Political Scholar Heba Raouf Ezzat Speaks at Georgetown

Renowned scholar and author Dr. Heba Raouf Ezzat spoke about transformations of power and politics in a post-nation age at a lecture at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q). The event, which was held on Sunday, November 27 at 6:00 p.m. at the University’s Education City campus, was open to the public and conducted in Arabic.

Ezzat is a lecturer of political theory at Cairo University and a visiting fellow at the Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit at the London School of Economics. Her talk at GU-Q focused on the shifting political situation in the Arab world, touching on the increasing role of tribes and the need to rethink maps of power.

“This lecture will attempt to portray and discuss the major issues and problems we are facing, with special reference to the Arab scene and the way political scientists have been approaching the political events in the region and globally,” said Ezzat. “The attempt is to widen the scope of research and analysis and provide some observations on the role of social sciences in this crucial historical moment.”

“Bringing scholars from a range of backgrounds to Georgetown allows us to enrich our community with different views and engaging debates,” said Director of the Arab Language Program, Abbas Al-Tonsi. “We hope that lectures such as these will complement our academic program and enhance our students’ political awareness, outside of their linguistic studies.”

Ezzat is the co-founder and coordinator of the Diploma in Public Policy and Child Rights, a joint project between higher education institutes in Egypt, Jordan, and the European Union. She co-authored the Oxford Encyclopedia for Islam and Women in 2013, and her recent publications include two books in Arabic titled The Political Imagination of Islamists and Towards a New Civility. Her research interests include political theory, women and politics, democracy, and political movements.

The scholar’s lecture is the latest in a number of recent cultural events hosted by the GU-Q Arabic Program. In addition to launching a regular book club, the University has hosted a concert by Lebanese singer Oumeima El-Khalil and musician Hani Siblini, among other activities. Through these events, GU-Q hopes to connect with the wider community in Qatar and create a culturally rich environment that enables students to find connections with their Arabic language studies.