- Political Leadership in the Middle East
This course examines the role and influence of political leaders in the Middle East. Through this prism, the history of the Middle East can be understood by examining the lives and impact of the men who have ruled the region. Using a psychological, theoretical and interdisciplinary framework, we will study the charismatic, sultanic, traditional and rational-legal framework of leadership. We will then merge this theory with biographical material on the region’s predominant leaders in an attempt to understand their influence and legacy.
- The Twin Pillars of The Gulf: Iran, Saudi Arabia, & Regional Competition
This course examines Persian Gulf politics through the prism of Iran and Saudi Arabia-their history, domestic evolutions, foreign policy, ideology, position in the Persian Gulf, and competition in the wider region of the Middle East. Once known in the American foreign policy establishment as the Twin Pillars of the Gulf, they both supported and were supported by American political and economic interests. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 changed the course of those relations alongside the course of the region.
Despite the divergent political and religious systems that took hold, Iran and Saudi Arabia have followed similar trajectories. The outcome of such paths however, has been decidedly different. In addition to weighing in on the competing ideological visions and dominating regional position of these two Persian Gulf heavyweights, this course will assess the impact of these states on those of the region including in the states of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar.