Professor Tazeeb Rajwani was elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences in spring 2026. He is a Professor and Chair in International Business and Strategy at the University of Surrey and served as the Head of the Department of Strategy and International Business at Surrey Business School from 2019 to 2024. A leading global authority on geopolitics and business-government relations, he also holds a visiting professorship at Cranfield School of Management, University of Michigan and The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) at University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Professor Tazeeb RajwaniFAcSS
Tazeeb’s research explores the intersection of political risk, strategic management, sustainability and nonmarket strategy, and his more recent work has delved into business-military relationships. With over 60 academic papers and highly acclaimed books — including Aligning for Advantage: Competitive Strategies for the Political and Social Arenas (Oxford University Press) — his work examines how multinational corporations navigate complex regulatory environments and challenging institutional frameworks. His innovative research has also been instrumental in shaping findings that were presented to officials at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). His unique insights are frequently sought by international media, with his work reported in The Financial Times, The Times, Forbes, BBC, and Al Jazeera.
Tazeeb has been instrumental in bridging the gap between academic theory, practice and policy. He has facilitated senior management and board-level workshops for global organisations such as KPMG, BNP Paribas, EY and Jaguar Land Rover, and he has held senior roles in corporate finance, notably as an Innovation Champion at KPMG.
In addition to his Fellowship at the Academy of Social Sciences, Tazeeb is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). He continues to serve as an editor for several leading journals, including Multinational Business Review, Academy of Management Perspectives and the Journal of International Management.
Why do the social sciences matter?
The world today is defined by unprecedented geopolitical volatility and shifting socio-political landscapes. To understand how global systems function, we must look beyond purely economic metrics and examine the underlying human, social, and political structures that govern them. The social sciences provide the essential frameworks needed to decode these complexities. Whether it is understanding how corporations interact with governments or how societies respond to institutional risks, the social sciences offer a lens to view the world not just as it is, but as it could be through better-aligned strategies and more responsible governance.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
What drives me is the challenge of ‘aligning for advantage’ — the process of helping organisations synchronise their commercial objectives with their social and political obligations. I find the intersection of market and nonmarket strategies endlessly fascinating. My work allows me to engage with both high-level academic theory and the practical, real-world pressures faced by global executives. There is a deep satisfaction in developing people-centric models of capitalism, such as the concept of ‘gracious growth,’ which suggests that corporate success does not have to come at the expense of human dignity or the environment.
What is the most urgent issue social scientists need to tackle today and within the next three years?
The most pressing challenge is the escalating complexity of the global socio-political environments from nationalism and protectionism. We are seeing a breakdown in traditional institutional norms and changes in historical global alliances, leading to what we call ‘institutional voids’, particularly in emerging markets. In the next three years, social scientists must prioritise finding ways for global businesses to operate ethically, strategically and sustainably within some of these politically risky environments.
Simultaneously, we need to ensure that business-government relations are transparent and focused on long-term societal value rather than short-term gain. As climate change remains a global emergency, the social sciences are critical in designing the economic and political incentives that will drive firms to move beyond symbolic gestures toward embedding sustainability into their everyday operations.
What does being a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences mean to you?
Being elected a Fellow is a profound honour that signals a commitment to using academic rigour for the public good. It represents a connection to a community of scholars dedicated to solving the most significant challenges facing our global society. For me, it is an opportunity to further champion the role of international business and strategy in creating a more stable, equitable, and sustainable world.