• European identity
• EU external relations
• International Relations Theory
• Populism and nationalism in Europe

Dr Foster’s research focuses on how European external relations intersect with European identity, and how internal imaginations of “Europe” influence external action. His research investigates how the clash between sub-national, national, and meta-national identities in Europe shapes policy decisions. He is particularly interested in the recent rise of Euroscepticism and populism in European nations, and how imaginations of Europe influence public reactions to European strategies and policies.

Dr Foster is currently researching how European identity is mediated through textual, visual, and material cultures in the elite and everyday realms, and how reforms of the EU’s cultural policies can address the gulf between elite intentions and popular interpretations.

Dr Foster has a broader interest in the EU in the international system, the EU as empire, and the relationship between the EU and IR theory.