My name is Irfan Ahmed Nazir. I am a researcher specialising in migration, identity, and belonging in the Arab Gulf states, with a particular focus on the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I have submitted my PhD thesis to the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, and am currently awaiting my viva voce. My doctoral research examined debates on national identity in the UAE and their implications for school education.
My broader research interests include the state, society, and foreign policy of the UAE; the international relations and politics of the Middle East; and migration and diaspora dynamics along the South Asia-Gulf corridor. I also maintain a keen interest in the society and politics of contemporary Kerala. I have published research with leading academic publishers, including Wiley, Routledge, and Sage.
I am a recipient of several academic grants and fellowships, including the 2023 doctoral research grant from the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, Ras Al Khaimah, and a travel grant from the Humanities Research Fellowships for the Study of the Arab World at New York University Abu Dhabi. I was also awarded the Senior Research Fellowship by the University Grants Commission (India).
Born and raised in Dubai as a second-generation Indian expatriate, I completed my schooling in the UAE. I hold a bachelor’s degree in history, economics, and political science from Christ (deemed-to-be) University, Bangalore, and a master’s degree in politics and international relations from JNU. My family hails from the Thrissur district of Kerala, India.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4150-6118
Irfan Ahmed Nazir 