EU Middle East Forum (EUMEF)

Transcription

1 EU Middle East Forum (EUMEF) Socio-Economic Malaise as a Security Threat Which Model and Reforms for Egypt? 16th New Faces Conference 28 June 1 July 2012, Cairo

2

3 Conference Brochure 16 th New Faces Conference Socio-Economic Malaise as a Security Threat Which Model and Reforms for Egypt? 28 June 1 July 2012, Cairo In cooperation with German Council on Foreign Relations EU Middle East Forum (EUMEF) Berlin 2012

4 Partners Established in 1964, the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH is one of the major German foundations associated with a private company. It represents the philanthropic and social endeavors of Robert Bosch ( ) and fulfills his legacy in a contemporary manner. The Robert Bosch Stiftung works predominantly in the fields of International Relations, Health, and Education. The EU-Middle East Forum, as well as its predecessors, the International Forum on Strategic Thinking (IFST) and the Forum European Foreign and Security Policy, have been realized in close cooperation between DGAP and Robert Bosch Stiftung. The Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, ifa) is an organization operating worldwide to promote intercultural exchange and dialogue between civil societies. With funds from the German Federal Foreign Office, ifa supports with its zivik Funding Programme projects of German, international, and/or local non-governmental organizations to support the transformation of the affected Arabic countries from autocratic models to functioning democratic systems reigned by the rule of law and a constructive conflict culture. Freie Universität Berlin is one of nine German universities of excellence. As an international network university, it has established liaison offices abroad in Beijing, Brussels, Cairo, Delhi, Moscow, New York, and São Paulo. The Cairo Office of Freie Universität Berlin at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) was established in It aims to increase academic and scientific cooperation between Freie Universität Berlin and universities and research centers in Egypt and the Middle East. It highlights the university s outstanding research in many fields including Middle Eastern Studies. Furthermore it informs students and scholars from the region about possibilities of funding from German and European institutions. At the same time it is open to researchers and students of Freie Universität and helps them identify suitable partners for cooperation in the Middle East. The American University in Cairo was founded in 1919 by Americans devoted to education and community service in the Middle East. Today, AUC is a leading English-language university an essential contributor to the social, political and cultural life of the Arab world. It also serves as a crossroads for the world s cultures: a vital, vibrant forum for reasoned argument, spirited debate and understanding across cultures. AUC is an independent, nonprofit, apolitical, non-sectarian, and equal-opportunity institution, fully accredited in Egypt and the United States. AUC enrolls approximately 5,500 undergraduate students and 1,300 graduate students in fields as diverse as the humanities, social and natural sciences, engineering, journalism, and business. It also hosts specialized graduate programs, such as gender and women's studies, international human rights law, migration and refugee studies, and environmental engineering. 1

5 Table of Contents German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)... 4 EU-Middle East Forum (EUMEF)... 5 Dina Fakoussa-Behrens (GERMANY/EGYPT)... 7 Christian Achrainer (GERMANY)... 7 Anja Runge (GERMANY)... 8 The 16 th New Faces Conference... 9 Speakers (in order of appearance in the agenda)...16 Florian Kohstall (GERMANY) Ann M. Lesch (USA) Monal Abdel-Baki (EGYPT) Anja Zorob (GERMANY) Mona Said (EGYPT) Ziad Abdel Samad (LEBANON) Participants (in alphabetical order) Nivin Abdelmeguid (EGYPT) Mohamed Abolnaga (EGYPT) Muhammad Abushaqra (EGYPT) Emel Akçali (TURKEY) Béchir Bouraoui (TUNISIA) Marina Eleftheriadou (GREECE) Nashwa Ghoneim (EGYPT) Evrim Görmüş (TURKEY) Samira Helmy-Bruin (EGYPT) Gillian Kennedy (UNITED KINGDOM) Ülkü Zümray Kutlu (TURKEY) Nahla Mahmoud (EGYPT) Waleed Mansour (EGYPT) Somaia Metwalli El Sayed (EGYPT) Asma Mzoughi (TUNISIA) Noha Nassar (EGYPT)

