Co-Founder of Jadaliyya & Executive Director of the Arab Studies Institute Bassam Haddad [afikra Conversations]
What is Syria’s business model? How will the current political constriction, brain and human drain, and regional geo-politics affect the country moving forward? In this fascinating conversation with Bassam Haddad, we consider money as a mentality, Syria’s political economy, and reflect on the growing drug trade and rentierism. He also shares his experience founding (and naming) Jadaliyya and being the executive director of the Arab Studies institute.
Bassam Haddad is the Founding Director of the Middle East and Islamic Studies Program and an associate professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He’s also the co-founder and editor of Jadaliyya and executive director of the Arab Studies Institute. He wrote “Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience” and co edited “A Critical Political Economy of the Middle East.”
About Conversations
afikra Conversations is our flagship program featuring long-form interviews with experts from academia, art, and media who are helping document and/or shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community still walks away with new found curiosity - and maybe some good recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first.
