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Rana B. Khoury

@rbkhoury.bsky.social
3.2K followers 1.1K following 171 posts

assistant prof of political science at Illinois researching wartime activism, displacement, humanitarianism, and all things Syria. mama to the greatest second grader. www.ranakhoury.com

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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Yes!! This article is so clever and creative! I'm so happy to see it recognized 🎉
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Thank you Lisel! You are too kind, and it means a lot coming from such an outstanding scholar of Turkey--the borderlands of which are central to the book.
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Thank you Isabelle! It would be great to catch up at APSA if you'll be there.
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
I am honored and thrilled to have received APSA MENA Section's Book Award for a junior scholar! It means a lot for this community to see fit to award Civilizing Contention, especially as there were some excellent books published last year. So many thanks to the committee and section 🙏
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
I'm teaching undergrad course on Forced Migration & Refugees next year, and am interested in reading recs on U.S. asylum policies and practices. I want to meet student interest but can use more orientation to this scholarship. Preference is for political science. Thanks!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Not at ISA? Or, like me, not there yet? Cornell has a "virtual booth" with 40% off and free shipping--the same deal enjoyed by folks (already) there in person 🤓https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/our-isa-2026-books-on-display/
cornellpress.cornell.edu
ISA 2026 Books on Display
In coordination with the International Studies Association annual convention in Columbus, Ohio we’ve created this online portal so you can take advantage of the book deals normally only given to physi...
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
This is one of the best podcasts I've listened to lately, a deep dive into a community and conflict with rich, granular insights.
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
I'm heading to two beloved alma maters for book talks! Feb 23: Northwestern MENA Monday talk @ noon 💜https://planitpurple.northwestern.edu/event/638111 April 1: Georgetown CCAS @ 2pm 💙https://events.georgetown.edu/.../36741-book-talk... More soon on events at GWU and UW!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
I can keep doing things to make them AI resilient, but I don't see how I can drop the essays after this round of evals. I'm open to hearing other interpretations (yes, my priors are that language is core to humanity, and that writing is pedagogically essential). 6/6
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Those who didn't make their comment about the essays specifically often said things that would necessarily include them b/c they're such a huge part of the course. Like, "Everything!" 5/6
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Often, it's like this: "I enjoyed each case reflection because it allowed us to dive deep and apply course material within a specific context." "There being no exams helped me to actually focus and apply the concepts, and not worry about memorizing everything." 4/6
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
The evals: 1. 67/84 students completed 2. the closed-ended scores are v good 3. one open-ended question asks: "What aspect of course design/delivery most benefited your learning?" 4. In response, 39/67 praise the essays. sometimes it's as simple as "The essays." 3/6
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Cards: 1. 5 short papers, applying course material to a social mvmt they've chosen early on, about which they do independent research. 2. These constitute the bulk of assessment in this lower-level lecture 3. I require (maybe beg for) an AI transparency statement. LOTS declare. 2/6
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Angst over AI and student writing has been roiling me at an increasing strength lately. Because I haven't stopped assigning essays. I just got student evals for last semester, and I can breathe. Maybe I'm just so overwhelmed by their positive input, but... 1/6
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
The regimes that fight imperialism by fighting the people have lost the plot.
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Kind of surreal to be discussing my new book on my favorite podcast for learning about new books. Marc as always knows so much about the topic; it's a real privilege (if intimidating) to be in conversation with him.
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
I'm honored that Civilizing Contention is on @abuaardvark.bsky.social's list of best books of 2025, and among such a stellar group. abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io/best-of-2025...
abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io
Best of 2025
I've just returned from a whirlwind trip to Denmark and Norway, where I gave four book talks – a million thanks to the University of Copenhagen and DIIS, Aarhus University, NUPI and the University of ...
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Thank you, Erik, and congratulations to you as well!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Thank you for sharing! It was a pleasure to serve on the board and engage such a great network of scholars. Here's a discount code for anyone who may be interested in the book: 09BCARD
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APSA MENA Politics Section @apsamena.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
One year after toppling of Bashar Assad's regime, we've got a variety of insights on prospects for Syria's future. Check out the 7-piece symposium on Syria co-edited by @rbkhoury.bsky.social and Sefa Seçen in our latest APSA MENA Politics Newsletter. apsamena.org/mena-politic...
apsamena.org
MENA Politics Newsletter 8(2) – Fall 2025 - APSA MENA POLITICS
Welcome to the APSA MENA Politics Newsletter, Volume 8, Issue 2, Fall 2025. Download the Newsletter Here
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
On this first anniversary of the stunning fall, I'm proud to be in @pomeps.bsky.social just-released collection on Syria with an essay on The Question of Return. Despite its liberatory potential, the regime’s end also exposes the deep vulnerability of Syrian refugees pomeps.org/the-question...
pomeps.org
The Question of Return - Project on Middle East Political Science
Rana B. Khoury, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [1]   For more than a decade, most Syrian refugees have not reached a “durable solution” to their displacement: neither resettlement in a third ...
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Cornell's got a winter sale, 44% all books! Code: 09WINTER Great time to give loved ones, and yourself, a title or two from their excellent selection for the holidays. Perhaps even mine! (Their publications in conflict studies are top notch.) www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
cornellpress.cornell.edu
Civilizing Contention by Rana B. Khoury | Paperback | Cornell University Press
In Civilizing Contention, Rana B. Khoury asserts that to understand civilian and refugee activism in war, we must regard the international actors and organizations that enter the scene to help. When.....
