28.06.2017

Book Talk by Wendy Pearlman

What can personal stories teach us about the conflict in Syria? This is the question Professor Wendy Pearlman tried to answer in her recent talk presenting her new book We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria (HarperCollins, June 2017). Wendy Pearlman is the Martin and Patricia Koldyke Outstanding Teaching Associate Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University, where she specializes in the Middle East. Since 2012, she has carried out open-ended interviews with more than 300 displaced Syrians across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Her new book uses these interviews to chronicle the origins and evolution of the Syrian war solely through the words of ordinary people who have lived it its unfolding. It explores how Syrians’ individual narratives coalesce into a collective narrative. Its arc paints a portrait of silence and intimidation under an oppressive regime before 2011, expresses the transformative experience of participation in protest against that regime, conveys the resilience of communities enduring unspeakable violence thereafter, and offers a window into the challenge of becoming and being a refugee. Sharing selections from the book, Pearlman concluded with lessons about how storytelling can enrich the study of politics, and vice versa.

21.06.2017

Guest Lecture on Current Issues in Conspiracy Theory by Michael Butter

Michael Butter (Professor of American Literary and Cultural History at the University of Tübingen) visited the Institute’s Colloquium and gave a talk on Current Issues in Conspiracy Theory. Butter, who currently is part of the COST Action « Comparative Analysis of Conspiracy Theories », focused his talk on the question whether conspiracy theories are more popular and widespread than they used to be. He argued that while this is not the case, the common understanding of the phenomenon has changed: people used to believe in conspiracies, whereas now they believe in conspiracy theories. As conspiracy theories are no longer a phenomenon of the mainstream, they are increasingly perceived as a problem. Donald Trump, who as US-president brings conspiracy theories back into the mainstream, could potentially reverse this trend. Another difference is the spread of conspiracy theories online: while it has led to a rise in conspiracy theories, this is in the sense that the internet makes conspiracy theories more visible and readily available.

06.07.2016

Marc Jones spoke at the Institute's Colloquium

His presentation examined the challenges to democratization in Bahrain, with a particular focus on how the recent 2011 Uprising has resulted in a deepening of authoritarianism. He argued that the recent unrest has brought into sharp relief the absence of "quality" democracy in Bahrain, and that any form of democratic transition is dependent on the will of a conservative Al-Khalifa-Saudi nexus. While the pro-democracy movement may have promptedminor concessions on the part of the government, the extent of the popular mobilization triggered the Al-Khalifa regime's authoritarian reflex, and they have reacted to throttle the Uprising by putting in place legislative, ideological and political barriers to reform, which points not only to a current de-democratization, but also a lack of future democratization.

08.02.2012

Guest Lecture on Middle Eastern Monarchies – Researchers from the GIGA Institute in Hamburg Present New Research Project in the Research Forum Middle East and Comparative Politics (FFMO)

Dr. André Bank, Dr. Thomas Richter und Anna Sunik, M.A., from the GIGA Institute of Middle Eastern Studies in Hamburg visited the Research Forum Middle East and Comparative Politics (FFMO) on Wednesday, 8^th February, and put their project “Middle East Monarchies: A Configurational Comparison of Breakdown and Survival since 1945”, recently approved by Thyssen Foundation, up for discussion. This was an opportunity for Tübingen students to talk to two experienced researchers who have not only successfully completed their M.A. and Ph.D., but who have also established themselves within German-speaking Middle Eastern Studies and helped shaping it. The project inquires into the factors responsible both for the breakdown of some Middle East monarchies between the 1950s and 70s and the survival of other monarchies until today.

We are especially pleased that Dr. Bank and Dr. Richter, two graduates from our Tübingen institute whose expertise is currently in high demand, still appreciate the atmosphere of debate in Tübingen and attach importance to a continuous exchange with the department and its students.

