Teaching & Advising

2012-2019, AUC Department of Political Science, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

• Introduction to Political Science*
• Introduction to Political Science Research Methods*
• Introduction to Comparative Politics
• Comparative Politics of the Middle East and North Africa
• Global Political Economy
• History and Theory of Political Economy
• International Financial Institutions
• The Arab State and Neoliberal Globalisation
• Revisiting the Urban: Space, Power and Politics

*Coordinator/Convenor

• Comparative Theory
• Development Politics and International Cooperation
• Economic Development in the MENA
• Research Guidance and Thesis

For more on my research interests, please visit here.

The relationship between research candidates and a supervisor is critical for success in a given programme. Therefore, you, as a prospective candidate, should thoroughly reflect and be able to make sense of your choice for a supervisor. If you are planning to seek me out as a supervisor/reader, please consider the following information:

Background and Documents

You should have completed ample coursework in the social sciences, namely politics, anthropology or sociology with strong background in research methods and theory. Very good english skills are essential. Apart from a 2-5 page concept note, you should send to me a current CV.

Potential Topics

While I am open to a number of research areas broadly considering the Middle East and North Africa (namely Egypt), I am open to other theses/projects within the scope of comparative politics and/or critical theory. Please ensure compatibility with my own research areas so that I can guarantee the most competent supervision. See below for recently supervised projects for guidance.

Concept Note

In order for me to gauge supervision, you should submit to me a breakdown of 2-5 pages what your project is and what you hope to accomplish/answer. In that note, please outline a clear research question you want to address in your project, its academic relevance, the proposed methodology (and your background in it), as well as potential results and strategies to address your research question.

Once I have reviewed the documents submitted, we can begin a conversation about where to go from there.

• Karim Abdoun, MA thesis: “Egyptian-American Relations under Obama’s Presidency: A Defensive Realist Analysis”
• Yasser Aboraya, MA thesis: “A Well-Oiled Machine: The Limits of Rentierism: The Case of Saudi Arabia”
• Salma T. Abousenna, MA thesis: “Failed Democracy: An Examination of Azerbaijan”
• Hood S. Ahmed, MA thesis: “Authoritarian Regimes, the Arab Uprisings and State Repression”
• Abdelrahman Y. Badawy, BA thesis: “The Fading of a Phoenician State: A Russian and American
  Collaboration, 2011-2016”
• Reem A. El-Balshy, MA thesis: “Civil-Military Relations during and after Popular Mass Uprising: A
  Comparative Study of Egypt (2011-2013) and Indonesia (1998-2001)”
• Ulrich Hermann Wolfram Berger, MA thesis: “Conceptualizing Compromise”
• Waleed Beshr, MA thesis: “Revisiting Tribalism: Power and Politics in Tribal Relations in Post-2011
  Yemen”
• Amna Elnour, MA thesis: “A Comparative Analysis of the Role of Foreign Aid in Post-Conflict
  Reconstruction of Rwanda and Sierra Leone”
• Brandon M. Espina, MA thesis: “From Hashemite Kingdom to a Kingdom of Exodus: Et Maintenant On va
  Où? An Examination of Jordan's Refugee Regime and Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis”
• Dalia El-Gamal, MA thesis: “Faith-Based Education in Cairo: An Assessment of the Role and Quality”
• Marwa Helmy, MA thesis: “A Comparative Study on the Effect of Male Migration on Female Spouses in
  Middle Class and Working Class in Egypt”
• Amira Abdel Fattah Hussein, MA thesis: “Assessing Community-Based Education in Upper Egypt: Failure
  and Success”
• Mona A. El Husseiny, MA thesis: “Democratization and The Role of the Military: Cases of Serbia and
  Tunisia”
• Yasmine Khalil, MA thesis: “Effect of Microfinance Programmes on Poverty Alleviation among Egyptian
  Women”
• Andrew MacDougall, MA project: “The Threat of State-Sponsored Cyber Attacks in Canada: To Serve
  and Protect”
• Salma M. Mashhour, MA thesis: “The Interaction Between Donors and Recipients: A Case Study on
  Egypt’s Bilateral Aid Regime”
• Bassant B. Mohamed, MA thesis: “Continuity and Change in the Garbage Village of Muqattam”
• Dragana Prvulovic, MA thesis: “The End of ‘Black-Blanc-Beur’: Identity Formation and Marital Practices
  of Second Generation French Muslims”
• Nora Rafea, MA thesis: “Livelihood Coping Strategies of Women Heads of Households in Cairo Informal
  Settlements: The Case of Izbet El Haggana”
• Mai Abdel Rahman, MA thesis: “The Role of the United Nations in Supporting Women's Participation in
  Elections during Political Transitions: The Cases of Egypt and Tunisia”
• Dina El-Rashidy, MA thesis: “The Construction of Sectarianism: How Intermestics shaped “Other”ing in
  Iraq and Syria”
• Mohamed T. Sadek, MA thesis: “Competitive Authoritarianism, Survival and Adaptation: The Case of
  Egypt and Ukraine”
• Bassem Z. Al-Samragy, MA thesis: “Politics on the Margins: A Case Study of Neoliberal Subject Formation
  in the Popular Quarters of Cairo”
• Alaa El-Shamy, MA thesis: “The Return of the Sacred: Collective Action of Copts during Muslim
  Brotherhood Rule”
• Brandon Shinhearl, MA thesis: “Acculturating Autocrats: Tracing Compliance with the International
  Counter-Terror Regime through an Analysis of Chad and Libya (1998-2008)”
• Mason L. Sims, MA thesis: “Nationhood and Revolution: A Comparative Study of Cuba and Iran”
• Žilvinas Švedkauskas, MA thesis: "Dispensing with Political Parties in Egypt: Emergence of Disorganized Authoritarianism"
• Victoria Tiemeier, MA thesis: “Informal and Formal Modes of Local Governance in Cairo”
• Catherine Walsh, Middle East Studies Comprehensive Exams (Chair)
• Catherine Walsh, MA thesis: “Political Economy of Tourism Development and Crisis: Sharm El Sheikh on
  the Periphery?”
• Melissa Yoong, MA thesis: “Bread, Freedom, Dignity: The Impact of Food Insecurity on Political
  Instability in Egypt”
• Shireen Naguib Zayed, MA thesis: “Latent Heat: Changing Forms of Activism under Repressive
  Authoritarian regimes: A Case Study of Egypt, 2000-2008”
• Jan-Philipp Zychla, MA thesis: “Branding as a Regime Strategy of Legitimation”

Please follow these steps:

• Contact me at least one month prior to the deadline for submission of the recommendation. No exceptions.
• Provide the following information:
  • CV or Résumé
  • AUC Student ID Number (if applicable)
  • One-page statement of interest explaining your reasons for applying for the program
  • Details of the program to which you are applying (including websites)
  • Contact information of the programme (as no letters are handed directly to person being recommended).