Stanford University

Society

FSI researchers work to understand continuity and change in societies as they confront their problems and opportunities. This includes the implications of migration and human trafficking. What happens to a society when young girls exit the sex trade? How do groups moving between locations impact societies, economies, self-identity and citizenship? What are the ethnic challenges faced by an increasingly diverse European Union? From a policy perspective, scholars also work to investigate the consequences of security-related measures for society and its values.

The Europe Center reflects much of FSI’s agenda of investigating societies, serving as a forum for experts to research the cultures, religions and people of Europe. The Center sponsors several seminars and lectures, as well as visiting scholars.

Societal research also addresses issues of demography and aging, such as the social and economic challenges of providing health care for an aging population. How do older adults make decisions, and what societal tools need to be in place to ensure the resulting decisions are well-informed? FSI regularly brings in international scholars to look at these issues. They discuss how adults care for their older parents in rural China as well as the economic aspects of aging populations in China and India.

Gita Wirjawan

0
Visiting Scholar at APARC, 2022-24
Gita_Wirjawan.jpg

Gita Wirjawan joined the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) as a visiting scholar for the 2022-23 and 2023-2024 academic years. In the 2024-25 year, he is a visiting scholar with Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy. Wirjawan is the chairman and founder of Ancora Group and Ancora Foundation, as well as the host of the podcast "Endgame." While at APARC, he researched the directionality of nation-building in Southeast Asia and sustainability and sustainable development in the U.S. and Southeast Asia.

Hide publication sections
Off
Date Label

Ankhbayar Begz

Shorenstein APARC
Stanford University
Encina Hall, E301
Stanford,  CA  94305-6055

0
Visiting Scholar at APARC, 2022-23
Ankhbayar_Begz.jpg

Dr. Ankhbayar Begz joined the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as visiting scholar for the fall and winter quarter of the 2022-2023 academic year. Dr. Begz currently serves as researcher at Mongolian University of Science and Technology's Open Education Center. While at APARC, he conducted research regarding democracy, women’s political participation, higher education, and gender equality issues in Mongolia and Asia.

Hide publication sections
Off

FSI Director Michael McFaul Honored by the Government of Ukraine with State Award

Authors
Melissa Morgan
News Type
News
Date
Paragraphs

On August 24, 2022, as part of the national commemoration of Independence Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented official recognitions to servicemen, Ukrainian families, and supporters of Ukraine. Among those recognized was former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Michael McFaul, who was awarded the Order of Merit, Third Degree.

The awards were given for “significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, support of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as a significant contribution to the popularization of the Ukrainian state in the world.”

Other merit award recipients recognized include journalists Christiane Amanpour, Anderson Cooper, and Jake Tapper; actors and directors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller; members of the bands Imagine Dragons and U2; and director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, Peter Gelba. A full list of the recipients is available on the official website of the President of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses an audience at the Freeman Spogli Institute on September 2, 2021 during his historic visit to California and Stanford University.
FSI Director Michael McFaul joins Ukrainian students and community members at a rally in support of Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and First Lady Olena Zelenska walk with Michael McFaul.
Students from the FSI community gather for a teach-in about the Ukraine conflict at the McFaul residence in Palo Alto, CA.
Michael McFaul stands in front of the Ukrainian and United States' flag at his home in California.

For McFaul, the recognition is a tremendous honor, both personally and professionally. A long-time scholar of both Russia and Ukraine, he is unequivocal about the importance of Ukraine in the current state of geopolitics.

“President Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s warriors, and all Ukrainians are leading the fight for democracy, freedom, and sovereignty against tyranny, repression, and imperialism,” he says. “They are heroes. Not just for Ukraine, not just for Europe, but for the entire world.”

As the director of FSI, Professor McFaul has overseen a purposeful expansion of Ukraine-focused programming and fellowships offered by the Freeman Spogli Institute.

In 2005, McFaul was a leading proponent to bring Ukrainian professionals and mid-career civic leaders to Stanford to participate in what was then known as the Summer Fellows program, now the Draper Hills Summer Fellows, which offers training and education for professionals from emerging democracies.

“We made a big bet way back in 2005 on Ukraine’s cause,” he acknowledges. “Then and now, we view Ukraine as a frontline country in the global struggle for democracy,”

That institutional commitment to support Ukraine and other emerging democracies has continued to expand. In 2016, the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law launched the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program (UELP), which sponsors cohorts of young Ukrainian civic leaders for a yearly fellowship of academic courses, faculty mentorship and community engagement. In the six years since its inception, many alumni of the program have gone on to work in prominent roles in the Ukrainian government.

Serhiy Leshchenko, an alumni of the 2013 Draper Hills Summer Fellows program, sits with President Zelenskyy in a bunker in Kyiv during a video address by the president.
Serhiy Leshchenko (seen in the background on the left), an alumni of the 2013 Draper Hills Summer Fellows program, sits with President Zelenskyy in a government bunker in Kyiv during a video address by the president. | Government of Ukraine

“When you see pictures today of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his bunker in Kyiv, Serhiy Leshchenko is right next to him. He’s one of our graduates,” Francis Fukuyama, an academic advisor for the Draper Hills Summer Fellows and UELP, recently told the Stanford Daily.