21.11.2011

Revolution and Change in Regime in Egypt – Guest Lecture by Prof. Dr. Holger Albrecht

As part of the Studium Generale “The Middle East in World Politics: War, crisis and conflict 1945-2011” realized by Prof. Dr. Peter Pawelka, Prof. Dr. Holger Albrecht gave a guest lecture. He illustrated the background of the uprisings in the Arab World, thereby especially elaborating upon developments in Egypt. Stressing the important role of the military, he illuminated the differences between the Tunisian and the Egyptian case. Furthermore, Albrecht dared an outlook on future developments in the region and possible diffusion effects. The well-filled lecture hall and numerous questions from the audience showed a strong interest in the relevant subject and in the Studium Generale as a whole.

Prof. Dr. Holger Albrecht received his M.A. and Ph.D. from our institute. He is currently working as an assistant professor at the American University in Cairo.

30.06.2011

Measuring Democratic Attitudes in the Arab World – Dr. Walid Alkhatib on the “Arab Democracy Barometer”

The recent uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and other countries have raised hopes for the spread of democracy throughout the Arab World. But do Arab citizens really share democratic norms and values? Arab and American Scholars have established the "Arab Democracy Barometer" in order to provide reliable data on the political attitudes of the Arab public. On Thursday, 30 June 2011, Dr. Walid Alkhatib, coordinator of the Arab Barometer, discussed the results of the latest survey and elaborated on attitudes towards democracy in various Arab countries. This presentation was the fifth lecture in the series "Middle East Politics in Dialogue" organized by the Research Unit on Middle East and Comparative Politics of the Institute for Political Science.

Dr. Walid Alkhatib is coordinator of the Polls and Surveys Unit at the Center of Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Statistics from the University of Kent-Canterbury in the UK. His academic interests include democracy in the Arab World, Palestinian refugees and Palestinian identity as well as government performance in Jordan. Dr. Alkhatib was guest researcher at our Institute as part of the German-Arab Higher Education Dialogue.

22.06.2011

Do we need an Islamic Paradigm in International Relations Theory?

Amira Abou Samra, Assistant Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, gave a lecture at our weekly Institute Colloquium. Under the title “IR Theory Critically Revisited: Is an ‘Islamic Paradigm in International Relations’ Needed?”, she challenged mainstream IR by proposing a new paradigm. IR Theory has been witnessing major ontological, epistemological, and methodological revisions, especially since the end of the Cold War, both from within the Western as well as non-Western scholarly communities. The Islamic Paradigm seeks to be part of an answer to the shortcomings of Western-biased theories. It shares similarities with other critical theories and is looking for acknowledgment from within the discipline of IR.

Amira Abou Samra is currently staying at the Institute of Political Science as a guest researcher within the DAAD-funded German-Arab Higher Education Dialogue. Her research focuses on normative theorizing in International Relations, the construction of an Islamic Paradigm in IR, and ethics in International Relations.

11.05.2011

Dialogue Forum with Jordanian and Egyptian Experts on “After the Revolutions: A New Political Landscape?“

At the invitation of our research unit for Middle East and Comparative Politics and the Seminar for Religious and Jewish Studies, the former Jordanian U.N. ambassador Hasan Abu Ni’mah and Prof. Dr. Muhammad A. Sharkawi, professor at Cairo University, discussed the current upheavals in the Arab world. In their speeches they examined both causes of the protests and their consequences for the whole Arab region.

Prof. Sharkawi especially elaborated on achievements of the revolution, but also on prevailing challenges. The new Egyptian society would be democratic and religious. According to Prof. Sharkawi, there was no reason for concerns about Islamic extremists because adherents of Islam had a disposition to moderate attitudes. This was reflected in recent exchange efforts between the Muslim Brotherhood and clerics of al-Azhar University. He furthermore stressed the role of Arab women during the upheaval, which signified another step towards emancipation.

H.E. Hasan Abu Ni’mah called the current developments in the Arab world irreversible. People stood up against repressive regimes even if this led to them being personally threatened. In this process their demands were basically the same in all countries affected. Economic demands were always followed by political ones in second place. He criticized the behavior of Western states which at first had been one-sidedly concerned with the security of Israel.

The talks were followed by a vivid discussion with the audience who took advantage of this opportunity for exchange with our guests, while the moderators Schreiner and Schlumberger remained in the background.

