Dr Kaweh Kerami
I am a political scientist and ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Durham University’s School of Government and International Affairs. My doctoral work (SOAS University of London) analysed elite bargaining during political transitions, drawing on fieldwork and more than fifty elite interviews in post-intervention Afghanistan (2001–2021). During my ESRC postdoctoral fellowship, I am consolidating and publishing these findings—including developing a monograph and related articles.
Looking ahead, my research agenda examines the nexus of power, media and democracy through a bargaining lens: how public opinion is shaped, how political power is acquired and maintained, and how it is held to account—in short, how media and communication shape politics, governance and democracy’s future.
I have served as a Research Fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights (Lund University), investigating the practice of journalism under authoritarian rule and drawing on evidence from Taliban rule (2021–2025). I have also supervised Master’s dissertations at SOAS University of London and worked as a journalist for the BBC World Service, bridging scholarship and public communication.
Beyond my research, I pursue photography as a way to capture life’s quieter, reflective moments.
Professional Overview:
Education:
- PhD in International Development (2024, SOAS University of London)
- MSc in Comparative and European Politics (2015, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
- MSc in International Crimes and Criminology (2016, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
- BSc in Political Science (2012, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Research Experience:
- ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Durham University (10/2025–present)
- Research Fellow, RWI/Lund University (2025)
- Specialist Researcher at BBC Media Action (2024)
- Policy Researcher on Afghanistan’s national drug policies (2019-2021)
Work Experience:
- Master’s Degree Thesis Supervisor, SOAS University of London (2025)
- Lecturer at American University (Kabul, 2019-2021)
- Broadcast Journalist at BBC Persian (2016-19)
- Extensive publications and media engagements on Afghanistan’s politics and conflict
July 2021, Kabul
(PhD fieldwork)