Engagement with and support of Ukraine’s civic sector culminated in a visit to Stanford by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in September 2021. The first Ukrainian president to visit California, Zelenskyy spoke to an eager crowd at a packed outdoor event in the Bechtel Courtyard about the potential he saw for Ukraine’s future, and how partnerships with institutions like Stanford can help support that future.

In May 2022, FSI was honored to host President Zelenskyy for a second address and Q&A, this time via a live video feed from Kyiv to Stanford students watching in the CEMEX auditorium.

Since the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, the FSI community and its faculty have continued to offer ongoing analysis and commentary about the conflict, participating in student-led events, and meeting with the highest levels of government officials in the U.S. and beyond.

Alongside co-coordinator Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Zelenskyy, Professor McFaul has been instrumental in organizing the International Working Group on Russian Sanctions, which is a nonpartisan, independent network of experts who are actively researching how governments and private companies can sanction supporters of Putin’s war and oppressive regime. Recommendations from the group have been adopted by the Ukrainian government and heard as testimony before the United States Senate.

In his speech to the award recipients, President Zelenskyy told the audience he felt assured that such commitment exists amongst Ukrainians and their allies.

“We will preserve Ukraine's independence forever,” he said. “We will preserve it, because we have such unity. We will preserve it, because we all have an understanding of what and whom we are fighting for.”

Looking to the future, Zelenskyy continued, “The day will surely come when we will congratulate each other on our most important goal, on this result — the victory gained by our historic struggle.”

Read More

Some of the original Ukrainian alumni from the Draper Hills Summer Fellowship gather in Kyiv in 2013.
News

A History of Unity: A Look at FSI’s Special Relationship with Ukraine

Since 2005, the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies has cultivated rich academic ties and friendships with Ukrainian scholars and civic leaders as part of our mission to support democracy and development domestically and abroad.
A History of Unity: A Look at FSI’s Special Relationship with Ukraine
President Zelenskky addresses Stanford students and community members via a live video address in the CEMEX auditorium.
News

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Calls on Students to Lead as Future Ambassadors in a Special Video Address at Stanford

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to the Stanford community in a special video address about his country’s war against Russia for independence, freedom, and global democracy, which he said requires the continued support of all the people of the free world.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Calls on Students to Lead as Future Ambassadors in a Special Video Address at Stanford
Students from the FSI community gather for a teach-in about the Ukraine conflict at the McFaul residence in Palo Alto, CA.
Blogs

Students Find Solidarity and Community Amidst the Conflict in Ukraine

Four students from the FSI community share their thoughts on the conflict in Ukraine, its implications for the world, and the comfort and solidarity they have felt in communing with one another at Stanford.
Students Find Solidarity and Community Amidst the Conflict in Ukraine
Hero Image
FSI Director Michael McFaul introduces President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a live video address on May 27, 2022.
Michael McFaul, the director of the Freeman Spogli Institute and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, was honored with the Order of Merit by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.
Andrew Brodhead, Stanford University
All News button
1

ARD Releases July 2022 Issue of Mofeed Digest

Authors
News Type
News
Date
Paragraphs

The Program on Arab Reform and Democracy (ARD) at CDDRL is pleased to announce the release of the July 2022 issue of Mofeed Digest, a periodic recap of the most important scholarly and policy publications, reports, and articles investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the politics, economies, and societies of the Arab world.

Mofeed Digest is a feature of the Mofeed Project, an initiative that builds foundational resources for understanding how the politics and societies of the Arab world have adapted in light of the pandemic. The Mofeed Project is supported in part by the Open Society Foundation.

Follow Mofeed-19 on Social Media

Mofeed Digest (July 2022)

The following digest summarizes the most important scholarly and policy publications, reports, and articles covering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the politics, economies, and societies of the Arab world. Mofeed Digest is produced by Mofeed Project Coordinator Serage Amatory.

[MENA | Algeria | Bahrain | Egypt| Iraq| Jordan| Lebanon| Libya| Mauritania| Morocco| Oman| Palestine| Qatar| Saudi Arabia| Somalia| Sudan| Syria| Tunisia| UAE| Yemen]

 

MENA

[Back to Top]

Downplaying, Trust, and Compliance with Public Health Measures during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the MENA
POMEPS, June 2022
This working paper explains the varying levels of compliance with public health measures. Authors build on literature about compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions and develop a theoretical argument for when trust in authorities is expected to support non-compliance, rather than compliance.

Impact of the Stringency and Volatility of COVID Containment Measures on Firms' Performances in the MENA region?
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This working paper examines the impact of COVID containment measures and their volatility on firms’ performances. Findings indicate that tightening restrictions are associated with less sales.

Does COVID-19 Pandemic Spur Digital Business Transformation in the MENA Region? Evidence from Firm Level Data
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This article assesses the role of the COVID-19 outbreak in accelerating digital transformation in the Middle East and North Africa region. The analysis relied on micro data collected from 5,480 firms surveyed in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia. 

Are Labor Markets in the Middle East and North Africa Recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic? 
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This working paper explores how labor market outcomes for MENA workers have evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper uses the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Economic Research Forum (ERF) COVID-19 MENA Monitor phone surveys in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia to examine outcomes of employment, unemployment, and labor force participation, along with hours of work and hourly wages.

