Dr Vahid Nick Pay

Director of Graduate Studies (DGS-T)

Departmental Lecturer in International Politics

Dr Vahid Nick Pay is a full-time departmental lecturer in International Politics and Research Methods and serves as co-director of Graduate Studies for Postgraduate Taught Programmes (DGS). He is a Fellow of Kellogg College, University of Oxford, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is also an official academic advisor to the UK government's Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

As a multidisciplinary scholar, Dr Nick Pay's expertise spans various fields within Social Sciences and Information Technology, including Political Philosophy, Diplomacy, Security Studies, Linguistics, Computer Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence. His postgraduate studies encompass Linguistics, Computer Engineering, AI, and Politics and International Relations.

Prior to joining Oxford in 2018, he held academic positions at several prestigious institutions: Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kurdistan (Iraq), Adjunct Professor in International Relations at the University of Paris (Paris Descartes), and Lecturer positions at Sciences Po Paris, the University of Milan (Linguistics and Discourse Analysis), and Islamic Azad University, Iran (Linguistics). His excellence in teaching was recognised with a Teaching Excellence Award in 2018. He also holds the French higher education teaching and supervision qualification (habilitation).

Dr Nick Pay has undertaken numerous leadership roles throughout his academic career, including Chair of Exam Boards, Academic Director, Academic Advisor, and Director of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies. He has served on various academic management boards and was a member of the Management Committee at the Centre for International Studies (DPIR-University of Oxford).

Complementing his academic expertise, Dr Nick Pay brings substantial experience from both governmental and private sectors. His diverse professional background includes service as a Captain in two national armies (Infantry) and works with prominent organisations such as the BBC, Vidal, and the French National Healthcare Authority.

Alongside his full-time lectureship, Dr Nick Pay actively engages with public education through short courses and weekend programmes. For 2024, he offered two public courses: 'Religion in International Politics' (April 2024) and Oxford University's first course in AI Governance (December 2024). He is currently developing a comprehensive postgraduate programme in AI Governance.