Student Panel: Confronting the Governance Crisis in the MENA Region: Rewriting the Social Contract Post-Arab Spring
Organizer: Baker Institute for Public Policy, in collaboration with the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs
February: 1-2, 2018
The political and social upheaval triggered by the 2011 Arab uprisings shows few signs of abating. Political, socio-religious, and economic exclusion remain among the most significant causes of instability in the region. The grievances that sparked the uprisings remain unaddressed, young people are disenchanted and marginalized, and minority voices continue to be sidelined as Arab states face a rising tide of radicalism and severe economic crises.
To address these critical issues, the Baker Institute Center for the Middle East, in collaboration with the Carnegie Corporation of New York, has launched a two-year project that aims to address the current governance crisis in the Middle East and to identify effective and lasting policy interventions that will foster more inclusive and pluralistic states in the region. Moreover, the project is geared toward amplifying the range and reach of expert and emerging voices from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which is essential for better connecting research and policy, both within Arab countries and in the United States.
To achieve these goals, the Center for the Middle East is holding a two-day conference at the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut on February 1-2, 2018. The conference will include a student panel at which a select group of graduate students will present their research.
Graduate students are invited to submit abstracts for original research to be considered for participation in the conference. Student research projects should be pertinent to one of three broad themes: Political Inclusion, Economic Inclusion in the Arabian Peninsula, or Socio-Religious Inclusion.
Abstracts should be about 250 words and provide a clear outline of the theoretical framework, research methodology, and geographic focus of the project. Students are encouraged to submit original research across a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies and levels of analysis.
Students are required to write a research paper that is 1,500-2,000 words in length. Students will present their papers at the conference, and the papers will be published later by the organizers. Scholars affiliated with the project and invited panelists will provide feedback to participating students on their papers.
There is no fee to participate in the event, and meals will be provided. Interested students should email their abstracts to project coordinator Adan Obeid at ao28@rice.edu no later than January 12, 2018. Successful candidates will be notified the following week.