Dr Alex Prior

I work as a Lecturer in Politics (with International Relations). I joined LSBU in 2021, having previously lectured at the University of East Anglia and working with the Inter-Parliamentary Union as a research consultant.

I completed my PhD at the University of Leeds in 2019, where I studied public engagement with the UK Parliament, and ways in which political engagement can be understood - and strengthened - through narratives and storytelling.

My research focus is on parliaments and legislatures, and the way in which they relate to different publics. Alongside this, I research narratives and the process of storytelling, and how this can help in understanding (and strengthening) public engagement.

More recently, I have studied the physical and symbolic functions of parliaments and legislatures as built environments. This has included discussing concepts such as symbolic representation, and the innovative use of 'go-alongs': exploring parliamentary spaces while conducting an interview to uncover their meaning(s) to their users. 

I work extensively with international organisations and NGOs, helping to research and produce reports on public perceptions, institutional change, and parliaments worldwide. Most recently, I have worked with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Development Programme, on the third Global Parliamentary Report (focusing on public engagement with the work of parliaments). I have also worked with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK as an academic fellow, reviewing their strategy and their approach to impact.

I publish regularly for outlets such as The Conversation, with a focus on UK Government Policy, parliaments and legislatures, and ways in which other institutions (such as hotels) can be understood politically. 

As with my research, my teaching focuses on political institutions in a UK and comparative context. I also teach public policy and international relations.

The modules I teach this year are as follows:

• Power, Inequality and Civil Society
• Contemporary Policy Making
• International Society
• State, Society and Institutions
• International Relations in Theory and Practice