Dr Zora Hauser

Dr Zora L. Hauser is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Institute of Criminology and a Research Associate at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge. Her research examines criminal governance and illicit markets, with a particular focus on their interaction with states and societies. Zora’s recent book, Mafia Expansion: The ‘Ndrangheta in Established Democracies (OUP 2025), explores how – and with what consequences – organised crime takes root in contexts where conditions for its resilience do not obtain in theory. Currently, she explores diplomacy in the underworld, investigating conflict and peace with and among criminal groups. Her approach combines theory-driven, analytical inquiry with empirical research.

Zora’s work has been featured by CNN, Sky News, and Der Spiegel, among others. She serves as an expert for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and has advised and trained organisations across Europe. Zora holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she is an associate member of the Department of Sociology and Nuffield College. She completed her BA and MA studies in political science and international relations at LUISS University, Rome