6 Silvia Popp (GERMANY) Olivier Ray (FRANCE) Jan Völkel (GERMANY) Inken Wiese (GERMANY) Conference Venue

7 German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) is Germany s network for foreign policy. As an independent, non-partisan, and nonprofit membership organization, think tank, and publisher DGAP has been promoting public debate on foreign policy in Germany for over 50 years. More than members among them renowned representatives from politics, business, academia, and the media as well as more than 70 companies and foundations support the work of DGAP. DGAP s goals are to promote and contribute to foreign policy debates in Germany, to advise decision makers from politics, business, and civil society, and to inform the public on foreign policy questions and issues. DGAP comprises the think tank, the journal IP, the library and documentation center, the platform Young DGAP, and the web portal DGAP s think tank works at the junction between politics, the economy, and academia. Its work is interdisciplinary, policy-oriented and covers different areas of German foreign policy, which is dynamic due to a globalized and rapidly changing world. The work encompasses research and publications, high-profile conferences and meetings as well as programs for the advancement of Young Professionals. The journal Internationale Politik (IP) appears in German as a bimonthly print magazine and in English as an online magazine on German and European foreign policy. IP Journal offers German perspectives on important foreign affairs issues as well as in-depth analyses on central questions of German and European foreign policy by renowned authors and experts in and outside of Germany. The DGAP Library and Documentation Center (BiDok) is one of the oldest and most significant specialized libraries in Germany that is open to the public. It holds substantial collections on German foreign and security policy. The Young DGAP is a new initiative for members of DGAP under the age of 40. The Young DGAP aims at encouraging more young people to take an active interest in foreign and security policy through innovative events such as controversial debates and discussions with renowned decisionmakers. The web page is DGAP s thematic web-portal. It provides well-grounded background information and analyses about the research institute s current work. It thereby contributes to the professional and public debates about international politics. 4

8 EU-Middle East Forum (EUMEF) The EU Middle East Forum (EUMEF) is one of the core programs for the advancement of young academics and professionals at DGAP. The forum conceptualizes and organizes dialogue and learning conferences, providing a platform for young experts from European and Middle Eastern states to exchange ideas, to debate, to jointly develop solutions to security and developmental challenges, to promote a better understanding and trust between different participants, and to build up a network of high caliber future actors and decision makers. The underlying idea is that security and developmental challenges cannot be tackled by single nation states, but require international dialogue and cooperation. 1. Topics EUMEF mainly works on soft security issues such as democratization, human rights, climate change, and migration. In 2012, EUMEF focuses on chances and challenges associated with the current transformation processes in Egypt and Tunisia, and EU and German politics towards these developments. 2. Participants Participants of EUMEF s different conference formats come from the North-African countries Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, from Turkey, and from Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, and the United Kingdom. EUMEF targets students and young professionals from academia, politics, civil society, the media, and the corporate sector. Participants are recommended by a network of experts available to the forum. 3. Conference Formats EUMEF organizes three consecutive but different conference formats. The three-pronged approach enables EUMEF to bring together future leaders at different stages of their career and to realize a sustainable network. International Summer School (ISS) For two weeks in summer in Berlin, the ISS gathers 30 highly qualified students at the end of their studies or recent graduates (with 1 2 years of work experience). The focus lies on studies related to the fields of Political Science, Economics, Law, and Media and Communication Science. Besides lectures and speeches by international renowned experts, discussions, working groups, and training workshops on different aspects and angles of the transformations in Egypt and Tunisia, open intercultural dialogue and social activities are part of the program. New Faces Conference (NFC) The NFC brings together 20 young professionals from academia, politics, civil society, the media, and the corporate sector. EUMEF organizes two to three NFCs per year, mainly in cooperation with different partner institutions in Turkey, Egypt, Morocco or Tunisia. In 2012, EUMEF is cooperating with the American University in Cairo and the Freie Universität Berlin Cairo Office. Each NFC focuses on and deepens a specific aspect of the summer school s main subject. The NFC provides a forum to intensively discuss these issues with like-minded peers and senior experts. At the same time the conference enables participants to expand their network and to initiate joint projects. 5

