David Mednicoff, assistant professor of public policy and an expert on Middle East politics, has been widely cited in recent media articles and interviews about the Tunisian uprising. In an article in this Sunday’s Boston Globe, Mednicoff explores what the situation in Tunisia suggests about the role of secular governments in ensuring stability and democracy in the Middle East. Mednicoff also has been interviewed on WFCR by Bob Paquette; on the Emily Rooney show on WGBH radio; and on WGBY’s Connecting Points.
David Mednicoff is also acting director of the Social Thought and Political Economy Program and a member of the Five College Program in Middle Eastern Studies. He has a broad background in international law and politics. His research focuses on the rule of law in contemporary Arab societies and their prospects for political democratization.
Mednicoff has been a Fulbright scholar in both Morocco and Qatar; other recent awards in support of his research include a grant from Georgetown University to study the regulation of migrant workers in Arab countries and a 2010-2011 (non-resident) research fellowship from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is a frequent commentator in the media on issues related to politics in the Middle East, and has presented his work to policymakers in Washington at forums sponsored by the Department of State and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.