Job Loss during COVID-19: Estimating the Poverty and Food Security Effects in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco 
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This working paper discusses the impact of job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on household income and food security in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. The authors show that laid-off workers have a higher propensity to consume their savings, get help from relatives, sell assets and borrow from family.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women's Care Work and Employment in the Middle East and North Africa
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This working paper examines how MENA women’s unpaid care responsibilities have changed during the pandemic. 

Employment and Care Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Persistent Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This working paper studies employment rates, wage inequality, hours of work, and employment recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic and after a general recovery in mid-2021. 

The Impact of COVID-19 on Jobs, Incomes and Food Security in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco 
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This working paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on job and income losses, and its relation to pushing people in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco into extreme poverty.

Impact of COVID-19 on Health Professionals' Education in Eastern Mediterranean Region
East Mediterranean Health Journal, July 2022
This article assesses health professionals' education in the East Mediterranean Region and explores the strategies adopted to ensure the continuity of their education in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Service Delivery for Noncommunicable Diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. 
East Mediterranean Health Journal, July 2022
This article reports on an Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) assessment by the World Health Organization to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on NCD-related services, programs, funding, and consideration of NCDs in COVID-19 response.

A New Approach in Identifying the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on University Student’s Academic Performance
Alexandria Engineering Journal, July 2022
This article uses statistics and machine learning approaches to study the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on education systems especially on university students’ psychological health. The study was performed on students in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan and looked at key determinants such as the use of digital devices, sleep habits, social communication, emotional mental state, and academic performance.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Gender Equality and Food Security in the Arab region with a focus on the Sudan and Iraq
Care Evaluations, 2 July 2022 
This report studies how the COVID-19 pandemic affected gender equality and food security in the MENA region. The regional focus of the study identified key themes, challenges, and norms across multiple contexts in the Arab region, while highlighting specific findings for Iraq and the Sudan.

Assessment of the Non-Communicable Diseases Kit for Humanitarian Emergencies in Yemen and Libya
BMJ Global Health, 7 July 2022
This article provides a summary of the key methodologies, findings, and limitations of non-communicable diseases kit assessments conducted in Libya and Yemen in order to ensure the contents are fit for purpose and to assess usability and utility.

Navigating beyond COVID-19 Recovery in the MENA Region
OECD, 14 July 2022
This article reflects on the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on MENA countries and the potential changes it may bring to their reform agendas. It addresses the ongoing effects of the crisis and the long-term consequences and identifies emerging new trends. 

Pandemic Effects: COVID-19 and the Crisis of Development in the Middle East
Development and Change, 27 July 2022
This article explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on socio-economic development and political mobilization in the Middle East. It argues that beyond its direct public health implications, the pandemic is serving to intensify the extreme inequalities in wealth and power that have characterized the region for many years. 

Algeria

[Back to Top]

The Impact of e-Learning Systems on Motivating Students and Enhancing Their Outcomes during COVID-19: A Mixed-Method Approach
Frontiers in Psychology, 29 July 2022
This article analyzes the impact of e-learning systems utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic across Algerian universities on higher education students' motivation and outcomes.

 

Bahrain

[Back to Top]

Bahrain COVID-19 Case Studies
World Health Organization, July 2022
This World Health Organization report lauds the Bahraini government for its management of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights lessons learned from the Kingdom’s lockdown, testing, and vaccination experiences. 

The Impact of COVID-19 on Summer Travels in 2022
Derasat, 25 July 2022
This article from the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International, and Energy Studies "Derasat" reflects on the results of an opinion poll to study how COVID-19 impacted summer travels in 2022. [Arabic]

 

 

Egypt

[Back to Top] 

Egypt COVID-19 Country Case Study
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This working paper examines COVID-19 measures undertaken by the Egyptian authorities and the effect they had on employment, wages, income, and enterprises. 

Promoting Family-Friendly Jobs and Labor Market Policies in Egypt in the Context of COVID-19 and beyond
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This policy brief shows how the COVID-19 outbreak impacted females’ employment, time-use, and work preferences in Egypt and how it increased the burden of domestic work and unpaid work imposed on women with children, through the restrictions, measures, and closure of daycares and schools.

Outcome and Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients Associated with Stroke: A Multicenter Hospital-Based Study in Egypt
The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, 7 July 2022
The article studies the impact of COVID-19 on strokes by examining the outcomes and characteristics of patients who had an acute ischemic stroke due to COVID-19 infection.

Clinical and Chest Computed Tomography Features of Patients Suffering from Mild and Severe COVID-19 at Fayoum University Hospital in Egypt
PLOS ONE, 8 July 2022
This article investigates whether chest CT characteristics are correlated to COVID-19 severity. Specifically, it evaluates the potential association between clinical data and 25-point CT score and investigates their predictive significance in COVID-19-positive patients at Fayoum University Hospital in Egypt.

Characteristics, Causes and Impact of Headache among a Sample of Physicians Working during COVID-19 Pandemic
The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, 14 July 2022 
This article determines the prevalence of new onset headache among physicians working in COVID-19 isolation hospitals and its impact on their performance. Authors also aimed to explore factors affecting the headache symptoms and its clinical characteristics.