9 Alumni Conference Biennially EUMEF invites all former ISS and NFC participants to reconvene in Berlin for three days. The Alumni Conference allows for a strengthening of the network and an exchange among the alumni. Subjects addressed are derived from up-to-date security challenges and topics of the former conferences and summer schools. Participants also get the chance to present initiatives and projects and to explore cooperation channels with other alumni. The next Alumni Conference is planned for November Objectives - Reflection and analysis of security challenges and the sensitization for effective solutions and policies on a national and EU level - Exchange of know-how and experiences - Promotion of an intercultural dialogue to increase understanding and trust between young potential policy makers from Arab countries, the EU, and Turkey - Promotion of a pluralistic, tolerant, and respectful debating environment - Establishing a network of high calibre future actors from North Africa, the EU, and Turkey 5. Team Head of Program: Dina Fakoussa-Behrens fakoussa@dgap.org Program Officer: Christian Achrainer achrainer@dgap.org Program Assistant: Anja Runge runge@dgap.org 6

10 EUMEF Team Dina Fakoussa-Behrens (GERMANY/EGYPT) Dina Fakoussa took up the post as Head of the EU-Middle East Forum in March She has been working for seven years as Project and Program Manager in international development cooperation targeting the Arab region. She was among others Project Manager at the German NGO Media in Cooperation and Transition ggmbh in Jordan, where she conceptualized and realized publications, workshops, and online projects on politics, media, and culture in Iraq and the region. Her last position abroad was at the German Heinrich Böll Stiftung The Political Green Foundation in Lebanon, where she worked for two years as Program Manager. She was in charge of concept development and organization of international conferences and workshops on democratization, human and women rights, conflict resolution, and climate change with a focus on Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, as well as drawing up analysis on political and socio-economic developments in the region. Dina is Egyptian-German. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in Economics from the American University in Cairo and her Master of Arts from the Freie Universität Berlin. Christian Achrainer has been working as Program Officer for EUMEF since January Prior, he worked as Program Assistant and Program Officer for EUMEF s predecessor project, the International Forum on Strategic Thinking. He studied Political Science, Sociology, and Media and Communication Science at the Universities of Düsseldorf and Bremen. During his studies, Christian worked for the Politische Vierteljahresschrift (PVS), the flagship journal of German Political Science. Besides his work at DGAP, Christian is currently preparing his PhD-Thesis on German-Egyptian relations. His research is mainly focused on German foreign policy and development cooperation, German-Egyptian relations, recent developments in Egypt, and the interplay of values, norms, and interests in International Relations. Christian Achrainer (GERMANY) 7

11 Anja Runge (GERMANY) Anja Runge has been working for the DGAP since 2009, first as an Intern and currently as Accounting Assistant for the Forum. In this capacity, she is responsible for administrative tasks as well as financial project monitoring including variance analysis. Prior to joining DGAP, Anja received her degree in Business Administration from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. In her studies she focused on management accounting and financial reporting based on national and international standards (IAS, IFRS) as well as taxation of national and international transactions of private and incorporated companies. During her studies she worked as a Student Assistant for a non-profit organization that fosters research on and development of small and medium-sized companies, where she improved her knowledge of ERP-systems and data management. 8

12 I. General Outline The 16 th New Faces Conference Concept Note In Egypt s uprising, political and economic demands were intertwined and inseparable. At the core of the revolution in Egypt lay/lie demands for an end to political repression and stagnation as well as calls for social justice and an end to massive poverty, unemployment, the lack of decent education, health and social security schemes, corruption, and nepotism; just to name a few of the country s serious economic and social woes. The long-term social frustration and disillusionment resulting from these economic, social, and political deficiencies led to a sense of marginalization, exclusion, and humiliation at the individual and collective level that removed the wall of fear characteristic for citizens living in authoritarian settings and led to the uprising in January Any talk of political reform needs therefore to proceed in tandem with economic reforms and economics are at least as important and as decisive a factor that will heavily determine the course of the country in the transitional phase and beyond. If the disadvantaged population does not sense in the short- and long-run an amelioration of its social and economic conditions, an escalation and spread of conflicts and a waning of credibility and popularity of the democratization process as well as grave disappointment are inevitable, with serious repercussions for the country s development and hence, implications for security and stability nationally and in the region. Therefore, economic policies and strategies need thorough analysis, and adequate solutions and programs need to be developed nationally but also - if asked by the Egyptian side - by external actors such as the EU in order to satisfy the legitimate demands of Egypt s marginalized segments of society. There is also an urgency to scrutinize and question former economic and social policies and models that failed to deliver and to set the way forward. Besides, transformations in Egypt are happening against the backdrop of a decrease of trust in the market economy as a result of the financial and economic crisis, a model long perceived as the most effective in terms of economic management. These realities render the process of economic transition certainly more contentious. The endeavor of addressing Egypt s socio-economic malaise needs to be approached from an interdisciplinary perspective, given the fact that political and social contexts within which economic activities are taking place effect and condition economics and vice versa. Often politics and economics are conceived as separate spheres and a lesson long drawn but often discarded is that purely technical economic approaches that disregard the political and social context are incomprehensive and flawed. The aim of the conference is an investigation of selected economic and social models and policies in an interdisciplinary setting and the development of solutions and policy recommendations. II. Thematic Clusters The three day conference aims to address a number of economic and social aspects of the transitional phase in Egypt along four thematic clusters, bearing in mind that these four are overlapping, inseparable, and mutually dependent. The conference does not attempt to comprehensively examine Egypt s social and economic problems but rather focuses on major relevant thematic blocs: the economic model and form of the Egyptian state, governance and policy making, labor and human development, and the role of external actors and experiences from other countries. 9