12.02.2015

Arwa Hassan visited the Research Colloquium

On 12th February 2015, Arwa Hassan held a talk in the Research Colloquium as part of our series of practitioner workshops. She works with Transparency International (TI) as Regional Outreach Manager for the MENA region. As an experienced employee of TI she sketched out its development in a comprehensive and inspiring way. The NGO supports bottom-up initiatives and lends a helping hand to local groups fighting against corruption. After her presentation our guest answered many questions from the audience. The plenary discussion was then followed by an informal exchange.

16.12.2014

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff speaks at this year’s CMEPS inauguration

As part of this year’s CMEPS inauguration Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Vice-President of the European Parliament, gave a lecture on the current political situation in Europe’s neighbourhood. His focus was on the European Endowment For Democracy, which supports projects to strengthen the cooperation among European and Non-European associates.

Subsequently, an inspiring discussion arose and our guest was open for questions and comments, which pleased the students and other visitors.

Please find the full recording here.

08.02.2012

Guest Lecture on Middle Eastern Monarchies – Researchers from the GIGA Institute in Hamburg Present New Research Project in the Research Forum Middle East and Comparative Politics (FFMO)

Dr. André Bank, Dr. Thomas Richter und Anna Sunik, M.A., from the GIGA Institute of Middle Eastern Studies in Hamburg visited the Research Forum Middle East and Comparative Politics (FFMO) on Wednesday, 8^th February, and put their project “Middle East Monarchies: A Configurational Comparison of Breakdown and Survival since 1945”, recently approved by Thyssen Foundation, up for discussion. This was an opportunity for Tübingen students to talk to two experienced researchers who have not only successfully completed their M.A. and Ph.D., but who have also established themselves within German-speaking Middle Eastern Studies and helped shaping it. The project inquires into the factors responsible both for the breakdown of some Middle East monarchies between the 1950s and 70s and the survival of other monarchies until today.

We are especially pleased that Dr. Bank and Dr. Richter, two graduates from our Tübingen institute whose expertise is currently in high demand, still appreciate the atmosphere of debate in Tübingen and attach importance to a continuous exchange with the department and its students.

21.11.2011

Revolution and Change in Regime in Egypt – Guest Lecture by Prof. Dr. Holger Albrecht

As part of the Studium Generale “The Middle East in World Politics: War, crisis and conflict 1945-2011” realized by Prof. Dr. Peter Pawelka, Prof. Dr. Holger Albrecht gave a guest lecture. He illustrated the background of the uprisings in the Arab World, thereby especially elaborating upon developments in Egypt. Stressing the important role of the military, he illuminated the differences between the Tunisian and the Egyptian case. Furthermore, Albrecht dared an outlook on future developments in the region and possible diffusion effects. The well-filled lecture hall and numerous questions from the audience showed a strong interest in the relevant subject and in the Studium Generale as a whole.

Prof. Dr. Holger Albrecht received his M.A. and Ph.D. from our institute. He is currently working as an assistant professor at the American University in Cairo.

08.-09.07.2011

Workshop in Quantitative Methods Held by Dr. Walid Alkhatib

Dr. Walid Alkhatib from the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan participated in the junior researcher exchange within the framework of the German-Arab Higher Education dialogue. During his time at our department at the University of Tübingen, the Jordanian researcher held a workshop in quantitative methods for German PhD candidates, thereby contributing to the methodological training of researchers at his host institution. In Dr. Alkhatib’s workshop the PhD candidates could enhance their knowledge of logistic regression and statistics programs.

08.12.2010

Dr. Jörg Faust (DIE): “Do Less Transparent Donors Allocate Aid Differently?”

Foreign aid is said to be more effective for development if it is allocated to relatively poor recipient countries with relatively sound political institutions. However, aid allocation in the past has often diverged from this rule because donor governments and other bureaucratic agents pursue special interest politics. In his lecture, Dr Faust presented some findings of his study on the variance of aid allocation patterns across donor countries. Using regression analysis, he found this variance to be related to different levels of political transparency within donor countries.

Since 2007, Jörg Faust has been head of Department III of the German Development Institute (DIE) dealing with “Governance, Statehood, Security”. Before joining DIE, he was a professor of Political Science at the University of Mainz.