CV

My current CV (including list of publications) can be downloaded here.

Research Experience

University of Cambridge, Oct 2017 – Oct 2020. Department of Sociology. Three year Lecturer position. Lecturing eight topics of paper SOC1 “Introduction to Sociology: Modern Societies I”, course organizer of SOC8 “Religion and Contentious Mobilization”, and supervising undergraduate students. Remainder of my time devoted to independent research.

University of Bergen, Norway, Aug 2014 – July 2017. Department of Comparative Politics. Postdoctoral Fellowship. Teaching two courses (spring ’16 and ’17) on Middle East Politics & Society and devoting the remaining time to research.

European University Institute, Feb 2014 – Apr 2014.  Department of Political and Social Sciences. Research Assistant for Donatella della Porta. Tasked to conduct and translate interviews (life histories) with activists in Tunisia.

European University Institute, Oct 2012 – Oct 2013. Consortium on Social Movement Studies, COSMOS. Affiliated Researcher at the consortium.

Princeton University, Jan – May 2013. Department of Near Eastern Studies. Visiting Student Research Collaboration (VSRC) position from January until May 2013, institutional liaison: Bernard Haykel.

CEMAT, Jan – Apr 2011. Center for Maghrib Studies in Tunis. Affiliated Researcher at the US research center CEMAT during fielwork in Tunisia.

University of Amsterdam, July 2009 – Nov 2010. Department of Political Science. Research fellow at the Hivos/University of Amsterdam’s research program on state-society relations in West Asian societies.

University of Amsterdam, Jan – June 2009. Department of Political Science. Research position on Syrian regime – Islamic activists interaction. Included fieldwork in Damascus, Syria.

Netherlands Institute of International Relations, Clingendael, Mar 2008 – Jan 2009. Conflict Research Unit. Research position on religion in politics and peacebuilding in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Included fieldwork to Israel, West Bank and Gaza. Senior consultant was Dr. Pamela Scholey.

Netherlands Institute of International Relations, Clingendael, Mar 2008 – Jan 2009. Internship. Created and analyzed a “terrorists database” used in the Clingendael Publication “Jihadi Terrorists in Europe” (December 2006). Supervisor was Edwin Bakker.

Tharwa Project, Damascus, May – July 2005. Internship. As a junior intern, I wrote articles on Syrian youth for the website of the Tharwa project, managed by Ammar Abdulhamid. The project was discontinued due to government intervention in July 2005.

Education

European University Institute, September 2009 – October 2013. PhD in Political and Social Sciences. Defended on 17 October 2013. Jury members were Donatella della Porta (EUI, supervisor), Olivier Roy (EUI, second supervisor), Sidney Tarrow (Cornell University) and Farhad Khosrokhavar (EHESS).

European University Institute, September 2009 – August 2010. Department of Political and Social Sciences. Mres Political and Social Sciences.

University of Amsterdam, Sep 2007 – Oct 2008. International School for Humanities and Social Sciences. Msc Conflict Resolution and Governance (Political Science), Cum Laude, graduation date: October 2008.

Private tutors, Syria & Egypt, 2006-2007. Certificate Arabic Language (Fusha) and Islam studies. Tutors and certificate in Egypt via the Fajr Centre, Cairo.

Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 2003-2006. Centre for Development Issues in Nijmegen, CIDIN. Bsc. Development Studies, Graduation date of Bachelor’s degree: August 2006.

University of Damascus, 2004-2005. Language department. Certificate Arabic language. Date of certificate: June 2005.

Teaching Experience

European University Institute, July 2013. Teaching Skills Course. Tutors included Neil McLean (LSE Teaching and Learning Centre) and Angela O’Neil (College of Europe).

Bogazici University, Istanbul, June – Aug 2012. Lecturer. Taught “Middle East Politics and Society” (POLS 317) during the summer term of 2012. Rated second best among courses taught that term.

European University Institute, Nov 2010 – Jan 2011. Department of Political and Social Sciences. Working group supervisor. I co-initiated and moderated a two-weekly Social Movement Studies Working Group at the EUI.

Language Skill

Dutch, First Language
English, Fluent
Syrian colloquial, Fluent
Modern Standard Arabic, Fluent
Turkish, Intermediate knowledge
French, Intermediate knowledge
German, Intermediate knowledge
Italian, Intermediate knowledge