Prof William Brown

Professional biography

I have worked for the Open University for over twenty years and am currently head of Politics and International Studies at the University. Before joining the OU I lectured at Portsmouth and Leeds Universities. I gained my PhD from Leeds University in 1995 and an MA at Leeds in 1991. My first degree was in Sociology and Politics at Sheffield University.

Professional affiliations 

I’m a long-time member of the British International Studies Association (BISA) and a founder member of the BISA Africa and International Studies Working Group. 

Research interests

My research is in International Relations with a particular focus on Africa and the international politics of development co-operation and aid. One area of current work is on UK policy towards Africa in particular the UK Labour Party’s international development policy. I wrote about this in a chapter in Beswick, et al (eds) Britain and Africa in the twenty first-century MUP (2019) and am working on another journal article tracing Labour Party policy changes. 

This work forms part of a broader interest in contemporary and historical relations between Britain (and the West more broadly) and African states. I’m exploring some of this through the theory of ‘uneven and combined development’ including in a book chapter ‘Navigating uneven and combined development: Britain’s Africa policy in historical perspective’ in Alex Anievas and Kamran Matin’s (2106) edited volume Historical Sociology and World History as well as a contribution I wrote for a special issue of Third World Thematics on Frederick Cooper’s concept of ‘gatekeeper states’ (‘Still one size fits all: U&C Development and African gatekeeper states’ Third World Thematics 3(3) 2018). I am currently working on a book exploring these areas in more depth. 

I’ve also had an interest in the role of sovereignty in aid relations ('Sovereignty Matters' African Affairs, April 2013) and African agency. The latter included the book, African Agency in International Politics co-edited with Sophie Harman (Routledge, 2013) and an article 'A Question of Agency: Africa in International Politics' Third World Quarterly 33(10) 2012.

PhD supervision

Possible areas of PhD supervision include Africa's international relations; relations between western aid donors and Africa and UK international development policy. 

A repository of research publications and other research outputs can be viewed at The Open University's Open Research Online.

Teaching interests

I have taught in politics and international relations at the OU for many years. Working with colleagues I have developed innovative approaches to teaching IR, refelected in a 2025 chapter in the Palgrave Handbook on the Pedagogy of IR Theory - 'Putting the isms in their place: a delimma-led approch to teaching IR theory', co-authored with Olaf Corry. 

I worked with Eddie Wastnidge and other colleagues in POLIS to create our MA in International Relations (F94) which launched in 2023. I am also currently working on a new undergraduate degree in International Relations which includes two new modules (D228 and D322) which launch in 2025 and 2026 respectively. 

Before that I led the production of the level 3 module DD313: International Relations: continuity and change in global politics which won the BISA Excellence in Teaching International Studies prize in 2016 and served as the Qualification Lead for International Studies for over ten years. I have also worked on modules in Political ideas (DD316); international environmental policy (DD319) and international development. 

I was awarded Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority in 2018. 

Other

I have a long-standing interest and involvement in Labour Party politics and write occassionally for Independent Labour Publications (ILP) ILP