 

Iraq

[Back to Top] 

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on COVID-19 in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: An Online Cross-Sectional Survey
Passer Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, June 2022
This article aims to gain a better understanding of the people’s awareness and their attitude towards the pandemic by conducting a knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) survey in Kurdistan.

Religious Beliefs and Work Conscience of Muslim Nurses in Iraq during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Historical Thought and Source Interpretation, 8 July 2022
This study aims to evaluate the impact of religious beliefs on work conscience of healthcare workers through a standard questionnaire conducted on 1800 Muslim nurses in Iraq during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prevalence of SARS -CoV-2 IgG/IgM Antibodies among Patients in Zakho City, Kurdistan, Iraq
The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 28 July 2022
This article aims to detect seropositivity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus among outpatients, symptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals in Zakho City in Kurdistan.

Potential Role of TLR3 and RIG-I Genes Expression in Surviving COVID-19 Patients with Different Severity of Infection
Iraqi Journal of Science, 31 July 2022
This article reports on a case-control study (100 recovered COVID 19 cases and 100 healthy individuals) which aimed to determine the role of gender, age, TLR3 and RIG-I genes in COVID-19 aggressiveness.

Jordan

[Back to Top] 

Obstacles in the Road of Biomedical Research on COVID-19 in Jordan: Poor Funding and Beyond
Journal of Global Health, July 2022 
This article examines the contributions of Jordanian scientists to academic studies on COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, categorizes them, and provides insights on the challenges the researchers face such as limited funding. 

Dr. Assessment Problems Faced by Faculty Members at Fine Arts Faculties in Jordan During COVID-19 Epidemic
Journal of Arts and Humanities, 4 July 2022
This article examines the most common assessment challenges facing faculty members at Fine Arts Faculties in Jordan during the COVID-19 pandemic by surveying a sample of 38 faculty members working in Jordanian universities.

Vaccination Intention against COVID-19 among the Unvaccinated in Jordan during the Early Phase of the Vaccination Drive: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Vaccines, 21 July 2022
This article assesses the intention and predictors of accepting the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in Jordan. The article found that despite having high rates of intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, older adults and housewives, general workers and unemployed individuals were less likely to be vaccinated.

Establishing the First COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Biobank in Jordan
Biopreservation and Biobanking, 28 July 2022
This article reflects on the identification and storage of 214 fresh frozen plasma units qualified for CCP-plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients according to World Health Organization standards and the subsequent establishment of the first COVID-19-convalescent plasma data and plasma biobank for treating COVID-19-infected cancer patients in Jordan and the region.

 

Lebanon

[Back to Top] 

Predicting Intention to Vaccinate against COVID-19 in Older Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Findings from a Multi-Wave Study
medRxiv, 24 July 2022
This working paper aims to examine the prevalence, reasons and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine refusal among older Syrian refugees in Lebanon. 

Fear and Death Anxiety in the Shadow of COVID-19 among the Lebanese Population: A Cross-Sectional Study
PLOS ONE, 27 July 2022
This article assesses the fear related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated factors among the adult population in Lebanon. Death anxiety was identified as the most significant predictor of fear related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Libya

[Back to Top] ​

Business Resilience in Libya in the Post-COVID Age
Spark, 17 July 2022 
This article reflects on SPARK’s extension of the Tadamon program to Libya with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) to support medium, small, and micro enterprises in order to create job opportunities. The article assesses the resilience of businesses in Libya and provides further resilience designs. 

Low SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Blood Donors after the First 6 Months of COVID-19 Epidemic in the Tobruk Region, Eastern Libya
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 27 July 2022
This article estimates the seroprevalence rate of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (anti-SARS-CoV-2) in blood donors' population to reflect the progression of the epidemic in the Tobruk region and reveal how many people have contracted the virus because only symptomatic cases had been registered.

 

 

Morocco 

[Back to Top] ​

Morocco COVID-19 Country Case Study
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This working paper assesses COVID-19 measures undertaken by Moroccan authorities and the effect they had on employment, wages, income, and enterprises.

Contribution to the Study of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Management of Accounting Results: Case of the Telecommunications and New Technologies Sector in Morocco
Revue Du Contrôle, De La Comptabilité Et De l’Audit, 26 July 2022
This article focuses on the management of corporate accounting results in the first year of the pandemic in Morocco. It analyzed the annual financial reports published on the website of the Moroccan Capital Market Authority to verify ex-post whether earnings management has taken place for all listed companies in the telecommunications and new technologies sector.

 

Oman

[Back to Top] ​

Seroconversion of COVID-19 in Frontline Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman
Oman Medical Journal, July 2022
This article studies the seroconversion among frontline staff at the highest risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infections, including emergency department, critical care, and COVID-19 isolation wards in all healthcare job categories.

Prophylactic Anticoagulant Treatment Might Have an Anti-Inflammatory Effect and Reduce Mortality Rates in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients?
Oman Medical Journal, July 2022
This article studies the anti-inflammatory effects of Prophylactic Anticoagulant Therapy (PAT) in COVID-19 patients. The article eventually determined that PAT was not effective. 

