I am Professor of Development Studies the Department of Social Science at York University, Canada. I completed my PhD in Political Science at McGill University in May 2013. Most of my writing has focused on social movements, authoritarianism and democratization in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In recent years, I have expanded my scholarship to include critical fieldwork methodologies. My latest book titled "Doing Research as a Native: A Guide for Fieldwork in Illiberal and Repressive States" was published with Oxford University Press in 2025. I am also currently working on a SSHRC-funded special issue on new forms of resistance to datafication to be published with Surveillance and Society .

I have received numerous awards and grants including the Abner Kingman Fellowship, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Grant, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Connection Grant, SSHRC Small Fund, York University Faculty Association Teaching Grant and the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Seed Grant among others. I am also regularly invited to present TV segment at Radio-Canada where I discuss current issues relevant to the MENA region and Sub-Saharan Africa.

I am accepting graduate students working on norm diffusion, state-society relations, social movements, as well as the political economy of the MENA region.

Research Interests

• SSHRC Connexion Grant - 2022-24
• SSHRC Connexion Grant *ranked first. - 2020-22
• German Academic Exchange Service - 2018

Upcoming Courses

I am Professor of Development Studies the Department of Social Science at York University, Canada. I completed my PhD in Political Science at McGill University in May 2013. Most of my writing has focused on social movements, authoritarianism and democratization in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In recent years, I have expanded my scholarship to include critical fieldwork methodologies. My latest book titled "Doing Research as a Native: A Guide for Fieldwork in Illiberal and Repressive States" was published with Oxford University Press in 2025. I am also currently working on a SSHRC-funded special issue on new forms of resistance to datafication to be published with Surveillance and Society .

I have received numerous awards and grants including the Abner Kingman Fellowship, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Grant, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Connection Grant, SSHRC Small Fund, York University Faculty Association Teaching Grant and the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Seed Grant among others. I am also regularly invited to present TV segment at Radio-Canada where I discuss current issues relevant to the MENA region and Sub-Saharan Africa.

I am accepting graduate students working on norm diffusion, state-society relations, social movements, as well as the political economy of the MENA region.

Degrees

Appointments

Professional Leadership

Op-eds and media interviews for: Jadaliyya (2022), TRT World (2022), Libération (2020), Radio-Canada (2018, 19, 24), The Economist (2016, 18), De Volkskrant (2019), Deustche Welle (2018), The Washington Post (2014, 15, 16, 17), Project of Middle East Political Science Podcasts (2016), CTV (2013), CP-24 (2013), V-Télé (2011), Foreign Policy (2010), El-Watan (2017), Lakome (2018, 2020), Yabiladi (2020).

Community Contributions

YUFA Recording-Secretary (2024-2027)
YUFA Steward Department of Social Science (2023-2026)
Secretary-General for the Rabat Social Science Institute (2019-2021)
Board Member, Green Campus Co-op (2014-2017)

Research Interests

Awards

• SSHRC Connexion Grant - 2022-24
• SSHRC Connexion Grant *ranked first. - 2020-22
• German Academic Exchange Service - 2018

Upcoming Courses