István Vácz
István Vácz
István Vácz, PhD candidate in the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at Eötvös Loránd University
I am István Dávid Vácz, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest, Hungary) and a senior member of the Eötvös József College Geography Workshop. I hold an MEd in history and geography, and I am fluent in English, with intermediate proficiency in German and Persian, while currently studying Hebrew.
My main research interests are the geopolitics of Iran and the theories of geopolitics. Currently, I am working on my Ph.D. dissertation, titled “The British Geopolitical Involvement (1872-1922) and Its Impact on the Long-term Development of Persia,”. It is an in-depth analysis of grand strategy and its effects. I have published several studies on this topic, and my broader interests have led me to explore other subjects, such as the modern Ethiopian education system, Iran’s geopolitical challenges in the Caucasus region, and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I am also keen to engage with contemporary issues, focusing on the geopolitical dynamics of the broader MENA and Central Asian regions, especially the roles of the West and Iran.
Over the past six years, I have conducted my research with the support of the “New National Excellence Programme” and its successor, the “University Excellence Scholarship Program” (ELTE). I was also awarded research grants from the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, I participated in the “Erasmus+ Short Term Doctoral Mobility Program” as a visiting scholar, spending a month in Heidelberg in 2023 and Bamberg in 2024. I have experience in the think tank world, having completed the “Future Leadership Program” at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs in the spring of 2024.
Outside of my professional work, I am a passionate football fan and an avid reader of sci-fi and poetry. My ambition is to be a Renaissance man, a public intellectual.
Contact
E-mail: vacz@ualberta.caAddress:
University of Alberta
Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies
300-F
Arts & Convocation Hall
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T6G 2E6