Impact of the COVID-19 Face Mask Disposal on Environment and Perception of People of the Sultanate of Oman
The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 4 July 2022
This article assesses how the SARS-CoV-2 virus disrupted the household waste management chain in the Sultanate of Oman. In addition, a descriptive survey has also identified people's perception about the existing household waste management system.

Factors Sustaining Clients' Behavioral Intentions To Use Smartphones-Banking In Oman: A Survey Study Based On COVID-19 Crisis
OSF-Center for Open Science, 9 July 2022
This article surveys the opinions of a sample of bank clients operating in the Omani banking sector regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the client's behavioral intentions in adopting smartphone banking techniques and their sustainability use after the crisis. 

Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Sage Open, 25 July 2022
This article examines stakeholders’ perspectives and aspirations concerning the graduate attributes used in English-language teacher education programs in Oman during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Palestine

[Back to Top] ​

An Investigation into Religious Awareness as a Crucial Factor in Adherence to COVID-19 Medical Directives in Palestine
BMC Public Health, 13 July 2022
This article examines the role of religion as a factor in adherence to the COVID-19 medical directives in Palestine. 

 

Qatar

[Back to Top] ​

COVID-19 Disease Severity in Persons Infected with the Omicron Variant Compared with the Delta Variant in Qatar
Journal of Global Health, 6 July 2022
This article studies the disease severity associated with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in order to determine the appropriate management strategies at the individual and population levels. The authors assess the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in persons infected with the Omicron vs the Delta variant.

Duration of Immune Protection of SARS-CoV-2 Natural Infection Against Reinfection in Qatar
MedRxiv, 7 July 2022
This working paper investigates the duration of protection afforded by natural infection, the effect of viral immune evasion on duration of protection, and protection against severe SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, in Qatar, between February 28, 2020 and June 5, 2022.

Effects of Previous Infection and Vaccination on Symptomatic Omicron Infections
The New England Journal of Medicine, 7 July 2022 
This article evaluates the effectiveness of vaccination with Pfizer–BioNTech or Moderna, natural immunity due to previous infection with variants other than omicron, and hybrid immunity (previous infection and vaccination) against symptomatic Omicron infection and against severe, critical, or fatal coronavirus disease 2019.

COVID-19 Risk Score as a Public Health Tool to Guide Targeted Testing: A Demonstration Study in Qatar
PLOS ONE, 19 July 2022
This article presents the development of a COVID-19 risk score to guide targeted RT-PCR testing in Qatar in order to identify those at highest risk of having the infection.

Assessing Factors Influencing Technology Adoption for Online Purchasing Amid COVID-19 in Qatar: Moderating Role of Word of Mouth
Frontiers in Environmental Science, 25 July 2022 
This article examines how contingencies disrupt existing theoretical models and their implications for the post-COVID-19 era for online purchases. 

 

Saudi Arabia

[Back to Top] ​

Fungal Coinfections in COVID-19-Positive Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia
Egyptian Journal of Medical Microbiology, July 2022
This article aims to investigate the relationship between fungal coinfections and morbidity and mortality rates in patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to a tertiary hospital in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Awareness, knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices before the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia
European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, July 2022 
This article assesses the knowledge, awareness, and attitudes of the general population in Saudi Arabia towards COVID-19, as well as its adherence to preventive measures and its willingness to take the vaccine.

Contribution of Saudi Arabia to Regional and Global Publications on COVID-19–Related Research: A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis
Journal of Infection and Public Health, July 2022
This article assesses the increasing Saudi Arabian contribution to worldwide research on COVID-19. 

Sustainable Participatory Governance: Data-Driven Discovery of Parameters for Planning Online and In-Class Education in Saudi Arabia During COVID-19
Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 19 July 2022
This article provides a case study on sustainable participatory governance using a data-driven parameter discovery for planning online, in-class, and blended learning in Saudi Arabia evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Functional and Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Rheumatic Patients’ Quality of Life in Saudi Arabia
Quality of Life Research, 20 July 2022
This article studies the impact of COVID-19 on rheumatic patients both functionally and psychosocially, in addition to the virus' impact on their quality of life. 

Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines (Pfizer, AstraZeneca) in Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province
Cureus, 26 July 2022
This article studies the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine and the factors that contribute to their occurrence. 

COVID-19 and Saudi Arabia: Awareness, Attitude, and Practice
Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 26 July 2022
This article reviews the awareness/knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP)-related publications in Saudi Arabia up to date to understand the impact of COVID-19 on these domains. 

 

Somalia

[Back to Top] ​

Overcoming COVID-19 Restrictions Through Adaptive Measures that Facilitate Access to Agricultural and Nutrition Knowledge
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2022 
This fact sheet documents a new distance learning initiative in Somalia through radio launched in 2020 by FAO as a response to public health threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, complementing cash+ activities and replacing face-to-face beneficiary training.

Double Burden on Health Services in Somalia due to COVID-19 and Conflict
Annals of Medicine and Surgery, July 2022
This article explores the detrimental effects of conflict in Somalia during the COVID-19 pandemic such as the inadequate amount of available health workers, facilities, and health service delivery methods.

