Newswise — In light of Hosni Mubarak’s reported resignation as president of Egypt, the Cornell University Press Office has assembled experts who can discuss issues related to this political change.
The professors and their credentials are listed below:
Ziad Fahmy, Cornell professor of Near Eastern Studies
Born in Egypt, Fahmy has written a new book, “Ordinary Egyptians: Creating the Modern Nation through Popular Culture,” which will be published in June 2011 by the Stanford University Press. His interests include nationalism in the modern Middle East, colloquial Arabic mass-culture, and media and identity in Egypt and the Arab World. His doctoral dissertation "Popularizing Egyptian Nationalism" was awarded the Malcolm H. Kerr Dissertation Award in 2008. He teaches “History of the Modern Middle East: 19th–20th Centuries.” Professor Fahmy appeared as a guest on The Insana Quotient, hosted by CNBC’s Ron Insana on Feb. 9, 2011.
Chantal Thomas, Cornell professor of law
Chantal Thomas is a Cornell professor of law, and she directs the Clarke Initiative for Law and Development in the Middle East and North Africa. Prior to joining Cornell, Professor Thomas chaired the Law Department of the American University in Cairo. She lived in Egypt between 2005 and 2008.
She has served on the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law, on the International Trade Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, as an International Trade Specialist with the Africa Law Initiative of the American Bar Association.
Thomas focuses her scholarship on the relationship between international law, political economy, and global social justice. In light of the recent uprising in Egypt, Thomas warns the danger of mass upheaval and disorientation would be too great if President Mubarak were to suddenly vacate office. Professor Thomas appeared as a guest on the PBS Newshour on Feb. 2, 2011.
David Patel, Cornell professor of government
David Patel teaches comparative politics with a focus on Middle Eastern politics, Islamic institutions and political culture. He has conducted research in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon, analyzing the recurrent ability of Islamic institutions to shape patterns of collective action. In October 2010, he published a chapter titled “Identity and Politics” in the book Politics and Society of the Contemporary Middle East, Michele Penner Angrist, ed., by Lynne Rienner Publishers. Professor Patel was recently quoted by Discovery News and Yahoo! News.
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