Alumni

Bledar Prifti

Contact

Email: bprifti@usf.edu

Bio

Bledar is an alumnus of University of South Florida. In 2012, he served successfully as a paid Political Intern for U.S. Department of State in Italy. In October of 2014, Bledar defended his dissertation on U.S. foreign policy and graduated with a Doctorate degree in Government from USF, Tampa, in the same year. Currently, he works as a full-time faculty for St. Petersburg College and adjunct faculty for USF, Sarasota-Manatee. Bledar has been teaching a variety of courses, including American Government, Globalization, World Perspective, Conflict in the World, International Wealth and Power, and the Middle East.

Research

Bledar’s research interest is in U.S. foreign policy, with an emphasis on Middle Eastern politics. The title of his dissertation is: “Continuity in U.S. Foreign Policy: An Offensive Realist Perspective.” The main argument of his dissertation is that U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East has been dictated by the continuous need of the U.S. as a regional hegemon to prevent the emergence of a regional center of power or hegemon by relying on offshore balancing strategies, including buck-passing and balancing. In addition, Bledar has conducted research on the politics of the Balkan region and Eastern Europe.

Education

Ph.D. in Government, Sustainable Political Communities, University of South Florida
M.A. Political Science, Comparative Politics and International Relations, University of South Florida
B.A., Public Safety Administration, Saint Petersburg College, Florida