Profile
Gregory is a doctoral researcher at the Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs. His research focuses on power and influence in international relations, with particular interests in soft power, preference change, foreign policy, and the use of sport in world politics. His work examines how non-coercive influence can be conceptualised and identified empirically, and how states attempt to produce it in practice.
His wider research interests include international relations theory, political decision-making, cognitive approaches to foreign policy, and the relationship between preferences and policy choice.
Academic background
Gregory holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Philosophy (2:1) from King’s College London (2015–2018) and a Master of Arts in the Erasmus Mundus MA in Sports Ethics and Integrity (Summa Cum Laude) from KU Leuven (2021–2023). His academic background spans political theory, international relations, and the study of sport and politics.
PhD research
Gregory’s doctoral research examines soft power in international relations, with particular attention to how it can be conceptualised, measured, and applied in practice. His work explores the relationship between influence, preferences, and political behaviour, and considers how soft power can be studied with greater conceptual and empirical precision. The research also examines the use of sport and sports mega-events as instruments of international influence, with a particular focus on the Gulf. More broadly, the project contributes to debates on power, foreign policy, and the ways states seek to shape the preferences and behaviour of others.
Professional associations
American Political Science Association (APSA); International Political Science Association (IPSA); IPSA Research Committee 36 (Political Power).
Research & Innovation Hub
Policy, sport and geopolitics in an unstable world