I am Sr. Lecturer in International Relations (IR) and co-Director of the Center for Advanced International Studies. I have three broad, intersecting, research interests. 

My main research agenda so far has focused on the role of religion and civilizational identities in international relations. I have been especially concerned with the complex interactions between religion and state power. I explore in depth this relationship in my book Finding Faith in Foreign Policy: Religion and American Diplomacy in a Postsecular World (OUP: 2019), which was awarded three book prize honorary mentions. Connected to this research are a series of critical interventions in the (in)famous ‘Clash of Civilizations’ debate, including efforts to develop an interpretivist approach to civilizational analysis in world politics. 

My second evolving and growing research interest is on ideology in global politics and international order. A key aspect of this research is a concern with the complex interactions and forms of contestation between liberal and non-liberal ideas, actors, and forces in international relations. Third, and finally, I have an enduring interest in the theory, sociology, and pedagogy of IR. 

My research has appeared, among other, on the European Journal of International Relations, International Theory, Review of International Studies, International Studies Review, Journal of Global Security Studies, and International Studies Perspectives. I have also been invited to present my work to scholars, practitioners, and wider audiences in venues like Harvard, Georgetown, Oxford, LSE, the Brookings Institution, Chatham House, the US Department of State, and the United Nations.

I obtained my PhD in International Relations (2012) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), funded by the LSE IDEAS Stonex Scholarship. I was Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow (2012-14) at the European University Institute (EUI) and held Visiting Fellowships at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC in 2011 and 2017. Before embarking on an academic path, I briefly worked for the World Bank (2006-08) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2003-04).