Alister Wedderburn

Alister Wedderburn is a Senior Lecturer in Political and International Studies at the University of Glasgow, part of the College of Social Sciences. His research focuses on critical and post-structuralist IR theories, visual and literary cultures in global politics, everyday politics, and colonial exploration histories. He holds a PhD from King's College London (2017), following BA and MA degrees from the University of Cambridge and King's College London. Prior to joining Glasgow in 2020, he was a John Vincent Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Australian National University.

• Education:
  • BA in English Literature (University of Cambridge, 2008)
  • MA in War Studies (King's College London, 2012)
  • PhD in International Relations (King's College London, 2017)

His research interests emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to global politics, blending critical theory with analyses of visual art, humor, and colonial narratives. Recent work explores early modern Arctic exploration's role in constructing Enlightenment-era conceptions of 'Man,' and the political potential of 'silliness' as counter-discourse in IR. He has published in journals like European Journal of International Relations, Millennium, and International Feminist Journal of Politics.

Wedderburn has secured grants including the University of Glasgow College of Social Sciences Research Fund (2021), a Universitas 21 award (2020), and the John Vincent Fellowship (2017–2019). He currently supervises two PhD students exploring climate-related sovereignty and whiteness in refugee discourse. His teaching includes courses on IR theory, visual global politics, and international relations concepts at the honors and master's levels.

Professional activities include convening the British International Studies Association's Emotions Working Group (2021–2024), reflecting his engagement with affective dimensions in global politics.