 

Sudan

[Back to Top] ​

Attitude and Behavior of Emerging Novel COVID-19 Disease - Khartoum, Sudan
Medical Journal of Clinical Trials and Case Studies, 18 July 2022
This article assesses the attitudes and behavior of 1200 Sudani participants towards COVID-19 and reports negative attitudes in more than half of the participants. 

 

Syria

[Back to Top] ​

Knowledge and Attitudes about Influenza and the Common Cold in Syria Post COVID-19: A Qualitative Study
Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 16 July 2022
This article examines the knowledge and understanding of common flu and influenza during the COVID-19 pandemic in Syria. Key findings showed that most people cannot differentiate between common cold and influenza. 

 

Tunisia

[Back to Top] ​

Tunisia COVID-19 Country Case Study
Economic Research Forum, June 2022
This working paper examines COVID-19 measures undertaken by the Tunisian authorities and the effect they had on employment, wages, income, and enterprises. 

Adverse Effects of Personal Protective Equipment among First Line COVID-19 Healthcare Professionals: A Survey in Southern Tunisia
Infection, Disease and Health Journal, 12 July 2022
This article assesses the negative effects of personal protective equipment on healthcare workers in Tunisia. It estimates the prevalence of the adverse effects and determines their predictive factors.

COVID-19 Vaccines and Roles of the Health Regulatory Authority in Tunisia
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 28 July 2022
This article outlines the roles of the Tunisian regulatory authority, the Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicines (DPM) at the Ministry of Health, in the registration and the procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Income Loss and COVID-19: Evidence from Tunisia
European Journal of Business and Management Research, 28 July 2022
This article assesses income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia in light of factors such as education, job sectors, and income brackets. 

 

UAE

[Back to Top] ​

The Rise of Telepharmacy Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comprehensive Assessment of Services in the United Arab Emirates
Pharmacy Practice, 4 July 2022
This article explores changes in community pharmacies’ processes in response to the pandemic in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and factors affecting the adoption of these changes.

Distress Symptoms during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Study with the General Population of the United Arab Emirates
Pharmacy Practice, 4 July 2022
This article analyzes distress symptoms surfacing during the COVID-19 lockdown period and their associated factors among a sample of the UAE population.

The Radiography Students’ Perspective of the Impact of COVID-19 on Education and Training Internationally: A Cross Sectional Survey of the UK Devolved Nations (UKDN) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Radiography, 18 July 2022
This article investigates the impact of COVID-19 on the education and training of radiography students internationally in the United Kingdom Devolved Nations (UKDN) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to determine any possible impact on their future careers.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Mental Illness Symptoms among School Students Post Lockdown of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional National Study
medRxiv, 21 July 2022
This working paper analyzes the frequency of depression, anxiety and PTSD after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in school students in the UAE. 

ABO Blood Group in Relation to COVID-19 Susceptibility and Clinical Outcomes: A Retrospective Observational Study in the United Arab Emirates
Life, 29 July 2022
The article studies the relation between ABO blood groups and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

 

Yemen

[Back to Top] ​

Situation Report for COVID-19: Yemen
MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis - Imperial College London, 3 July 2022 
This report uses excess mortality data in Yemen for the period of the COVID-19 epidemic, calculated by comparing current mortality to historic trends and then back-calculating an inferred number of COVID-19 infections using mathematical modeling techniques to estimate the number of people that have been infected and to make short-term projections for future healthcare needs.

Hero Image
Mofeed Digest 2
All News button
1
Subtitle

The Program on Arab Reform and Democracy (ARD) at CDDRL is pleased to announce the release of the July 2022 issue of Mofeed Digest, a periodic recap of the most important scholarly and policy publications, reports, and articles investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the politics, economies, and societies of the Arab world.

Geographies of Protest in Jordan

-
Geographies of Protest in Jordan

Protest has been a key method of political claim-making in Jordan from the late Ottoman period to the present day. More than moments of rupture within normal-time politics, protests have been central to challenging state power, as well as reproducing it—and the spatial dynamics of protests play a central role in the construction of both state and society.

In her new book, Jillian Schwedler considers how space and geography influence protests and repression and, in challenging conventional narratives of Hashemite state-making, offers the first in-depth study of rebellion in Jordan. Based on twenty-five years of field research, Schwedler examines protests as they are situated in the built environment, bringing together considerations of networks, spatial imaginaries, space and place-making, and political geographies at local, national, regional, and global scales. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Jillian Schwedler
Dr. Jillian Schwedler is Professor of Political Science at the City University of New York’s Hunter College and the Graduate Center and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Crown Center for the Middle East at Brandeis University. Her books include the award-winning Faith in Moderation: Islamist Parties in Jordan and Yemen (2006) and (with Laleh Khalili) Policing and Prisons in the Middle East (2010). Her articles have appeared in numerous journals, including World Politics, Comparative Politics, Contention, and Social Movement Studies. Her newest book, Protesting Jordan: Geographies of Power and Dissent, was published by Stanford University Press in April 2022.

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to E008 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Didi Kuo

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to E008 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Dr. Jillian Schwedler Professor, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York Professor, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York
Seminars

American Democracy and the 2022 Midterm Elections

-
Election panel

This November, Americans will vote in midterm elections for Congressional and state offices.

