German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

DEEN

Dr. André Bank

Senior Research Fellow

Dr. André Bank

  • Short CV

    • 10/2018 - 09/2019: Acting Director of the GIGA Institute of Middle East Studies

    • Since 03/2010: Research Fellow at GIGA Institute of Middle East Studies

    • 2008 - 2009: Commissioned Research Reports – “Stabilizing Factors of Authoritarian Regimes” (University Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Political Science) and “Violence and Individuation” (Bergische University Wuppertal, Institute for Sociology); Parental Leave

    • 2007 – 2008: Research Associate at the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Politics at the Otto-Suhr Institute for Political Science, Freie Universität Berlin

    • 2005 – 2007: PhD Fellow at the Center for Conflict Studies at Philipps University Marburg, Scholarship holder of the German Foundation for Peace Research (Deutschen Stiftung Friedensforschung, DSF)

    • Education: MA in Political Science, Islamic Studies and Sociology at Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen and the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, 1997–2004; Dissertation “Regional Wars and Local Orders in the Middle East: Iraq, Palestine and New Forms of Domination in Jordan” (in German) (Dissertation prize 2011 of the German Association for Middle East Studies) at Philipps University Marburg, 2005–2010

    Current Research

    • Regional Explanations for Authoritarianism

    • Statethood and Political Domination in the Middle East (with a focus on Jordan and Syria)

    • The War in Syria

    • Regional Politics and the Relationship between Arabism and Islamism

    Countries and Regions

    • Jordan

    • Syria

    • Palestine/Israel

    • Turkey (Near East Politics)

    Memberships

    • Digest of Middle East Studies, Editorial Board Member of Digest of Mddle East Studies, since 2020

    Awards

    • Nils Petter Gleditsch JPR Article of the Year Award 2015, Sage publishing , 2016

    Dr. André Bank

    Senior Research Fellow

    T. +49 40 42825-584[email protected]

    Publications

    Middle East Policy | 09/2024

    Forward to the Past?: Regional Repercussions of the Gaza War

    What are the repercussions of the Gaza war in the Middle East? The article argues that the war has taken the region “forward to the past,” e.g. by revitalizing “Palestine” as a central issue and by increasing the regimes-people divide. At the same time, “Palestine” today has broader global resonance than previous Arab and Islamic framings.

    Dr. André Bank

    Prof. Dr. Morten Valbjørn

    Dr. May Darwich

    GIGA Focus Middle East | 5/2024

    Syria Is Not Safe: A Look to Its Regions

    The violent escalation in most of Syria since 2023 and the continuation of the Assad dictatorship suggest that nowhere in the country is safe. Outlined are the key details to this. Any plans to forcibly return Syrian refugees from Middle Eastern and European countries should therefore be rejected.

    Dr. André Bank

    Senior Research Fellow

    Ronja Herrschner

    University of Tübingen

    Video | 07/2023

    COVID-19 and Violent Actors in the Global South: An Inter- and Cross-Regional Comparison

    This trend analysis examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on state and non-state violent actors in the Global South. We provide an ACLED-based interregional mapping of trends in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa.

    Yannick Deepen

    Dr. André Bank

    Dr. Julia Grauvogel

    Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

    International Migration Review | 06/2023

    Disentangling Forced Migration Governance: Actors and Drivers along the Displacement Continuum

    In this paper, we study the question of who and what drives forced migration governance in origin, host, and transit states, drawing on empirical material from the contemporary Syrian and Libyan, and the historical Algerian displacement situations.

    Dr. Lea Müller-Funk

    Dr. Christiane Fröhlich

    Dr. André Bank

    Web Publication | 11/2022

    Narrative map on "COVID-19 and Dynamics of (Post)War Violence"

    The pandemic altered the opportunity structures of state and non-state armed actors, exacerbated grievances, prompted new investments in services provision, and created new spaces for cooperation, thereby affecting the dynamics of violence across different dimensions and time horizons.

    Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

    Dr. Viviana García Pinzón

    Dr. André Bank

    Research Projects

    Research Project | 01/04/2023 - 31/03/2029

    Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM): Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity, Phase II

    The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) based in Tunis is the first and only Institute for Advanced Studies in North Africa. MECAM’s ambition is to become an intellectual hub that contributes to the emergence of cutting-edge, internationally relevant and visible research in the humanities and social sciences on, from and in the Maghreb and in particular with scholars from the Maghreb. The GIGA coordinates MECAM's publications as well as outreach and transfer activities.
    BMBF, 2023-2029

    Research Project | 01/03/2021 - 31/08/2022

    COVID-19 and the Dynamics of (Post-)War Violence: Lessons from Colombia and Syria

    What are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dynamics of violence during and after civil wars? The project analyses the pandemic-related reconfiguration of social and political orders in a comparative study of Syria and Colombia at subnational levels. In this way, it will provide new knowledge on violence dynamics in two of the most complex conflicts today and be able to suggest crucial lessons for similar (post-)war contexts in other parts of the world.
    Volkswagen Foundation, 2021-2022

    Research Project | 01/04/2020 - 31/03/2023

    Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM): Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity, Phase I

    The "Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb" (MECAM), founded in 2020, is a platform for regional and international scientific exchange in Tunisia based on the central theme "Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity". The centre is located at the renowned Université de Tunis in the Tunisian capital. Its research work focuses on the effects of multidimensional disparity on models, visions and ideas about political, social, economic, and cultural futures.
    BMBF, 2020-2023

    Research Project | 01/11/2018 - 30/04/2023

    Migration Governance and Asylum Crises, Work Package "Comparing Crises" (MAGYC)

    This project explores how European migration policies are influenced by political crises triggered by (forced) migration. At a time when such policies are heavily contested across European member-states, and when asylum seems more threatened than ever, this project is critically important to improve our understanding of how migration policies are formulated and shaped by a context of crisis. The project gathers 13 partners from diverse European countries, as well as from Lebanon and Turkey, and GIGA leads the Work Package “Comparing Crises”.
    EC, Horizon 2020, 2018-2023

    Media Contributions

    Deutsche Welle "Geofaktor" | Interview | 12/12/2024

    Пощёчина Путину: Режим Асада в Сирии пал – что дальше? "Геофактор"

    Nach dem Ende Assads, wer sind die neuen Herrscher HTS und was sind die geopolitischen Interessen externer Akteure? Dr. André Bank vom GIGA im Interview.

    CNN - News 18 | Interview | 11/12/2024

    Syria War | Mohammad al-Bashir becomes caretaker PM of Syria

    Why did the Assad regime fell so quickly? According to Dr. André Bank, it is a combination of the strength and cohesion of the rebels and the weakness of both the Assad regime and his regional and international allies. 

    Reuters | Interview | 10/12/2024

    How did Syria's rebels manage to topple Assad?

    While the speed of the toppling of Assad in only ten days was surprising, the structural weakness of the regime and the increasing strength of the rebel forces were not, says Dr. André Bank from the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies. 

    Lectures

    German Institute for Global and Area Studies | 18/09/2024

    The Situation in Syria's Regions: Implications for Jordan and Europe

    Organiser: German Institute for Global and Area Studies Dr. André Bank (Consultant)

    How is the situation in Syria's regions under different territorial control? And what does this mean for Jordanian and European policy. Together with experts from the Politics and Society Institute in Amman/Jordan, André Bank discusses these timely issues.

    Dr. André Bank

    Senior Research Fellow

    GIGA Forum | 07/09/2022

    World Cup in Qatar: Sport and Political Power in the Middle East and North Africa

    World Cup in Qatar: Sport and Political Power in the Middle East and North Africa, Online Event Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) Dr. André Bank (Moderator), Dr. Jan Busse (Speaker), Ivesa Lübben (Speaker), Dr. Jens Heibach (Speaker), Alina Schwermer (Other)

    For the first time in FIFA’s history, the Men’s World Cup will be held in an Arab country. Yet football has a long history in the Middle East and North Africa. This GIGA Forum focuses on the social and political significance of the sport.

    Dr. André Bank

    Dr. Jan Busse

    Ivesa Lübben

    Dr. Jens Heibach

    Alina Schwermer

    Workshop | 17/06/2021

    BMZ-Ländergespräch Jordanien

    BMZ-Ländergespräch Jordanien, Online Event, Online Organisers: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Dr. André Bank (Consultant), Prof. Dr. Eckart Woertz (Consultant)

    Austausch zwischen Ministerien (BMZ, AA, BMVg, BMWi), politische Stiftungen (FES, Böll, Seidel), NGOs und akademische Institutionen zur aktuellen Lage in Jordanien

    Dr. André Bank

    Senior Research Fellow

    Prof. Dr. Eckart Woertz

    Director of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies / Editor GIGA Focus Middle East

    Teaching

    Teaching | GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies | Accountability and Participation | GIGA Doctoral Programme | 2022

    Interdisciplinarity in Practice: The Venture of MECAM

    GIGA Doctoral Programme

    Teaching | Universität Hamburg | 2014

    New States in the International System

    Universität Hamburg Hamburg Germany

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