German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

DEEN

Dr. André Bank

Senior Research Fellow

Dr. André Bank

  • Short CV

    • Since 03/2010: Research Fellow at GIGA Institute of Middle East Studies
    • 10/2018 - 09/2019: Acting Director of the GIGA Institute of Middle East Studies

    • 2008 - 2009: Commissioned Research Reports – “Stabilizing Factors of Authoritarian Regimes” (University Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Political Science) and “Violence and Individuation” (Bergische University Wuppertal, Institute for Sociology); Parental Leave

    • 2007 - 2008: Research Associate at the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Politics at the Otto-Suhr Institute for Political Science, Freie Universität Berlin

    • 2005 - 2007: PhD Fellow at the Center for Conflict Studies at Philipps University Marburg, Scholarship holder of the German Foundation for Peace Research (Deutschen Stiftung Friedensforschung, DSF)

    • Education: MA in Political Science, Islamic Studies and Sociology at Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen and the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, 1997–2004; Dissertation “Regional Wars and Local Orders in the Middle East: Iraq, Palestine and New Forms of Domination in Jordan” (in German) (Dissertation prize 2011 of the German Association for Middle East Studies) at Philipps University Marburg, 2005–2010

    Current Research

    • Regional Explanations for Authoritarianism

    • Statethood and Political Domination in the Middle East (with a focus on Jordan and Syria)

    • The War in Syria

    • Regional Politics and the Relationship between Arabism and Islamism

    Countries and Regions

    • Jordan

    • Syria

    • Palestine/Israel

    • Turkey (Near East Politics)

    Memberships

    • Digest of Middle East Studies, Editorial Board Member of Digest of Mddle East Studies, since 2020

    Awards

    • Nils Petter Gleditsch JPR Article of the Year Award 2015, Sage publishing , 2016

    Dr. André Bank

    Senior Research Fellow

    T. +49 (40) 42825-584[email protected]

    Publications

    Chapter in Edited Volume

    Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

    Jordan has defied predictions of collapse for more than a century. A combination of factors, from institutional strategies of authoritarian rule to crafty geopolitical machinations, have enabled the ruling Hashemite monarchy to persist, albeit wearily given its economic and social hardships.

    Dr. André Bank

    Senior Research Fellow

    Blog Article | 08/2025

    Bridging the Maghreb-Sahel Divide in Policy and Research: Take-aways from the MECAM Policy Talk 2025

    The MECAM Policy Talk 2025 brought together experts on and from the Maghreb as well as on and from Sub-Saharan Africa in Berlin for 2.5 days of intense deliberations. The blog article summarizes the main findings and presents central policy implications.

    Dr. André Bank

    Dr. Clara-Auguste Süß

    Dr. Julius Dihstelhoff

    Katapult: Magazin für Eis, Kartografik und Sozialwissenschaften | 07/2025

    Was wird jetzt aus Syrien? Sechs Monate nach Assad

    Der Sturz der Diktatur in Syrien Ende 2024 kam für viele überraschend. Ein halbes Jahr später ist die Ernüchterung groß: Auch die neue Führung setzt auf autoritäre Strukturen, analysiert André Bank. Aus seiner Sicht gibt die syrische Zivilgesellschaft jedoch Anlass zur Hoffnung.

    Dr. André Bank

    Senior Research Fellow

    GIGA Focus Middle East | 4/2025

    The Fall of Assad in Syria Is Not the End of Captagon

    Does the fall of Assad in Syria mean the end of the drug known as Captagon? No. While the Islamist interim government has destroyed drug laboratories and pills, demand for cheap drugs remains strong in Syria and in its neighbouring countries. Captagon production and smuggling are transnationalising.

    Dr. André Bank

    Senior Research Fellow

    Johannes Haupt

    Universität Hamburg

    Middle East Policy | 09/2024

    Forward to the Past?: Regional Repercussions of the Gaza War

    What are the repercussions of the Gaza war in the Middle East? The article argues that the war has taken the region “forward to the past,” e.g. by revitalizing “Palestine” as a central issue and by increasing the regimes-people divide. At the same time, “Palestine” today has broader global resonance than previous Arab and Islamic framings.

    Dr. André Bank

    Prof. Dr. Morten Valbjørn

    Dr. May Darwich

    Research Projects

    Research Project | 01/04/2023 - 31/03/2029

    Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM): Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity, Phase II

    The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) based in Tunis is the first and only Institute for Advanced Studies in North Africa. MECAM’s ambition is to become an intellectual hub that contributes to the emergence of cutting-edge, internationally relevant and visible research in the humanities and social sciences on, from and in the Maghreb and in particular with scholars from the Maghreb. The GIGA coordinates MECAM's publications as well as outreach and transfer activities.
    BMBF, 2023-2029

    Research Project | 01/03/2021 - 31/08/2022

    COVID-19 and the Dynamics of (Post-)War Violence: Lessons from Colombia and Syria