13 1. Egypt s Economic Model Observers and economic experts differ in their views concerning the economic model Egypt should now adopt. There are proponents of inter alia opening the market for more trade, financial liberalization, increasing the role and space of the private sector, and cutting subsidies and decreasing the economic role and expenditures of the state. They blame crony capitalism and an incomprehensive and faulty implementation of neo-liberal policies and not the essence of the model as such for failing to improve social and economic conditions of the majority of the population. Others demand more state intervention. They argue that privatization and excessive reliance on the market contributed to a rise in unemployment, poverty, and inequality between a rich minority and the deprived majority and that rejecting neo-liberal policies are part and parcel of the people s economic demands. Hence, the question that has to be addressed is: What is the appropriate model for Egypt or which elements of the different models best serve the interest of Egyptian society and should be reflected in the constitution and laws? While examining different models, it is imperative to use a philosophical prism as well, addressing the underlying social principles and values of economic models. Only if values such as sympathy, empathy, and the willingness to reverse property and wealth conditions and to redistribute income and resources are reinvigorated, nurtured and internalized, the economic and political transition is to bear fruit. 2. Governance and Policy-making There is agreement that one of the major impediments to Egypt s comprehensive economic and social development is deficiencies in the country s governance and how policies come into being. As stated before, economics is directly affected by the nature of the political setting it occurs in and inclusion is considered an anchor for good governance and sound economic development. Similar to conditions under which the social contracts came into being, in the past economic reform was not effectively coordinated with a wider scope of stakeholder participation and hence ownership. Debates on economic policies were exclusive to the political elite, actors loyal to the regime, and certain powerful, politically well-connected business circles. The question that arises here is hence about the nexus between the changing nature of Egypt s political system, policymaking processes, and development outcomes. Are there currently novel and efficient mechanisms through which a discussion on reforms and a new social contract respectively are taking place and consensus can be reached? Is there already an effective, inclusive national dialogue under way? What is the role of civil society organizations such as labor unions, NGOs, the media, and political parties? Are they organized and technically versed enough in order to have an impact on the economic reform agenda in a more open political system? More general, how can a democratization of economics be achieved, entailing more inclusion and participation in economic affairs, leading to public support for policies and hence legitimacy, more effective checks and balances mechanisms, and consequently more effective and sustainable policies? 3. Human Capital and Development Youth unemployment and a crumbling educational system are among the gross challenges to be overcome in the short and long run in Egypt, again with a clear interweavement of the two areas. Persistence of this situation bears serious potential for further conflict, destabilization, and increasing radicalization. This thematic bloc will deal with a selection of necessary measures and policies to decrease youth unemployment and enhance Egypt s human capital. Which short-term and long-term policies need to be implemented? For example, how can business creation be boosted and access to capital be facilitated? What kind of legal and administrative environment is necessary for this end? 10