Join CDDRL's Bruce Cain, Hakeem Jefferson, and Didi Kuo in a discussion on the midterms. This panel will delve into the issues at stake in these elections, including the economy, abortion rights, and President Biden's policy agenda. It will discuss the ongoing influence of President Trump in the Republican Party, and the role of the Big Lie in campaigns for state offices. The panel will also discuss the implications of these elections for democracy, both at home and abroad. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Bruce E. CAIN
Bruce E. Cain is a Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and Director of the Bill Lane Center for the American West. He received a BA from Bowdoin College (1970), a B Phil. from Oxford University (1972) as a Rhodes Scholar, and a Ph D from Harvard University (1976). He taught at Caltech (1976-89) and UC Berkeley (1989-2012) before coming to Stanford. Professor Cain was Director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley from 1990-2007 and Executive Director of the UC Washington Center from 2005-2012. He was elected the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2000 and has won awards for his research (Richard F. Fenno Prize, 1988), teaching (Caltech 1988 and UC Berkeley 2003) and public service (Zale Award for Outstanding Achievement in Policy Research and Public Service, 2000). His areas of expertise include political regulation, applied democratic theory, representation and state politics. Some of Professor Cain’s most recent publications include “Malleable Constitutions: Reflections on State Constitutional Design,” coauthored with Roger Noll in University of Texas Law Review, volume 2, 2009; “More or Less: Searching for Regulatory Balance,” in Race, Reform and the Political Process, edited by Heather Gerken, Guy Charles and Michael Kang, CUP, 2011; “Redistricting Commissions: A Better Political Buffer?” in The Yale Law Journal, volume 121, 2012; and Democracy More or Less (CUP, 2015). He is currently working on problems of environmental governance.

Hakeem Jefferson
Hakeem Jefferson is an assistant professor of political science at Stanford University where he also is a faculty affiliate with the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and the Stanford Center for American Democracy. He received his PhD in political science from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and African American Studies from the University of South Carolina.

His research focuses primarily on the role identity plays in structuring political attitudes and behaviors in the U.S. He is especially interested in understanding how stigma shapes the politics of Black Americans, particularly as it relates to group members’ support for racialized punitive social policies. In other research projects, Hakeem examines the psychological and social roots of the racial divide in Americans’ reactions to officer-involved shootings and work to evaluate the meaningfulness of key political concepts, like ideological identification, among Black Americans.

Hakeem’s dissertation, "Policing Norms: Punishment and the Politics of Respectability Among Black Americans," was a co-winner of the 2020 Best Dissertation Award from the Political Psychology Section of the American Political Science Association.

Didi Kuo
Didi Kuo is Senior Research Scholar and Associate Director for Research at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University. Her research interests include democratization, political parties, and political reform. She oversees the Program on American Democracy in Comparative Perspective, which seeks to bridge academic and policy research on American democracy. She was an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellow at New America, and is the author of Clientelism, Capitalism, and Democracy: the Rise of Programmatic Politics in the United States and Britain (Cambridge University Press 2018). 

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to the Philippines Room C330 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Larry Diamond

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to the Philippines Room C330 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Hakeem Jefferson

0
Assistant Professor, Political Science
hakeem_jefferson_2022.jpg

Hakeem Jefferson is an assistant professor of political science at Stanford University where he is also a faculty affiliate with the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and the Stanford Center for American Democracy. During the 2021-22 academic year he was also the SAGE Sara Miller McCune Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.

Hakeem’s work focuses primarily on the role identity plays in structuring political attitudes and behaviors in the U.S. His in-progress book project builds on his award-winning dissertation to consider how Black Americans come to support punitive social policies that target members of their racial group.

In other projects, Hakeem examines the causes of the racial divide in Americans’ reactions to officer-involved shootings; works to evaluate the meaningfulness of key political concepts, like ideological identification among Black Americans; and considers how white Americans navigate an identity that many within the group perceive as increasingly stigmatized. In these and other projects, Hakeem sets out to showcase and clarify the important and complex ways that identity matters across all domains of American life.

A public-facing, justice-oriented scholar, Hakeem is an academic contributor at FiveThirtyEight and his writings and commentary have been featured in places like the New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and other major outlets. He is also active on Twitter, and you can follow him @hakeemjefferson.

CDDRL Affiliated Faculty
CV
Hide publication sections
Off

Didi Kuo

Encina Hall, C150
616 Jane Stanford Way
Stanford, CA 94305

0
Center Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
didi_kuo_2023.jpg

Didi Kuo is a Center Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford University. She is a scholar of comparative politics with a focus on democratization, corruption and clientelism, political parties and institutions, and political reform. She is the author of The Great Retreat: How Political Parties Should Behave and Why They Don’t (Oxford University Press) and Clientelism, Capitalism, and Democracy: the rise of programmatic politics in the United States and Britain (Cambridge University Press, 2018).

She has been at Stanford since 2013 as the manager of the Program on American Democracy in Comparative Perspective and is co-director of the Fisher Family Honors Program at CDDRL. She was an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellow at New America and is a non-resident fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She received a PhD in political science from Harvard University, an MSc in Economic and Social History from Oxford University, where she studied as a Marshall Scholar, and a BA from Emory University.

