2014 Workshops
May Workshop: Amman, Jordan
“Cross National Variations in Challenges to Old Regimes during the Early Stages of the Arab Spring Movements”
APSA’s second MENA Workshop series began with a one-week program hosted by Birzeit University and the Palestinian American Research Center (PARC) from May 11-16, 2014 at the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR) in Amman. The workshop was co-led by Denise DeGarmo (Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, USA), Lourdes Habash (Birzeit University, Palestine), and Fred H. Lawson (Mills College, USA) and attended by 20 political and social scientists. Substantively, the program canvassed various theoretical and methodological approaches that could be used to better understand these challenges, focusing on factors such as social movements, military and domestic security forces, economic conditions, and the use of social media. Throughout their discussions, participants drew on an extensive set of readings as well as their own research. Participants also made time to visit the ancient city of Jerash and enjoy the attractions of downtown Amman. See the Syllabus.pdf and Schedule.pdf for more information on the Amman workshop program. Following the May workshop, participants used the next three months to revise their research for presentation and further feedback at a follow-up workshop in September.
2014 Fellows
• Mr. Imad Alsoos – Free University Berlin, Germany
• Ms. Sally Ashour – National Center for Social and Criminological Research, Egypt
• Mr. Arin Ayanian – University of St. Andrew’s, UK
• Mr. Ahmed Azzam – Cairo University, Egypt
• Mr. Abdeslam Badre – Mohammed V University-Rabat, Morocco
• Ms. Billie Jeanne Brownlee – Exeter University, UK
• Ms. Francesca Burke – Council for British Research in the Levant, Jordan
• Ms. Marina Calculli – University of Oxford, UK
• Ms. Sihem Drissi – University of Sfax, Tunisia
• Ms. Somaia El Sayed – Cairo University, Egypt
• Ms. Ayfer Erdogan – Yildiz Technical University, Turkey
• Ms. Aida Essaid – King Hussein Foundation, Jordan
• Mr. Salim Hmimnat – Mohammed V University-Rabat, Morocco
• Ms. Magdalena Karolak – Zayed University, UAE
• Ms. Shaimaa Magued – Cairo University, Egypt
• Mr. Ammar Maleki – Tilburg University, Netherlands
• Ms. Hiba Saida – Birzeit University, Palestine
• Mr. Yasser Salimi Namin – Islamic Azad University, Iran
• Ms. Hania Sobhy – Arab Council for the Social Sciences, Lebanon
Alumni leaders and participants gather for a photo on the ACOR patio.
September Workshop: Beirut, Lebanon
“Challenges to Democratic Consolidation during the the Arab Spring Movements”
As a follow-up to the May workshop in Amman, participants were invited to a workshop hosted by Lebanese American University in Beirut from September 15-20, 2014. The workshop was co-led by Denise DeGarmo (Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, USA), Lourdes Habash (Birzeit University, Palestine), Ghada alMadbouh (Birzeit University, Palestine), and Bassel Salloukh (Lebanese American University, Lebanon). The one-week program took a comparative approach to analyze democratic transition and consolidation across the region and included a panel presentation on ‘Sectarianism in Lebanon’ given by two LAU faculty. Daily sessions were structured around participant presentations and research discussions, providing significant opportunities for feedback from peer discussants and leaders. The group also visited the beautiful Jaita Grotto and enjoyed the liveliness of Beirut. See the ReadingList.pdf and Schedule.pdf for more information on the Beirut workshop program. Concluding their participation in the 5-month MENA Workshop Fellowship, alumni were given three years’ complimentary membership to APSA and are now eligible to apply for small grants to support their further research.
Alumni leaders and participants gather for a photo after the closing dinner in Brummana.