Fiker Institute's Al-Khaleej Program is a new research initiative that will focus on the foreign affairs and policy developments of countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Areas of research priority include: foreign affairs, trade and economy, public policy, defense and maritime security, AI and technology, climate and sustainability.

We are looking for research fellows from GCC countries to join this year-long program, which will include a mix of publications and programming. Those selected will undertake and conduct research on the specified thematic policy areas. The program is open to candidates currently undertaking, or having completed, doctoral research. Candidates with master's degrees and relevant experience in the field will be considered.

To apply, interested candidates should submit their resume, cover letter, research proposal (500 words, which include proposed research titles and how they align with the program’s priorities), in addition to two writing samples that demonstrate the ability to produce and analyze research in the field. 

The required documents must be submitted in PDF format to gcc@fikerinstitute.org, and the deadline for accepting applications is April 15, 2025.

AL-KHALEEJ

The European Union, built to represent the pinnacle of progress, openness, and pluralism, has recently found itself in the midst of several existential crises. As the continent scrambles to determine its post-Brexit reality, it is also forced to reckon with the consequences of the inconsistent and uncoordinated foreign policy positions amongst its remaining member states. 

Fiker Institute’s Europe Program seeks to explore the question of national sovereignty versus multilateral cooperation in Europe and to study in more detail the underlying reasons behind the rise of populism, decline in gender equality, and re-emergence of religious extremism across the continent.

EUROPE

North and South America is a vast and complex region composed of a multitude of states that coexist along different ethnic, racial, and linguistic lines. More than ever, democratic institutions are being weighed down by racial inequity, polarized political parties, gun violence, and claims of electoral fraud.

Fiker Institute’s North and South America Program aims to better understand the current challenges facing this dynamic region, including, but not limited to, the increase of police brutality, rise in domestic human rights violations, surge of detained children at the borders, and the decline in the rights of women and other minority groups.

NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA

West Asia and North Africa, a geographic region more commonly referred to as the ‘Middle East’, a British colonial term, is witnessing unprecedented waves of change and transformation. International scholarship surrounding West Asia and North Africa has predominantly been shaped by Orientalist frameworks and has overlooked the region’s diverse social, political, economic, religious, and cultural fabric.

Fiker Institute’s West Asia and North Africa Program aims to decolonize narratives surrounding this region, and to advance scholarship that highlights the nuances of its local contexts.

WEST ASIA AND NORTH AFRICA

Fiker Institute's Regional Programs examine policy questions and address debates that are specific to a country or a region. We develop our analyses through thoughtful consideration of unique political, economic, and social contexts.