Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Researcher and analyst of the geopolitical and socio-political trends in the Gulf Arab states. I am a firm believer of apposite communication to different audiences, and an admirer of those who are able to switch codes to break technical/theoretical jargon down. Apart from my research interests in the history and politics of the Gulf, I am combining my networks and knowledge to provide thought-provoking commentaries on region-wide transformations. Adapting and, indeed, bridging cultural gaps are essential in relationship building, which forms a massive component of dealing with/in the Gulf. I am therefore interested in convergences between geopolitics, society and what this means for the risk-forecasting industry. As a frequent visitor at diwaniyyas in Kuwait, which are reception rooms used for public sphere discussions, and more importantly, intimate 'face-time', I cannot stress how heavily consultations in the Gulf are built on trust and understanding. Specialties: History and politics of the Gulf states, urban sociology, diplomacy, conflict resolution, state-society relations
Key aspects of my research responsibilities include: - Staying abreast of the latest geopolitical developments across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, shifts in their domestic politics, and their economic diversification trajectories. I provide commentaries that analyse the above, published by think tanks and academic/research institutions, alongside media quotes where relevant. - Offering expert advice and briefings to Singapore's government agencies, participating in official visits to the region, and providing consultancy services where appropriate. - Organising events that shed light on the changing dynamics in the Gulf; acting as moderator and/or discussant on such talks (both in-person and virtual). - Providing consultancy services (briefings, roundtables) for government agencies including the diplomatic corps. - Producing Gulf-related reports and white papers, which are then transmitted to and read by policymakers. - Fostering collaborative exchanges with public and private organisations in the GCC, ranging from educational to the business sectors. I remain equally active on the academic scene, engaging with various tertiary institutions, their faculty and students. - Engaging in public outreach (a non-specialist audience) in order to correct misconceptions about the Gulf, and build local interest in the region.
For three academic years running, I taught on the undergraduate module "Global Regions in International Relations". This module focused on theories of regionalism, delving into regional organisations and the rationale behind regional integration/cooperation. Emphasis was placed on an understanding of European integration (including neofunctionalist versus intergovernmentalist theories), and the relevance of the EU as a supranational entity, which became increasingly relevant as the UK moved closer to Brexit at the time of teaching. I was in charge of up to six seminar groups (each comprised up to fifteen students), and my responsibilities included: - Delivery of small group tutorials - Student consultations - Marking of examinations and module assignments I also delivered occasional lectures on another module entitled "The Politics of the Middle East's Oil Monarchies" (Fall 2018), which dealt with topics closer to my own research areas.
Responsible for co-ordinating the research content and academic outreach of the project entitled "Conceptualising the Umma", helmed by Professor James Piscatori. This project was eventually realised as a special issue in The Muslim World journal. My responsibilities at that time included: - Organising workshops related to the project and handling the logistics of events - Literature reviews, in particular, on the architectural umma (consisting of tracing the evolution in mosque design across different geographical areas)
Internship at the Singapore High Commission in Wellington (New Zealand), under the supervision of Deputy High Commissioner Bernie Ho. My responsibilities included the drafting of media reports and handling the logistics of set-piece meetings. I ended the internship with the submission of a political report.