Hide publication sections
Off
Date Label
Seminars

Ambition Without Democracy: Changing Selection Rules and Candidate Risk Attitudes

-
Guzel seminar

Comparative institutional studies have shown that the way we select public officials affects their behavior in office. Much less is known about how different selection procedures impact the types of individuals that choose to seek a political career, which would constitute one of the mechanisms connecting institutions and leader behavior. 

Guzel Garifullina argues that certain properties of the selection process lead to self-selection based on risk attitudes. Using a series of laboratory experiments in Russia, she demonstrates that higher costs of candidacy and public accountability of the selected officials lead to an increased role of risk-seeking in the decision to pursue an office. These findings imply, for example, that in hybrid regimes pro-regime candidates would be more risk-averse than the opposition candidates. The study expands the scholarship on ambition and candidacy in electoral autocracies. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER 

 

Guzel Garifullina

Guzel Garifullina is a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on authoritarian politics, Russian local politics and governance, and bureaucratic behavior. Guzel is currently working on several projects that try to improve our understanding of the Russian state and the incentives faced by its local agents. Furthermore, she explores public participation both online and through regime-approved local initiatives to identify the potential for citizen self-organization at the local level, even as the national regime pressure on any forms of dissent has grown exponentially. Guzel's co-authored work on Russian regional elites appeared in Post-Soviet Affairs, Comparative Political Studies, Demokratizatsiya, and Europe-Asia Studies.

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to E008 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Didi Kuo

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to E008 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Guzel Garifullina

0
garifullina_square.png

Guzel Garifullina is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Democracy, Development, and Rule of Law (CDDRL). She earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2021 and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies (University of Rochester) in 2021-2022.

Guzel's research focuses on local politics and governance in Russia, and she uses a variety of tools, including lab and survey experiments and analysis of detailed observational data to conduct comparative studies of authoritarian institutions. Her work appeared in Post-Soviet Affairs, Comparative Political Studies, Demokratizatsiya, and Europe-Asia Studies.

CDDRL Postdoctoral Fellow, 2022-2023
Hide publication sections
Off
Seminars

Automated Repression

-

This seminar will present the first evidence of systematic ethnic discrimination in Artificial Intelligence (AI) used to assist judges in criminal sentencing. Using audit experiments on a commercial criminal sentencing software, we find that AI predicts longer sentences for defendants with ethnic minority status and names that convey minority cues. The magnitude of discrimination is similar to existing findings from sentencing decisions of judges. Additionally, we find that AI may introduce new forms of discrimination not seen in human judgment.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
 

Eddie Yang is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at UC San Diego and a predoctoral fellow at CDDRL and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. His research focuses on repression and the politics of Artificial Intelligence. His dissertation studies how existing repressive institutions limit the usefulness of AI for authoritarian control, with a focus on China. His work has been published in both computer science and political science. 

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to E008 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Didi Kuo

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to E008 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Eddie Yang

0
CDDRL/HAI Predoctoral Scholar, 2022-2023

Eddie Yang is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at UC San Diego. His research focuses on repression and the politics of Artificial Intelligence. His dissertation studies how existing repressive institutions limit the usefulness of AI for authoritarian control, with a focus on China. His work has been published in both computer science and political science. 

Hide publication sections
Off
CDDRL/HAI Predoctoral Scholar, 2022-2023
Seminars

The Representation Trap: How and Why Muslims Struggle to Maintain Power in India

-
The Representation Trap: How and Why Muslims Struggle to Maintain Power in India

Challenging the conventional wisdom that power begets power, this paper argues that political gains for marginalized groups can create the very conditions for their political demise. When a marginalized group comes to power without institutional protections such as quotas or reservations, it can divide the marginalized group and unite the dominant group. I study this process, which I call the representation trap, in the context of one of the largest marginalized groups in the world's largest democracy: Indian Muslims. While India has made strides toward the political inclusion of many marginalized groups, Muslims stand in stark contrast, experiencing poor political representation, low socioeconomic status, and communal violence.

Using a regression discontinuity design, I find that a Muslim political win leads to an almost 30 percent lower likelihood of subsequent Muslim victory. I document the mechanisms for marginalized group divisions and dominant group consolidation through additional election analyses, experimental evidence from an original, in-person survey of about 5000 Muslim and Hindu voters, and qualitative evidence drawing on about 150 elite and voter interviews. Taken together, the theory and findings challenge the perspective that representation necessarily catalyzes the political empowerment of marginalized groups.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
 

Feyaad Allie
Feyaad Allie is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at Stanford University and a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. His dissertation project examines the sustained exclusion of marginalized groups in multi-ethnic democracies with a focus on one of the largest marginalized groups in the world’s largest democracy: Indian Muslims. This work identifies how dominant group consolidation and marginalized group divisions contribute to poor political outcomes for Muslims in India. In other ongoing research, Feyaad studies majority-minority relations and the intersection of technology and politics. At Stanford, Feyaad is affiliated with the Immigration Policy Lab and the Abbasi Program for Islamic Studies. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the King Center on Global Development, and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). Prior to graduate school, Feyaad worked on an international development project in Nairobi, Kenya, and received his B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College. 

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to E008 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Didi Kuo

Virtual to Public. Only those with an active Stanford ID with access to E008 in Encina Hall may attend in person.

Seminars
Subscribe to Society