In April 2020, POMEPS launched the Junior Scholar Virtual Workshop Series in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During a time of great uncertainty and multiple cancellations of in-person workshops, the goal of this workshop series was to help junior scholars of MENA politics prepare their manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed political science journal. Over the course of three months, POMEPS held 7 workshops moderated by POMEPS Director Marc Lynch, with 25 junior scholars and 22 senior scholar discussants. Each workshop included online discussions of thematically linked journal article-length papers, presented by junior scholars and commented upon by senior scholar discussants. Workshop topics included: Accountability and Connections in Autocratic Governance, International Relations, Social Movements, Gaza, among many others. The junior scholar participants and the senior scholar discussants came from a variety of academic institutions and disciplines, and fostered many rich discussions that we look forward to continuing in the future.
We will begin reviewing proposals for the fall season of the POMEPS Virtual Research Workshop on Monday, August 24th, 2020. We expect to hold these virtual workshops every other week throughout the fall and will be accepting proposals on a rolling basis. Scholars who have already applied will still be considered.
To apply, please complete this Google Form.
For a list of our previous Junior Scholar Virtual Workshops, please see below or click here.
Workshop #1: Accountability and Connections in Autocratic Governance
Date and Time
Friday, April 17th, 2020, at 2 pm – 4 pm, ET
Moderator
Marc Lynch, Professor at George Washington University & Director of Project on Middle East Political Science
Papers and Authors
“It’s Good To Be King: Ruler Type and Perceptions of Democracy in Authoritarian Regimes;” Scott Williamson, Stanford University
“Bureaucrat-Local Politician Linkages and Hierarchical Local Governance in Emerging Democracies;” Salih Yasun, Indiana University Bloomington
“Ministries Matter: Horizontal Accountability Under Autocracy;” Erin York, Harvard Kennedy School
Discussants
Lindsay Benstead, Portland State University
Lisa Blaydes, Stanford University
Sean Yom, Temple University
Workshop #2: International Relations
Date and Time
Friday, April 24th, 2020, at 2 pm – 4 pm, ET
Moderator
Marc Lynch, Professor at George Washington University & Director of Project on Middle East Political Science
Papers and Authors
“Mr. Otaiba Goes to Washington: Agenda-setting and Persuasion in Small-State Diplomacy” Andrew Leber, Harvard University
“The Norms and Practices of Sovereignty in the Arab State System;” Raslan Ibrahim, State University of New York Geneseo
“Conflicts, foreign intervention and the state in the Middle East and North Africa;” Irene Constantini, University of Naples L’Orientale
Discussants
Ariel Ahram, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
May Darwich, University of Birmingham
Greg Gause, Texas A&M University
Workshop #3: Social Movements
Date and Time
Friday, May 8th, 2020, at 2 pm – 4 pm, ET
Moderator
Marc Lynch, Professor at George Washington University & Director of Project on Middle East Political Science
Papers and Authors
“From Different Origins to Similar Demands: Secular Feminists and Islamists in Tunisia;” Maro Youssef, The University of Texas at Austin
“Labor Protests and the Concessions-Repression Dilemma in Jordan;” Matthew Lacouture, Wayne State University
“Gateway Activism: From Pro-Palestinian Solidarity to Calls for Democracy in the Arab Gulf;” Dana El-Kurd, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies
Discussants
Sherine Hafez, University of California Riverside
Jillian Schwedler, City University of New York Hunter College
Ian Hartshorn, University of Nevada Reno
Workshop #4: Gaza
Date and Time
Friday, May 22nd, 2020, at 3 pm – 5 pm, ET
Moderator
Marc Lynch, Professor at George Washington University & Director of Project on Middle East Political Science
Papers and Authors
“Hamas In Power: Governance, Clans, Mosque And Legitimacy ;” Abdalhadi Alijla, Orient Institute in Beirut
“Organization Strength – Cohesion, Continuity And Public Outreach: The Case Of Hamas;” Imad Alsoos, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology
“Violent resistance in Gaza’s Great March of Return;” Pietro Stefanini, Palestinian Return Center
Discussants
Khalil al-Anani, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies
Nathan Brown, George Washington University
Wendy Pearlman, Northwestern University
Workshop #5
Date and Time
Friday, June 12th, 2020, at 2 pm – 4 pm, ET
Moderator
Marc Lynch, Professor at George Washington University & Director of Project on Middle East Political Science
Papers and Authors
“Legislative Opposition and the Autocrat’s Policy Agenda;” Daniel Tavana, Princeton University
“Battlefronts for Reform: The Elusive Quest of Achieving the Demographic Dividend in Rentier Economies;” Dania Thafer, Georgetown University
“Committee Assignments as Proxy to Understanding the Saudi Shura Council and Its Role in Policy Making 1994-2016;” Luai Ali, Independent Researcher
Discussants
Michael Herb, Georgia State University
Mehran Kamrava, Georgetown University
Kristia
Workshop #6
Date and Time
Friday, June 19th, 2020, at 2 pm – 4 pm, ET
Moderator
Marc Lynch, Professor at George Washington University & Director of Project on Middle East Political Science
Papers and Authors
“Whose Side Are You On? Opposition Expectations for Military Behavior During Popular Uprisings;” Matthew Cebul, University of Michigan and Sharan Grewal, College of William and Mary
“Clientelism and Competition: The Politics of Refugee Aid Coordination in Jordan;” Reva Dhingra, Harvard University
“Do International Declarations Affect Voting Behavior? Evidence from Trump’s “Deal of the Century” and the 2020 Israeli Elections ;” Chagai Weiss, University of Wisconsin – Madison and David Romney, Harvard University
Discussants
Kathleen Cunningham, University of Maryland
Rawan Arar, University of Washington
Sarah Bush, Yale University
Workshop #7
Date and Time
Friday, June 26th, 2020, at 1 pm – 4 pm, ET
Moderator
Marc Lynch, Professor at George Washington University & Director of Project on Middle East Political Science
Papers and Authors
“Exploiting Dissent: External International Interventions in the Arab Uprisings;” Shamiran Mako, Boston University
“What Have the Ottomans Ever Done for Us?’ Why Middle East Politics needs the Long Nineteenth Century;” Daniel Neep, Georgetown University
“National Listening: Refrains of Trauma and Resilience;” Michelle Weitzel, University of Basel
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Discussants
Matt Buehler, University of Tennessee
May Darwich, Durham University
David Patel, Brandeis University
Lisa Wedeen, University of Chicago