In her work at the CSS, An Jacobs focuses on the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), EU engagement in Africa, and African security questions. She previously studied and lectured at the Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) – where she also completed her PhD on CSDP – and at the University of Maastricht (NL). She has also been a Visiting Researcher at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik in Berlin, and at the Swedish National Defence College in Sweden. Prior to this, An Jacobs served with the Delegation of the European Commission in Trinidad and Tobago.