14 Which measures best combat structural deficiencies of corruption and nepotism? How can economic diversification and private investments into job-creating sectors be achieved? And how can small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), accounting for the bulk of Egypt s non-agricultural sector, be increasingly promoted? A precondition for the success of these reforms is ensuring that educational curricula and skills taught match the needs of the labor market. Hence, how can elementary, secondary, and tertiary education as well as vocational training be comprehensively addressed and reformed? In the context of a discussion of human and labor development, the issue of gender discrimination has to be placed on top of the agenda, investigating how this economically and socially harmful and counter-productive phenomenon can be combated. 4. Cross-cutting Theme External Actors and Experiences Ever since the uprisings erupted, Western powers have been struggling with an adequate reaction, often plagued with disorientation. Nevertheless, powers such as the EU and the German government have a genuine interest in a successful transition to democracy in Egypt. So how can the EU and Germany contribute meaningfully to the country s economic and social development? Here, a critical review of past efforts and an outlook into the future concerning the role they can and should play should be offered. Equally important is scrutinizing the role of other regional actors such as Turkey or the Gulf countries and implications of their engagement on the domestic Egyptian scene. III. Objectives The key objectives of the conference are to: bridge academic and non-academic discourses by bringing together researchers, policy makers, and other practitioners support the young generation of practitioners, policy-makers, and researchers to discuss their visions and findings with senior experts as well as peers develop effective policy recommendations and solutions for national actors as well as external ones such as the EU establish a network between young professionals and initiate new partnerships and promote mutual understanding by bringing together participants from North Africa, the EU, and Turkey. 11

15 Agenda Thursday, 28 June Meeting in the Hotel Lobby Welcome Dinner at Abu Sid Restaurant in Zamalek Friday, 29 June Opening of the Conference Dina Fakoussa, Head of EUMEF, DGAP Florian Kohstall, Head of the Cairo Office, Freie Universität Berlin Ann M. Lesch, Associate Provost for International Programs, American University in Cairo Plenary Session: Deconstructing Models Which one for Egypt? Monal Abdel-Baki, Assistant Professor of Economics, American University in Cairo & Head of the Financial Valuation Team of the Active Brains Consulting Group Plenary Discussion Coffee Break Plenary Session: Input Presentations Lunch Gillian Kennedy: An Egyptian Islamic Social Contract - Linking Theory and Practice Evrim Görmüş: The Motor of Change - Islamic Business Groups in Egypt Working Group Session Group I - Facilitator: Monal Abdel-Baki Input Presentations by: Mohamed Abolnaga: Egypt s Socio-Economic Policy Triode Marina Eleftheriadou: The New Pious Face of Egypt The Agenda of Islamist Forces in the Post-Mubarak Era 12

16 Friday, 29 June (continued) Coffee Break Group II - Facilitator: Florian Kohstall Input Presentations by: Nivin Abdelmeguid: Egypt s Economic Model and Economic Transition Waleed Mansour: The Way to a Sustainable, Green System Plenary Session: Egypt s Regional Economic Ties and Potential Anja Zorob, Assistant Dean and Coordinator, PhD-Program International Development Studies, Institute of Development Research and Development Policy, Ruhr-Universität Bochum Plenary Discussion Dinner at the Hotel Saturday, 30 June Working Group Session Coffee Break Group I - Facilitator: Monal Abdel-Baki Input Presentations by: Nashwa Ghoneim: Performance Effectiveness of Civil Society Ülkü Zümray Kutlu: Reflections on the Problems and Prospects of Participatory Policies Group II - Facilitator: Florian Kohstall Input Presentations by: Samira Helmy-Bruin: How can Corporate Social Responsibility help Egypt out of its Economic Woes? Béchir Bouraoui: The Corruption Threat in the Tunisian Economy Plenary Session: A Critical Assessment of Tertiary Education Reforms Florian Kohstall, Head of the Cairo Office, Freie Universität Berlin Plenary Discussion Lunch 13

17 Saturday, 30 June (continued) Plenary Session: Unemployment as a Continuing Threat - How to Reform the Labor Market Mona Said, Associate Professor of Economics, American University in Cairo Plenary Discussion Coffee Break Working Group Session Group I - Facilitator: Monal Abdel-Baki Input Presentations by: Asma Mzoughi: New Idea A Different Microcredit Association Muhammad Abushaqra: The Macroeconomics of Youth - Why the Government and International Development Institutions should act Differently Group II - Facilitator: Florian Kohstall Input Presentations by: Noha Nassar: The Way to Human Capital Development in Egypt Silvia Popp: Youth Unemployment in Egypt Short-term Policies supported by External Actors Plenary Session: Input Presentations Dinner at N.N. Emel Akçali: The Effects of Globalization and Neo-liberal Governmentality on the Arab Spring Nahla Mahmoud: The Economic Tool in Egypt s Relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran Sunday, 1 July Plenary Session: The Nexus between Participation and Social Justice Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director, Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND), Beirut Plenary Discussion Coffee Break 14

