Interview experts on the Iran war and other Middle East conflicts

Ibrahim N. Abusharif

Expert on contemporary Islam and digital media and religion

Associate Professor in Residence in the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program at Northwestern University in Qatar

• a-abusharif@northwestern.edu
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• Middle East conflicts and narrative construction
• Islamic discourses and polemics online
• Religious authority in the digital age, with emphasis on contemporary Islam
• Islamic discourses and polemics online
• Journalism and decoloniality

Danielle Gilbert

Expert on hostage diplomacy

Assistant Professor of Political Science

• danielle.gilbert@northwestern.edu

• Causes and consequences of hostage taking in international security
• How and why rebels kidnap
• Hostage diplomacy and state-led hostage taking
• Organizational dynamics of armed groups

Elizabeth Shakman Hurd

Expert on the politics of religion

Professor of Political Science and Professor and Chair of Religious Studies

• eshurd@northwestern.edu

• Religion, culture and politics
• The U.S. and the Middle East/North Africa
• American borders, nationalism, and sovereignty 

Ian Hurd

Expert on international relations, international law and international organizations

Professor of Political Science

• ianhurd@northwestern.edu

• International politics and foreign policy
• International law and diplomacy
• The United Nations and international organizations
• International sports agencies

Ian Kelly

Expert on international diplomacy and U.S. Russia relations

Ambassador in Residence, International Studies and Slavic Languages and Literature

• ian.kelly@northwestern.edu

• Global diplomatic strategy
• Security and cooperation in Europe
• U.S. and Russia relations

 

Shmulik Nili

Expert on ethics and political power

Associate Professor of Political Science

• shmuel.nili@northwestern.edu

• Ethics, power and political violence
• Comparison between U.S. and Israeli politics
• Ethics of hostage situations

Jessica Winegar

Expert on cultural politics in the Middle East and North Africa

Professor, Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Chair in Middle Eastern Studies

• j-winegar@northwestern.edu

• Women and gender
• Youth issues
• Protest movements
• Arts and culture

Olga Kamenchuk Nisbet

Expert on international negotiations and Russia's role in global affairs and the Middle East

Associate Professor of Instruction at the School of Communication, Northwestern University

• olga.kamenchuk@northwestern.edu

• Russia’s role in Middle Eastern geopolitics, including relations with Iran and regional power dynamics

• The impact of conflicts in the Middle East on global energy markets and oil pricing

• Information warfare, propaganda, and misinformation surrounding international conflicts

• Negotiation strategies used by state leaders and international mediators

William Reno

Expert on foreign military training

Professor of Political Science and Department Chair

• reno@northwestern.edu

• Politics of violent conflict
• Politics of international intervention
• U.S. security force assistance
• Drones and weapons technology

Mehrnoosh Fetrat

Expert on Iranian media, cultural narratives, and politics

Assistant Professor of Instruction - Radio/TV/Film department

• mehrnoosh.fetrat@northwestern.edu

• The Islamic Republic’s foreign policy and how it has weakened the regime’s international position
• How recent protest movements have reshaped political dynamics in Iran
• The situation of women, artists and filmmakers under the Islamic Republic
• The role of state-controlled media in the regime’s politics

Storer H. (Bob) Rowley

Expert on war reporting and foreign correspondence

Senior Lecturer and Director of Medill Illinois News Bureau

• storer.rowley@northwestern.edu

• National government and politics
• Foreign policy and reporting (in the Middle East),
• Freedom of the press

Priyanka Motaparthy

Expert on international law

Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Center for International Human Rights

• priyanka.motaparthy@law.northwestern.edu

• Laws of war
• Human rights issues
• U.S. interventions in the Middle East
• U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East
• Assessment of possible war crimes
• Impact of the conflict on migrant workers in the Gulf
• Civilian protection and how civilian casualties should be assessed

Nancy Qian

Expert on economics

James J. O'Connor Professor of Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences and Co-Director of the Global Poverty Research Lab

• nancy.qian@kellogg.northwestern.edu

• Economic impact of the Iran war
• Impact of the U.S.–Iran conflict on global energy markets
• Swing in oil and gas prices

Michael Allen

Expert on U.S. political and diplomatic history

Associate Professor

• m-allen1@northwestern.edu

• History of U.S. conflicts in the Middle East
• Presidential prosecution of wars in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Lebanon
• Public opinion of U.S. involvement in the Middle East
• Political dimensions of American war making since the Vietnam War