGO supporting women’s rights activist groups in the Middle East and North Africa.
