Francesco Belcastro

Francesco Belcastro is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the College of Arts, Humanities and Education. His research focuses on Middle East politics, civil wars, sectarianism, proxy conflicts, and the interplay between sport and international diplomacy. Belcastro's work examines regional alliances, great power rivalries, and the geopolitical dimensions of conflicts such as the Syrian civil war and Palestinian-Israeli disputes.

His research interests include analyzing how tribal structures influence modern conflicts, the role of international sport organizations in political normalization efforts, and historical foreign policy dynamics between regional powers like Syria and Saudi Arabia. Key themes in his scholarship are transnational conflict dynamics, state alliances, and the transformation of domestic conflicts into regional crises.

Recent publications explore sectarianism's role in MENA civil wars, proxy war mechanisms in the Middle East, and the strategic use of sport as a diplomatic tool. His work on Syria's foreign policy strategies and Saudi-Syrian diplomatic history underscores his expertise in tracing long-term geopolitical patterns. Despite prolific research output, no formal academic awards are noted in the provided materials.

No specific advising or grant information is available, though his publications suggest engagement with conflict studies networks. His research contributes to understanding how local conflicts escalate into regional struggles, with implications for contemporary Middle East security studies.