    What are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dynamics of violence during and after civil wars? The project analyses the pandemic-related reconfiguration of social and political orders in a comparative study of Syria and Colombia at subnational levels. In this way, it will provide new knowledge on violence dynamics in two of the most complex conflicts today and be able to suggest crucial lessons for similar (post-)war contexts in other parts of the world.
    Volkswagen Foundation, 2021-2022

    Research Project | 01/04/2020 - 31/03/2023

    Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM): Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity, Phase I

    The "Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb" (MECAM), founded in 2020, is a platform for regional and international scientific exchange in Tunisia based on the central theme "Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity". The centre is located at the renowned Université de Tunis in the Tunisian capital. Its research work focuses on the effects of multidimensional disparity on models, visions and ideas about political, social, economic, and cultural futures.
    BMBF, 2020-2023

    Research Project | 01/11/2018 - 30/04/2023

    Migration Governance and Asylum Crises, Work Package "Comparing Crises" (MAGYC)

    This project explores how European migration policies are influenced by political crises triggered by (forced) migration. At a time when such policies are heavily contested across European member-states, and when asylum seems more threatened than ever, this project is critically important to improve our understanding of how migration policies are formulated and shaped by a context of crisis. The project gathers 13 partners from diverse European countries, as well as from Lebanon and Turkey, and GIGA leads the Work Package “Comparing Crises”.
    EC, Horizon 2020, 2018-2023

    Media Contributions

    Neues Deutschland | Quote | 07/10/2025

    Kämpfe zum Ende der indirekten Wahl in Syrien

    Nach der indirekten Wahl zum Parlament in Syrien ist es in Aleppo zu Gewalt zwischen Sicherheitskräften der Übergangsregierung und der kurdisch dominierten SDF gekommen. Dr. André Bank mit Einschätzungen zur Bedeutung der Wahl, inklusive ihrem autoritären Charakter. 

    Radio Bremen | Interview | 05/10/2025

    Parlamentswahlen in Syrien: Übergangspräsident Sharaa lässt indirekt wählen

    Am 5. Oktober 2025 finden in Syrien Parlamentswahlen statt. Für Dr. André Bank ist die indirekte Wahl zwar kaum repräsentativ und demokratisch. Gleichwohl ist der Urnengang eine wichtige Etappe im Transformationsprozess.  

    ARD Weltspiegel | Interview | 14/09/2025

    Politische Perspektiven für Syrien

    Die für Mitte September 2025 anberaumten Parlamentswahlen in Syrien wurden verschoben. Dr. André Bank sieht in der fortwährenden Gewalt, im nur marginal erfolgten wirtschaftlichen Wiederaufbau sowie in einer Transition "von oben" die zentralen Herausforderungen für eine inklusive, nachhaltige Entwicklung. 

    Lectures

    Conference | 26/09/2024 - 28/09/2024

    30th International Congress of DAVO

    30th International Congress of DAVO, University of Göttingen, Göttingen Dr. Clara-Auguste Süß (Chair), Dr. André Bank (Panelist), Prof. Dr. Hanna Pfeifer (Panelist), Dr. Jens Heibach (Panelist), Dr. Muriel Asseburg (Discussant)

    Clara-Auguste Süß chaired a panel titled "The Gaza War and Its Impact on Middle East Politics" at the DAVO Congress 2024. André Bank and Jens Heibach contributed as panelists.

    Dr. Clara-Auguste Süß

    Dr. André Bank

    Prof. Dr. Hanna Pfeifer

    Dr. Jens Heibach

    Dr. Muriel Asseburg

    Politics and Society Institute (PSI) (PSI) | 18/09/2024

    The Situation in Syria's Regions: Implications for Jordan and Europe

    Organiser: Politics and Society Institute (PSI) (PSI) Dr. André Bank (Consultant)

    How is the situation in Syria's regions under different territorial control? And what does this mean for Jordanian and European policy. Together with experts from the Politics and Society Institute in Amman/Jordan, André Bank discusses these timely issues.

    Dr. André Bank

    Senior Research Fellow

    GIGA Forum | 07/09/2022

    World Cup in Qatar: Sport and Political Power in the Middle East and North Africa

    World Cup in Qatar: Sport and Political Power in the Middle East and North Africa, Online Event Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) Dr. André Bank (Moderator), Dr. Jan Busse (Speaker), Ivesa Lübben (Speaker), Dr. Jens Heibach (Speaker), Alina Schwermer (Other)

    For the first time in FIFA’s history, the Men’s World Cup will be held in an Arab country. Yet football has a long history in the Middle East and North Africa. This GIGA Forum focuses on the social and political significance of the sport.

    Dr. André Bank

    Dr. Jan Busse

    Ivesa Lübben

    Dr. Jens Heibach

    Alina Schwermer

    Teaching

    Teaching | GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies | Accountability and Participation | GIGA Doctoral Programme | 2022

    Interdisciplinarity in Practice: The Venture of MECAM

    GIGA Doctoral Programme

    Teaching | University of Hamburg (UHH) | 2014

    New States in the International System

    University of Hamburg (UHH) Hamburg Germany

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