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Excited/nervous to be giving a book talk tomorrow at Illinois. My 2nd grader anticipates it will be about 5% boring. Come for the 95%! calendars.illinois.edu/detail/779/3...
calendars.illinois.edu
Book Talk: "Civilizing Contention: International Aid in Syria's War." Dr. Rana Khoury
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Thank you Erin!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Thank you!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Wendy, I'm ever grateful for your guidance along the way—always pushing for rigor while remaining committed to the human story that's at stake. I'm so lucky to have learned from you.
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
I was happy to co-edit the symposium with Sefa Secen for @apsamena.bsky.social 's fall newsletter, out now.
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
In this symposium on Syria contributors paint nuanced, grim, but clear-eyed pictures of multiple transitional challenges. Comparisons to other cases and situation in poli sci lit remind us Syria's not terribly unique. Amazingly, they all suggest ways through the obstacles. zenodo.org/records/1745...
zenodo.org
MENA Politics, Fall 2025
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Diana B. Greenwald @dbgreenwald.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
3) A symposium on Syria's transition co-edited by @rbkhoury.bsky.social and Sefa Secen, featuring thought-provoking interventions from Tiina Hyyppä, Sumaya Malas, Salam Said, Emily K. M. Scott, Sefa Secen, and Ammar Shamaileh; and
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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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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
Can folks suggest books or writings by Moroccan or Egyptian activists involved in social movements? For an undergraduate thesis student who is eager to learn how the people on the ground understood their own undertakings. English or Arabic. Thanks!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
To celebrate the upcoming release of my book, and to support emerging scholars, I'd like to buy and mail copies to ten graduate students. If you’re a grad student who’d like a copy, reply or DM me! www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
cornellpress.cornell.edu
Civilizing Contention by Rana B. Khoury | Paperback | Cornell University Press
In Civilizing Contention, Rana B. Khoury asserts that to understand civilian and refugee activism in war, we must regard the international actors and organizations that enter the scene to help. When.....
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
To celebrate the upcoming release of my book, and to support emerging scholars, I'd like to buy and mail copies to ten graduate students. If you’re a grad student who’d like a copy, reply or DM me! www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
cornellpress.cornell.edu
Civilizing Contention by Rana B. Khoury | Paperback | Cornell University Press
In Civilizing Contention, Rana B. Khoury asserts that to understand civilian and refugee activism in war, we must regard the international actors and organizations that enter the scene to help. When.....
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
I often encounter the idea that interviews are qualitative analysis, akin to comparative method or process tracing. But I understand interviews as a method of data collection, for data to be used in comparative, within-case, or interpretive analyses. What do you all think?
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Thank you Oliver! I hope you’ve been good
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Thank you Sumita!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
thank you adam!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Thank you Bob!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
So excited to hold my book! You can do so too in November! Leila Khoury's cover art captures the story of a contentious movement becoming something like a civil society in the depths of Syria's war. @cornellupress.bsky.social designed it beautifully. www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
Rana Khoury holding her book, Civilizing Contention: International Aid in Syria's War
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Søren Torbjørn Svendsen @sorentsvendsen.eurosky.social · 09/09/2025
Excellent dive into the possible future of the new Syria. From "The People, Power, Politics" podcast in cooperation with @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
A published paper in a journal has cited a real chapter of mine, but in a hallucinatory way: a parenthetical citation is repeatedly used for content that is completely off the mark. Completely. So.... that's disturbing.
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
A conversation that grew out of work w @wendy-pearlman.bsky.social alongside Daniel Neep, hosted by @emilykmscott.bsky.social. Recorded 2 months ago, but holds up and helps think about roles of state and society in Syria's future. open.spotify.com/episode/3yIo... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
podcasts.apple.com
Syria After Assad
Podcast Episode · New Books in Political Science · 08/29/2025 · 41m
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
I would love for someone who has experience in a social movement to zoom into my undergrad class this fall and share. Minimal prep: orient us 5-10 min, then Q&A. In past, we learned about participation in uprisings in Syria and Hong Kong, and US labor (during a strike!). Thanks!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
I would love for someone who has experience in a social movement to zoom into my undergrad class this fall and share. Minimal prep: orient us 5-10 min, then Q&A. In past, we learned about participation in uprisings in Syria and Hong Kong, and US labor (during a strike!). Thanks!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
thank you!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Thank you!
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Good to know! What’s it called? And do you use it for Arabic?
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Good to know! Do you use it for Arabic? Also, shouldn’t IRBs and journals be thinking about this issue? IRBs definitely but they’re individualized so it’ll be totally ad hoc for a while. But journals can centralize norms and expectations.
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Folks, are you using or have you considered using AI for transcription of interviews? I haven't seen much discussion or info re how one protects the data through the many apps/sites/clouds. Like this is from OpenAI's transcribe to text privacy policy:
To provide our transcription services, we may collect and process the audio or video files you upload, as well as any text data derived from those files (the “Transcription Data”).
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Rana B. Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
The adoption of AI into Canvas is framed here as reducing faculty workload and making students' lives easier. Not about student learning. A feature for creating "flashcards for students to review," e.g., ignores that making flashcards *is* the learning. www.chronicle.com/article/inst...
chronicle.com
Instructors Will Now See AI Throughout a Widely Used Course Software
New features integrated into Canvas include a grading assistant, a discussion-post summarizer, and even a way to pair assignments with generative AI tools.
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