Professor Mariz Tadros is a professor of politics and development and an IDS Research Fellow specialising in the politics and human development of the Middle East. Thematic areas of work include popular heritage, inclusive development, democratisation, Islamist politics, human security and the politics of gender and development. 

Mariz is the Director of the Middle East People’s Culture Conservation Collective an initiative that works collaboratively with partners in Egypt, Iraq and Syria to safeguard, preserve and celebrate the popular heritage of religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities. Through the MEPCC, we have documented, disseminated and revived popular heritage while also working with communities in challenging heritage practices that undermine wellbeing.  

Previously, she was Director of the Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID), launched in November 2018 to make development more aware of, and She was also the PI of the British Academy initiative on heritage repertoires for sustainable development in Egypt and beyond. 

Since joining IDS, she has led several multi-disciplinary, multi-country research programmes in thematic areas relating to civil society and democratisation, gender, politics, human security, religion and development. She was formerly Co-Director of the DFID-supported RPC on Social and Political Action for Empowerment and Accountability.