The Arab Political Science Network (APSN) organized its inaugural Research Development Workshop on April 11, 2019 in Beirut, Lebanon. The workshop was hosted by the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and brought together 20 PhD students and faculty members. The cost of participation including travel, lodging, and meals were covered by a contribution from the Ford Foundation, the Bobst-AUB Collaborative Initiative and an APSA alumni grant.

The one-day program featured intense discussion and critical feedback on research manuscripts by six early-career scholars from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Each author received 45 minutes of comments and suggestions from a designated discussant and the attending peers. This year’s papers revolved around:

Authoritarianism and Authoritarian Resilience
Protest, Collective Action, and Mobilization
Foreign Policy and Regional Dynamics in the Middle East
Cities and Urban Politics in the Arab World

The workshop was organized to coincide with the biennial conference of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) held in Beirut from April 12-14, 2019. This allowed the participants an opportunity to take part in this key forum in the Arab world and network with colleagues in their fields of interests.