iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Dana El Kurd @danaelkurd.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Our handbook has a page on the publisher site :) (Available open access! Dont mind the price!) www.bloomsbury.com/us/ib-tauris...

bloomsbury.com

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Diana B. Greenwald @dbgreenwald.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

I am delighted to share the fall issue of the APSA MENA section newsletter, co-edited by @sebnemgumuscu.bsky.social, @samershehata.bsky.social, and me, available for download here: zenodo.org/records/1745...

An image of a crowd celebrating the fall of the Asad regime in Syria, with many waving the new Syrian flag, and a visible sign that says "thuwar bab Allah" (revolutionaries are the gateway to God).

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Sarah Parkinson @separkinson.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Call for applications! APSA-MENA Workshop on Engaged Scholarship in the Middle East and North Africa, hosted at the Doha Institute Jan 5-8 2026 & convened by @ammars.bsky.social, @philbrickyadav.bsky.social, Lara Khattab, & myself. See below. Link to application: apsa.wufoo.com/forms/z14bkm...

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: MENA METHODS WORKSHOP
Engaged Research in the Middle East and North Africa
January 5-8, 2026 – Doha, Qatar

The American Political Science Association (APSA) is pleased to announce a Call for Applications from early-career scholars who would like to participate in a four-day in-person workshop that examines the
theme of participatory and engaged research in the MENA region. Organized in partnership with the Doha Institute (DI), the program will be held from January 5-8, 2026 at DI in Doha, Qatar. The organizers will
cover participation costs, including travel, lodging, and materials for up to 20 qualified applicants. Following their full participation in the program, fellows will receive a one-year membership to APSA. The deadline for applications is Sunday, September 14, 2025. The workshop is part of a multi-year effort to support political science research among early-career scholars in the MENA region and to strengthen research networks linking Arab scholars with their colleagues overseas. More information on APSA’s MENA programming can be found online at http://web.apsanet.org/mena/.

Eligible Participants: Applications are open to advanced doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scholars (those who received their PhDs within the past 5 years), as well as early-career PhD-
holding practitioners who are citizens of countries in the MENA region. The program is tailored for scholars in political science and other social science disciplines—including peace and conflict studies,
international studies, development studies, and adjacent fields undertaking research that seeks to consciously employ participatory and engaged research methods in the MENA region, particularly those
working on projects that use in-country fieldwork, rely on original data collection, and explore methodological, ethical, and practical challenges of social science research in applied settings.

Professional fluency in English is required.

This workshop has two central goals. First, we seek to de-center the academy as the only environment in which political scientists conduct scientific research and where knowledge is produced, drawing on the
organizers’ collective experiences with applied scholarship and connections to others who do participatory and engaged research. In doing so, the workshop seeks to make visible some of the many ways in which political scientists can approach engaged work. Second, the workshop aims to provide participants with the methodological tools and professional vocabulary necessary to make applied research legible and
relevant in academic spaces. The workshop organizers seek applications for projects that focus primarily on the following sub-themes:
• Approaches to participatory research, with discussion of different modes of participatory research,
the questions they can (and can’t) answer, and how to ground them in academic debates.
• Real-world examples of successful participatory and/or engaged research projects.
• The promises and pitfalls of survey research in the MENA.
• The challenges of integrating diverse data sources (key-informant interviews, focus groups, survey
data, participant observation).
• Reflections on research collaborations, with discussion of philosophical, ethical, and pragmatic
considerations beyond formal ethics review.
• Reflection on positionality on and off the page and how it relates to political science research.

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Stacey @philbrickyadav.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Excited to be co-organizing an APSA MENA Methods Workshop on "Participatory and Engaged Research in the MENA" with @apsamena.bsky.social colleagues @separkinson.bsky.social, @ammars.bsky.social and Lara Khattab at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. ECRs & practitioners, apply by 9/14.

apsa.wufoo.com

2026 APSA MENA Methods Workshop

APSA is pleased to announce a Call for Applications from early-career scholars who would like to participate in a 4-day workshop titled, "Participatory and Engaged Research in the MENA Region." Organ...

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Bassel Salloukh @bassel26.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

MELG’s new issue is out! It’s a SI on “Populism in the Arab World” coedited with MELG Editorial Board member @ammars.bsky.social

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

For those of you wondering how things are going over at X:

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

This is my first op-ed and I struggled to condense all my thoughts on this matter in a short piece, but I would welcome the opportunity to debate and discuss this further in the future.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

My op-ed in support of considering a federalist system in Syria is now out in the @thenewarab.bsky.social. To be clear, this is not support for any plan that is currently being circulated. My main point is that a symmetric federalist approach should be explored. www.newarab.com/opinion/defe...

newarab.com

In defence of federalism in Syria: Should it still be taboo?

Syria's new political roadmap must at least consider federalism as a viable option to accommodate all of Syria's diverse communities, says Ammar Shamaileh.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

This is a pretty petty point, but I wonder if Hafez will be allowed to change his dissertation's dedication: “To the martyrs of the Syrian Arab Army, without whose selfless sacrifices none of us would exist.” This made me laugh out loud.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

This is the most petty and self-centered letter I could ever imagine somebody writing in this situation. Even in this most, Assad can't think of anything other than himself; not Syria, not Palestine, and not even his supporters. It's all about him and his image.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Everything coming out of Syria right now indicates that it won't be, particularly given that it looks like HTS wants to allow for some bureaucratic continuity. Of course, the next few months will be challenging and there's still the possibility that Syria could head down a very dark path.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Deep suspicion is needed at this time and beneficial. I view them with suspicion as well, as I view pretty much all political actors and groups. That said, all signs so far point to an attempt to maintain stability through inclusion. But, it must remain in their interest to be inclusive.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

