Maya Tudor

Dr Maya Tudor is Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, and a Fellow at St Hilda's College. She specializes in comparative politics with a regional focus on South Asia, particularly India and Pakistan.

• BA in Economics, Stanford University
• MPA and PhD in Politics and Public Policy, Princeton University
• Fellowships at Harvard’s Belfer Center, Oxford’s Centre for the Study of Inequality and Democracy, and Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences

Her research explores the origins of democratic and effective states, nationalism, authoritarianism, and political development. She argues that nationalism is not inherently negative but can be a resource for both democratic inclusion and exclusion, depending on whether national identity is based on inclusive civic ideals or exclusive ethnic, religious, or racial criteria. Her work highlights how narratives of nationhood shape state legitimacy and democratic stability.

Her recent publications analyze democratic decline in India, the crisis of governance in Pakistan, and the role of nationalism in global politics. She has authored over twenty peer-reviewed articles and two influential books: The Promise of Power (2013) and Varieties of Nationalism (2023, with Harris Mylonas).

• Regular contributor to Foreign Affairs, Journal of Democracy, Washington Post, and The Guardian
• Frequent media commentator on BBC, Al Jazeera, and The New York Times
• Expert on elections and democratic trends in South Asia

She previously worked at the World Bank, UNICEF, the U.S. Senate, and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee. A dual citizen of Germany and the United States, she has lived and worked across Asia, Africa, and Europe. She has advised research projects such as the REACH Alliance case study on women’s security in Madhya Pradesh, India.