2015 Workshops

 

May Workshop: Doha, Qatar

sesri logo no bg“The Resource Curse in Middle East and North Africa”

APSA’s 3rd annual MENA Workshop series began with a one-week program hosted by Qatar University’s Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) from May 17-21, 2015. The workshop was co-led by Justin Gengler (SESRI, Qatar University), Michael Herb (Georgia State University, USA), Ghanim al-Najjar (Alsalam Center for Development and Strategic Studies and Kuwait University), Alanoud Alsharekh (Women’s Research and Studies Center, Kuwait University), and Mark Tessler (University of Michigan, USA). Twenty-two PhD students and early career scholars attended as participants. Together, attendees explored the rentier state literature to analyze the impact of rent wealth on democracy, state-building, political stability, and state-society relations. Ultimately, context matters in determining the impact of oil. Group discussion elicited debate on questions such as: How does rent influence citizenship and other policies? How does aid from rich oil states affect political outcomes in aid recipient states? What has been the impact on rentier states of the recent fluctuations in oil prices? More broadly, the workshop also focused on issues of research design, approaches to political science inquiry, and issues associated with manuscript preparation and publication. See the Reading List.pdf and Schedule.pdf for more information. Following the May workshop, participants had six months to revise their research for presentation and further feedback at a follow-up workshop in December.

2015 Fellows

• Mr. Khaled Aboudahham – Kuwait University, Kuwait
• Mr. Mohamed-Ali Adraoui – European University Institute, Italy
• Mr. Sultan Alamer – George Washington University, USA
• Mr. Abdullah Alaoudh – University of Pittsburgh, USA
• Mr. Hamad Albloshi – Kuwait University, Kuwait
• Mr. Hadi Alijla – Gothenburg University, Sweden
• Mr. Luai Allarakia – University of Houston, USA
• Ms. Huda Alsahi – University of Bologna, Italy
• Mr. Hamad Althunayyan – University of Maryland, USA
• Ms. Alexandra Blackman – Stanford University, USA
• Ms. Kristin Eggeling – University of St. Andrews, UK
• Ms. Courtney Freer – University of Oxford, UK
• Mr. Trevor Johnston – University of Michigan, USA
• Ms. Kristen Kao – University of California-Los Angeles, USA
• Mr. Barry Maydom – University of Oxford, UK
• Ms. Fabiana Perera – George Washington University, USA
• Ms. Kerry Persen – Stanford University, USA
• Mr. Tariq Sabahi – University of Exeter, UK
• Ms. Hoda Selim – Economic Research Forum, Egypt
• Mr. Adrian Shin – University of Michigan, USA
• Mr. Mamdouh Shouman – Georgia State University, SA
• Ms. Nourah Shuaibi – University of Tennessee, USA
• Ms. Sarina Theys – Newcastle University, UK

 

IMG_3321-compressed Participants and leaders pose outside the SESRI offices at Qatar University


December Workshop: Kuwait

Alsalam CenterAs a follow-up to the May workshop in Doha, participants were invited to a workshop hosted by the Alsalam Center for Development and Strategic Studies in Kuwait, from December 13-17, 2015. Daily sessions were structured around participant presentations and research discussions, providing significant opportunities for feedback from peer discussants and leaders. See the Reading List.pdf and Schedule.pdf for more information on the Kuwait program. Concluding their participation in the 8-month MENA Workshop Fellowship, alumni were given three years’ complimentary membership to APSA and are eligible to apply for small grants to support their further research.
IMG_9905x
Participants and leaders pose during a break in sessions at Al-Shaheed Park in Kuwait