HTS announcing the PM as in charge of public institutions until the transition is complete is a remarkable and shrewd move.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

So far, I've been very wrong. I'm just hoping I stay wrong.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

I have spent decades envisioning different scenarios where Assad fell. I never pictured a scenario where it would happen like this. I am also completely shocked at how well HTS has managed the political and social side of things. They've been quite brilliant so far.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

The fact SAA's morale was low was common knowledge. Morale among Syrians in Assad controlled areas has generally been low in recent years. I don't have insider knowledge wrt HTS, but those I've spoken to who do indicated they were optimistic, but that their success exceeded their expectations.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Ultimately, and unfortunately, it is foreign actors that will play the predominant role in negotiations. This, hopefully, can be leveraged to incidentally negotiate a settlement that is beneficial for Syrians; but, it is the protection of foreign interests that will be the focus.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Let's hope Russia and Iran enter discussions tomorrow planning on a post-Assad Syria. How much longer can they continue propping up the corpse of this regime? Do they really want to risk complete defeat? Of course, I doubt there will be any serious discussions of the interests of Syrians.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Shot in the Malki neighborhood of Damascus today.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

I believe that my anti-Assad credentials are solid enough that I can express my opinion without it being misunderstood: The recent developments in Syria are horrible for Syrians and I can't believe how many people are cheerleading for HTS.

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Adil Haque @adhaque.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

France on Putin | France on Netanyahu

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Sarah Parkinson @separkinson.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

These are Palestinian firefighters, likely from either Burj al-Barajna or Shatila refugee camps. FWIW, Palestinian civil protection units do a lot of mutual aid outside the camps, made more significant by the fact that they are *stateless*. They've responded to wildfires in Lebanon, for example.

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Authoritarian Political Systems Group @apsgworkshop.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

We noticed there wasn't a starter pack on authoritarian politics yet – Now there is! go.bsky.app/UFHn7sS Spread and ask to join!

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Thanks for this. Can I be added?

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Sarah Parkinson @separkinson.bsky.social · 23/09/2024

The goals the Israeli gov't is articulating for South Lebanon echo the stated aims of the 1982 invasion very closely (different groups firing missiles from South Lebanon, same idea of clearing a border area to secure the Galilee). So anyways, Israel then occupied South Lebanon for 18 years.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 16/09/2024

The English article published by MELG probably won't be (unless the author's institution pays for it), but if it ends up being one of the articles Siyasat Arabiya decides to translate, the Arabic version will be open access.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 16/09/2024

This is awesome. You should definitely write up the paper.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 16/09/2024

Finally, I conduct a number of empirical analyses of WVS data to examine whether the patterns support the use of nonresponse rates as a proxy for PF. The article is open access. If you have any feedback or would like to discuss the topic further, please feel free to contact me.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 16/09/2024

The paper provides a very simple model of survey response to sensitive questions that is used to formalize my core argument. This is then used to run a simulation that demonstrates why nonresponse rates and sensitivity due to PF don't necessarily move in the same direction.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 16/09/2024

I have two goals with this paper: 1. Contribute to the conversation on preference falsification and how it influences survey response; and, 2. Encourage more theorizing of the relationship between our measures and the underlying concepts we're trying to measure.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 16/09/2024

My article on preference falsification on surveys is now out in @PSRMJournal. Nonresponse rates are often used as a proxy for the sensitivity bias associated with PF. This article casts doubt on the utility of such measures. dictatorsky, polisky www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

cambridge.org

On the measurement of preference falsification using nonresponse rates | Political Science Research and Methods | Cambridge Core

On the measurement of preference falsification using nonresponse rates

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Abu Aardvark @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 28/05/2024

Whenever anyone wonders why the UAE hasn’t frozen its normalization with Israel over Gaza, I suggest looking at its incredibly destructive ongoing role in fueling the horrific war in Sudan and it becomes quite easy to understand.

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Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 28/05/2024

💣🐚 Revealed: Israeli spy chief ‘threatened’ ICC prosecutor over war crimes inquiry Mossad director Yossi Cohen personally involved in secret plot to pressure Fatou Bensouda to drop Palestine investigation www.theguardian.com/world/articl...

theguardian.com

Revealed: Israeli spy chief ‘threatened’ ICC prosecutor over war crimes inquiry

Mossad director Yossi Cohen personally involved in secret plot to pressure Fatou Bensouda to drop Palestine investigation, sources say

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Emily L. Hauser (she/her) ❌👑 @emilylhauser.bsky.social · 07/05/2024

UN experts "horrified at details emerging from mass graves unearthed in the Gaza Strip. Over 390 bodies have been discovered at Nasser & Al Shifa hospitals, including of women & children, w/ many reportedly showing signs of torture & summary executions, & potential instances of people buried alive.”

ohchr.org

Onslaught of violence against women and children in Gaza unacceptable: UN experts

GENEVA (6 May 2024) – UN experts* today condemned the continued and systematic onslaught of violence committed against Palestinians in Gaza, with most victims being women and children over the past se...

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 30/04/2024

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but according to what the news has reported, Israel helped construct a proposal that Israel hasn't agreed to yet, and Blinken is praising it as generous even though they haven't actually even agreed to it. N.B. It's not generous even if they agree to it.

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Ammar Shamaileh @ammars.bsky.social · 27/04/2024

Blinken MENA trip Yet another photo op Farce within a farce

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Sarah T Roberts, PhD @ubiquity75.xyz · 27/04/2024

Shafik’s actions were “political theater directed at Congress.” Shame. “The only reason we didn’t descend into violence that day was that the students remained calm. They were the only adults in the room, all of them.”

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