Always approachable and easy to talk to.
Always positive and enthusiastic in class.
Creates a safe and inclusive space.
Brings energy and passion to every lesson.
Encourages creative and innovative thinking.
Inspires students to love learning.
Dr. Alica Kizekova is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University, School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry. She serves as Major Lead for the undergraduate International Relations program and Course Lead in International Relations and Security. Since joining Curtin in 2024, she has been appointed to the Academic Board for the term 16 April 2024 to 31 March 2026 and supervises higher degree research students in security studies. She also holds the role of Deputy Director at the Korea Research and Engagement Centre. Kizekova earned her PhD in International Relations from Bond University, Queensland, Australia, in 2013. Her career includes various academic positions at Bond University from 2004 to 2023, senior researcher roles at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, expert adviser to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic Parliament, and Senior Research Fellow at the Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association.
Her research focuses on international relations, security and strategic studies, regionalism, state strategies, and soft power in the Indo-Pacific, Central Europe, and Central Asia. Specific interests include China's foreign policy and engagements with Central and Eastern Europe, nationalism, populism, disinformation, and multilateralism in geopolitical contexts. Key publications include her editing of the volume Czech Interests 2020: Analyses IIR (2021) and the chapter "China's Engagements with Central and Eastern Europe" (2021). She edited another book in 2022, as noted in her Curtin profile. Kizekova contributes to academic discourse through seminars, such as at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies on regional organisations amid geopolitical tensions, panels at the Raisina Dialogue exploring alternatives in global diplomacy, and moderation of sessions at the Yerevan Dialogue. Her work impacts discussions on Indo-Pacific security and European foreign policy orientations.