Edward Wastnidge

Deputy Director

The Open University The Open University

Dr Edward Wastnidge is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies at the Open University where he is also the Director for the International Studies programme. He holds a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Manchester. His main research interests concern the politics and international relations of the Middle East and Central Asia, with a particular focus on contemporary Iranian politics and foreign policy. His current research explores the intersection of ideas and foreign policy, soft power, cultural and religious diplomacy, and the role of identity in international relations. His monograph Diplomacy and Reform in Iran was published by I.B. Tauris in 2016.

A list of Edward’s publications and research can be found here: http://www.open.ac.uk/people/eaw358

Posts from Edward Wastnidge (Show All)
Understanding Salafism in Iranian Sunnism A special guest blog post by Mansour Anbarmoo. The analysis of sectarian difference in the Middle East emanating from the West has long focused on its impact on political life in divided societies, or its relationship to geopolitical competition in the... Read More
Social Theory: Ali Shariati Ali Shariati is often cited as one of the key ‘ideologues’ behind Iran’s revolution, despite not living to see its success in overthrowing the Shah in 1979. The social and political thought of Shariati was highly influential amongst segments of... Read More
Reports from Edward Wastnidge (Show All)
Social Relations After COVID-19: IRAQ In 2021, a working group of academics affiliated with the SEPAD and TOI projects commissioned a survey exploring explored the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on social relations in Iraq. This was part of a two country survey that explored a common set... Read More
Social Relations After COVID-19: LEBANON In 2021, a working group of academics affiliated with the SEPAD and TOI projects commissioned a survey exploring explored the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on social relations in Lebanon. This was part of a two country survey that explored a common... Read More
Religion and Geopolitics in Iranian Foreign Policy Saudi Arabia and Iran, as key power brokers in the Middle East, continue to couch their bilateral relations in antagonistic terms as they chafe against each other in a battle for influence in the region. Characterising this rivalry in the purely sectarian... Read More
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