- 26 Aug 2011
BREAKING NEWS DIALOGUE AFTER QADHAFI: A NEW DAWN IN LIBYA?
Libya is on the cusp of a profound political transformation. As rebel forces fight to consolidate their remarkable advances into the capital Tripoli, Qadhafi’s authoritarian edifice is crumbling. The country is on the brink of a transformation—but a transformation to what?
To discuss this issue, MEI invited two prominent political scientists with deep knowledge of Libya and North Africa: Dr. Mansour El-Kikhia, a Libyan, who had written the definitive study of Qadhafi’s regime; and Dr. Noureddine Jebnoun, a Tunisian, with deep knowledge of North African military and security issues. Together they analyzed the ongoing conflict, revealed the multifaceted nature of the opposition, evaluated the capabilities of the Transitional National Council, and speculated on the challenges and opportunities facing the new political order.
About the Speakers
Department of Political Science and Geography
University of Texas at San Antonio
In the United States of America
Snce 1989, Dr. El-Kikhia has been a member of the Political Science faculty at UTSA. He received his B.A. from the American University of Beirut and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Before joining UTSA Dr. El-Kikhia held positions at the University of California at Riverside and the University of Arizona at Tucson. Specializing in International Relations and Comparative Politics with particular emphasis on the Middle East, his published works on Libyan Politics and Human Rights in the Middle East are highly regarded, including the must-read, ‘Qaddafi’s Libya’.
In the United States of America
Dr. Jebnoun specializes in the Middle East and North Africa where his teaching interests include political institutions, democratization and authoritarianism, Islamic political movements, political violence, security challenges, ethnic and sectarian conflicts and socio-political affairs of North Africa.
In Singapore
Dr. Hudson is Professor Emeritus of International Relations and Arab Studies at Georgetown University where he served as Director for many years. Dr. Hudson has edited and contributed to numerous books, including Middle East Dilemma: The Politics and Economics of Arab Integration (Columbia University Press/CCAS, 1999), The Palestinians: New Directions (CCAS, 1990), and Alternative Approaches to the Arab-Israeli Conflict (CCAS, 1984).
In Singapore
Professor Bianchi is a political scientist and an international lawyer with special interests in the Islamic World and China. He has taught at the University of Chicago, Nanjing University, Qatar University, the American University in Cairo, and the University of Pennsylvania. His most recent book, Guests of God: Pilgrimage and Politics in the Islamic World, examines the explosive growth of the hajj with particular attention to Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nigeria. He is currently writing a book about China’s deepening connections with Islamic countries and their role in altering the balance of power regionally and globally.
