Project Title: From Minerals to Microchips: Public-Private Dynamics in the Securitisation of Artificial Intelligence
Lisa Klaassen is a PhD researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute, focusing on the nexus of artificial intelligence and national security. Her research explores how public and private actors shape the governance and discourse of the AI "stack"—from critical minerals to microchips and data systems—within the context of US-China strategic competition, and examines the implications for middle powers. She is generously supported by the ESRC Grand Union DTP and St Antony's College, Oxford.
Alongside her doctoral work, Lisa writes on global affairs for CNN and serves as a Research Assistant with the UK Ministry of Defence and King’s Department of War Studies. Prior to her PhD, she worked as a Trainee Analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies, Publication Manager for Institut Montaigne, Intelligence Analyst at Dragonfly, and reported on European affairs at CNN’s Paris Bureau.
In 2025, Lisa was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Oslo Nuclear Project. She has also collaborated with the African Union and held a Visiting Research Fellowship at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies in Addis Ababa.
Lisa holds an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford (2024) and a BA (Hons) from the University of Cambridge (2021), both awarded with highest honours.
