2019-Present.
Adjunct Professor, Vesalius College, Brussels and Freelance Writer and Consultant
At the end of 2018 my wife and I moved to Brussels. Since the start of 2019 I am an Adjunct Professor at Vesalius College, Brussels, where I teach a Masters course in Global Governance. I have also previously taught an undergraduate course on dissertation planning, research and writing and supervised most of the students on it.
Besides teaching, I am an active media commentator on international affairs. I write a regular column on the Middle East and sometimes Latin America for China Global Television Network’s website.
2018-19
Visiting Fellow, London School of Economics Middle East Centre
Between leaving Dubai and moving to Brussels I was invited to join the Centre for the academic year. As well as attending seminars and events in London, the Centre and LSE provided a space for me to work on my fourth book, about China and Middle East conflict.
2012-18.
Assistant Professor/Lecturer, Iraq, Malaysia, Dubai
Before moving to Brussels I taught politics and international relations at the University of Kurdistan-Hewler (2012-13), in the Kurdish region of Iraq and Nottingham University’s branch campus in Malaysia (2013-16). I was in Dubai in 2016-18, where I taught public administration and public policy at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government.
2010-12.
Acting Director and Research Fellow, Palestine
After finishing my PhD at the LSE I moved to Palestine where I was a Research Fellow at the Center for Development Studies at Birzeit University and conducted research on Palestinian issues on behalf of international organisations like the UNDP, World Bank, the Austrian Development Agency and the UK’s former Department for International Development.
In 2011-12 I was the Center’s Acting Director. As well as carrying out my own research projects, I was also responsible for managing the Center’s two sites and employees in the West Bank and Gaza and representing the Center both inside and outside the university.
2019-Present.
Adjunct Professor, Vesalius College, Brussels and Freelance Writer and Consultant
2018-19
Visiting Fellow, London School of Economics Middle East Centre
2012-18.
Assistant Professor/Lecturer, Iraq, Malaysia, Dubai
2010-12.
Acting Director and Research Fellow, Palestine
2005-09.
PhD in Government, London School of Economics
In 2005 I returned to the Government Department at the London School of Economics I studied the politics of education and education reform in Brazil and Chile under governments of the political left. As well as carrying out archival research in both countries, I also interviewed more than 40 informants, including former education ministers, trade union leaders and a president.
I was a recipient of several university scholarships, which helped reduce the financial cost of my studies.
Besides working on my own research, I was also the LSE’s researcher on digital issues for their JISC-related projects in 2006-07 and taught introductory political science to first year undergraduates.
2004-05.
Masters in Latin American Politics, London University
In 2004 I went back to university to do a Masters degree on the politics of Latin America at the Institute of Latin American Studies. I studied full time and was awarded a bursary towards tuition. I also received funding to do fieldwork in the north and south of Brazil for my dissertation project on education politics and reform.
2004.
Campaigns Executive, London Chamber of Commerce & Industry
I wrote the Chamber’s manifesto for the London elections which took place that year and also organised and carried out several members’ surveys in relation to business confidence and red tape.
2001-03.
Parliamentary Adviser, Liberal Democrats
I worked in the Liberal Democrats’ policy unit in the House of Commons. I provided policy briefs and memos to spokespeople in several areas: agriculture, rural affairs, culture and animal welfare.
As the third party we had to build up our media profile so I actively scrutinised government policies and actions to find discrepancies which we turned into stories for print and broadcast.
My most notable achievement was discovering the growing number of repeats on the BBC at Christmas, which led to the broadcaster increasing original programming in following years and became an annual story in several newspapers’ diary columns.
1998-2001.
Political and Media Assistant
I worked in a number of places during my undergraduate studies and after graduation.
Between 1996 and 1999 I worked in the parliamentarty offices of several Liberal Democrat MPs, including Vince Cable (who later became party leader), Mike Hancock and Simon Hughes, where I organised their diaries and responded to constituent inquiries.
In 1998 I spent a summer in Washington DC as an intern for the English Speaking Union in the office of the US Senator from North Dakota, Byron Dorgan.
In 1999 I spent some months as a Media Assistant at the National Anti-Vivisection Society in London and in 2000-01 was based in the cathedral city of Ely where I was the Political Assistant to the Liberal Democrat group in East Cambridgeshire District Council.
1995-98.
Undergraduate studies, London School of Ecoomics
In 1995 I studied at the London School of Economics for the first time, where I did the BSc in Government and History.