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Matthew Graham

Lecturer in History, University of Dundee

I joined the University of Dundee in 2012 as a lecturer, having completed my PhD at the University of Sheffield (2008-2011).

I have a longstanding interest in history and politics in its global context, with my research focusing on Southern Africa. My focus on contemporary African history enables an analysis of the enormous global changes of the twentieth century. My approach seeks to place distinct area specialisations, notably African, within the context of wider patterns of international economic, political, social and cultural expansion, contraction and reconstitution. By paying due regard to the interaction of such forces, global themes can be examined from non-Western perspectives, while avoiding the parochialism which so often haunts area studies. My research, while focusing on Southern Africa, lends itself to wider global themes as it addresses decolonisation, liberation movements, Cold War conflicts, democratisation, and post-colonial governance.

My research has addressed themes such as: the foreign policy of the ANC charting the continuities and discontinuities of its policies from exiled liberation movement to governing political party, 1960-2007; South Africa's transition process; an exploration of the role / influence of ‘liberation solidarity’ within Southern African liberation movements; and the ANC's position in the emergence of the anti-apartheid movement.

The next core research project "Contested Transitions: The legacies and implications of South Africa’s negotiations to majority rule" sets out to examine transitional political processes, centred primarily on the shift from apartheid to democracy in South Africa (1990-94). It will examine the nature of the negotiation process and its political compromises.

In 2013, I became a Research Associate in the International Studies Group, based at the University of the Free State in South Africa.

Ramaphosa's famous negotiating skills have failed him. Here's why

Jan 24, 2020 05:36 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

When Cyril Ramaphosa took over as president of South Africa in early 2018, there was a great deal of talk about a new dawn. But his term in office has failed to deliver, raising the question: has the legendary deal-maker...

Blame politicians, not Mandela, for South Africa's unfinished business

Jul 17, 2018 14:52 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

July 2018 marks Nelson Mandelas centenary year. Why is he still so revered across the world? The answer simply is that he is widely regarded as the personification of values which he spent much of his life fighting for....

Economy

Gold Prices Drop as Oil Rally and U.S.-Iran Tensions Shake Markets

Gold prices declined in Asian trading on Monday as rising oil prices and escalating U.S.-Iran tensions dampened demand for the safe-haven asset. Investors remained cautious ahead of a potential ceasefire expiration later...

Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Gains Safe-Haven Strength Amid U.S.-Iran Tensions

Asian currencies weakened on Monday while the U.S. dollar rebounded, supported by renewed safe-haven demand as geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran escalated over the weekend. Investor sentiment...

Asian Stocks Rise as Tech Gains Offset US-Iran Tensions, Oil Prices Add Pressure

Asian stock markets opened the week on a cautiously positive note, supported by gains in technology shares despite rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran. Investors remained wary as developments...

Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate and Strait of Hormuz Closes

Oil prices spiked sharply during early Asian trading on Monday as geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran intensified, raising concerns over global energy supply disruptions. Brent crude futures climbed as...

U.S. Stock Futures Fall as Iran Tensions Escalate and Oil Prices Surge

U.S. stock index futures moved lower on Sunday evening after a record-breaking week on Wall Street, as rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran dampened investor confidence and boosted oil prices....

Politics

Bulgaria Election 2026: Rumen Radev’s Landslide Victory Signals Political Shift and Economic Implications

Pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev is on track for a decisive victory in Bulgarias 2026 parliamentary election, according to exit polls, marking a potential turning point in the countrys political landscape and...

Keir Starmer Faces Resignation Pressure Over Mandelson Appointment Controversy

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to address Parliament on Monday amid growing calls for his resignation following controversy surrounding the appointment of senior Labour figure Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador...

North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles Amid Growing Nuclear Ambitions

North Korea launched several ballistic missiles toward the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday, according to South Korea and Japan, marking Pyongyangs seventh ballistic missile test this year and its fourth in April alone....

U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate as Hormuz Crisis Deepens Amid Ceasefire Strains

Fragile ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran are facing serious pressure after a dramatic weekend of escalating confrontations in and around the Strait of Hormuz. New reporting from the Wall Street...

Brazil, Spain, and Mexico Unite to Support Cuba Amid U.S. Blockade

During a high-profile international summit held in Barcelona, the leaders of Brazil, Spain, and Mexico came together to announce a strengthened commitment to providing coordinated humanitarian aid to Cuba. The meeting,...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Huawei Expands Vietnam Presence Through Strategic Partnership with SHB Bank

Vietnams Saigon-Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinas Huawei Technologies Group, marking a significant step in the tech giants expansion within Vietnams growing...

SK Hynix Launches 192GB SOCAMM2 Memory for Nvidia’s Next-Gen AI Chips

SK Hynix Inc (KS:000660) has announced the mass production of its latest high-performance memory module, the 192GB SOCAMM2, specifically designed to support Nvidias upcoming Vera Rubin artificial intelligence platform....

Iran’s AI memes are reaching people who don’t follow the news – and winning the propaganda war

A Lego-style Iranian military commander raps over a gangster beat: Our inbox is flooded with Americans saying they dont watch the news. They listen to our songs instead since your media is full of shit. This is the opening...

Anthropic CEO Meets Trump Officials to Discuss Powerful New AI Model Mythos

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei sat down with senior Trump administration officials last Friday in what analysts are calling a pivotal move to repair a strained relationship between the AI company and the federal government....

Apple Wins ITC Ruling, Keeping Blood-Oxygen Feature on Apple Watch

A U.S. trade tribunal sided with Apple on Friday, rejecting Masimo Corporations push to reinstate an import ban on Apple Watch. The U.S. International Trade Commission chose not to review an earlier judges ruling that...