Alexander Wain

Dr Alexander Wain is an Academic Editor (Islam) at the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews since 2021. A specialist in eastern Islamic studies, his research focuses on the Malay Muslim world (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore) and China's Hui-hui Muslim community. He holds a DPhil in Theology from the University of Oxford (2015), where his thesis examined Sino-Muslim roles in Maritime Southeast Asia's Islamic conversion. Previously, he served as a Research Fellow at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) in Kuala Lumpur for six years.

His current research includes a major project re-evaluating Melaka's early history and Muslim culture as Southeast Asia's first great sultanate. He contributes to the St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology and engages in community outreach in the UK and Malaysia. Key research interests span Islamic theology, historiography, and the archaeology of Islamic civilizations. His publications explore topics like disease explanations in Islamic thought, Malay religious terminology, and political Islam in Malaysia.

Award-winning works include analyses of Sufi orders in Java and the role of Chinese Muslims in historical conversions. His interdisciplinary approach bridges theology, history, and cultural studies, emphasizing cross-cultural exchanges between Iran and the Malay world.

Grants and collaborations are central to his work, though specific funding details are not provided here. He is actively involved in academic networks and public engagement to contextualize Islamic history within contemporary issues.