18 Sunday, 1 July (continued) Working Group Session Group I - Facilitator: Monal Abdel-Baki Input Presentations by: Jan Völkel: Economy is Key! Egypt s Start and Europe s Part Inken Wiese: Qatar as an External Actor developing Egypt s Human Capital Group II - Facilitator: Florian Kohstall Input Presentations by: Somaia Metwalli El Sayed: Entrepreneurship Education in Egypt Olivier Ray: Where to after Freedom? Egypt and its Partners at Crossroads Lunch th Working Group Session - Summing Up Plenary Session - Results of Working Groups Evaluation 15

19 Speakers (in order of appearance in the agenda) Florian Kohstall (GERMANY) Florian Kohstall is the Head of Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) Cairo Office at DAAD, representing the university in the Middle East and North Africa region. Prior to joining FUB he was a research fellow with the Centre d'études et de Documentation Économiques, Juridiques et Sociales (CEDEJ) and Lecturer at Sciences Po Aix en Provence. Kohstall holds a PhD from Freie Universität Berlin and Institut d Études Politiques d Aix-en- Provence entitled International Cooperation and Authoritarian Consolidation: Higher Education Reforms in Egypt and Morocco". His research interests comprise university reform, political change, and the role of international donor organizations in the MENA-region. He published among others La fabrique des élections en Égypte Cedej, Cairo 2011 (with F. Vairel). Kohstall is a frequent contributor to the media on recent events in Egypt, Libya, and Morocco. Ann M. Lesch (USA) Ann M. Lesch is a Professor of Political Science and the Associate Provost of International Programs at the American University in Cairo (AUC). In her research, she mainly focuses on Sudanese, Palestinian, and Egyptian politics. Before joining AUC, Lesch has been a Research Associate at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia ( ), the Associate Middle East Representative for the American Friends Service Committee (Jerusalem, ), a Program Officer at the Ford Foundation (New York and Cairo, ), the Middle East Associate for Universities Field Staff International (Cairo, ), and a Professor of Political Science at Villanova University (Philadelphia, ). In Fall 2004, she joined AUC as Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences and became Associate Provost for International Programs in Fall Besides, Lesch serves on advisory committees for Human Rights Watch (Middle East program), Middle East Report (MERIP), and the Palestinian American Research Center, which she co-founded in 1998 and directed from 2001 until Lesch is a graduate of Swarthmore College (BA Honors) and Columbia University (PhD). 16

20 Monal Abdel-Baki (EGYPT) Monal Abdel-Baki is an Assistant Professor of Economics (School of Business) at the American University in Cairo (AUC). She is a founding partner and Head of the financial valuation team at Active Brains Consulting Group. Her main areas of research include Islamic banking and finance, reforming prudential controls by central banks and other financial regulatory agencies, enhancing marginal productivity of capital in Egyptian banks, the role of the Egyptian banking sector in mitigating the effects of economic downturns, the role of the financial sector in economic development, proficient lending to SMEs, alternative methods of constructing social welfare functions, and urbanization in emerging economies. Prior to her current position, Abdel-Baki worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of New Brunswick, was a Lecturer at Sadat Academy, and Foreign Exchange Dealer and Money Market Chief Dealer at Merrill Lynch. She earned her BA and MA in Economics from AUC and her PhD in Managerial Economics in the Banking Sector from the Higher Institute of Managerial Sciences. Anja Zorob (GERMANY) Anja Zorob is Senior Research Fellow as well as Assistant Dean and Coordinator of the PhD Program International Development Studies (PHD IDS) at the Institute of Development Research and Development Policy (IEE), Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. Her research record covers mainly the areas of economics and politics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), political economy of reform in MENA countries (Syria and Mashreq), and inter- and intraregional integration with a special focus on Euro-Mediterranean and intra-arab relations. Current research activities include the role of female entrepreneurs in the economies and societies of Arab countries, besides the political economy of international trade negotiations and chances and risks of overlapping trade agreements with a special focus on the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other Arab countries. Before returning to the IEE in spring 2012, Zorob was Associate Professor (Juniorprofessorin) for Economics and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa at the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Politics, Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science, Freie Universität Berlin. In addition to research and teaching, she served in recent years as a Consultant for inter alia German development organizations, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation, and the European Parliament. 17