About Ali Riaz

Ali Riaz is Professor and Chair of the Department of Politics and Government. He joined Illinois State University in 2002. Prior to joining Illinois State University he has taught at Claflin University in South Carolina, and the University of Lincoln in England. He was an Assistant Professor at the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh between 1993 and 1995, and a Lecturer between 1984 and 1987. Ali Riaz earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawai’i in 1993 under the East West Center fellowship. He also has MA in Communication and MA in Political Science earned in 1989 and 1991, respectively. He was awarded the ‘East West Center Honor’ Award in 1990. Dr. Riaz was a Research Fellow of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore. His research topic was the role of telecommunication in economic growth of Malaysia and Singapore. Dr. Riaz has an extensive experience in journalism. He has worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service for five years, as Producer and Senior Broadcast Journalist. His research interests include Islamist politics, South Asian politics, community development, and political economy of media. He has six books in English and more than a dozen books in Bengali. His publications include Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh: A Complex Web (Routledge, 2008), Paradise Lost? State Failure in Nepal (with Subho Basu, Lexington Books, 2007), Unfolding State: The Transformation of Bangladesh (de Sitter Publications, 2005), God Willing: The Politics of Islamism in Bangladesh (Rowman and Littlefield, 2004), 'State, Class and Military Rule: Political Economy of Martial Law in Bangladesh' (Nadi New Press, 1993). Professor Ali Riaz earned the College of Arts and Sciences first Dean's Award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievement 2004 and Outstanding College Researcher Award 2005. Riaz received Pi Sigma Alpha Excellence in Teaching Award in 2006.

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