WASHINGTON, July 1, 2015 – The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington is pleased to announce that Dr. Karen E. Young has joined the institute as a senior resident scholar. She joins Hussein Ibish and Kristin Smith Diwan on the senior resident scholar team.
Before joining AGSIW, Young was research fellow at the Middle East Centre (MEC) of the London School of Economics and Political Science from 2014-15, where she retains a non-resident affiliation. Based in Dubai from 2008-14, she was assistant professor of political science at the American University of Sharjah (UAE) from 2009-14. Her research interests include comparative politics, international relations, and political economy, focusing on processes of economic and political transition, state formation, and foreign policy decision-making.
Young is the author of The Political Economy of Energy, Finance and Security in the United Arab Emirates: Between the Majilis and the Market, published by Palgrave in 2014. She has written for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the Conservative Middle East Council, the LSE Middle East Centre, Gulf regional newspapers The National and Gulf News, among others. She has appeared frequently as an analyst on Al Jazeera International and CNBC Arabia.
“The new institute will provide an important forum for dialogue between academics, policymakers, and civil society in the Gulf and in the US. I am excited to be part of the initiative. The Gulf states are rising in prominence in global politics and we need better ways to foster cooperation and exchange,” said Young.
“I am delighted to welcome Karen to the institute,” said Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba, AGSIW president. “By recruiting some of the best scholars on the Gulf to join our institute, we have made significant progress towards promoting dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding between the United States and our Gulf allies.”
Young’s research at AGSIW will focus on GCC finance, foreign policy, and demographic issues.
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The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW), established in 2014, is an independent, non-profit institution dedicated to increasing the understanding and appreciation of the social, economic, and political diversity of the Arab Gulf states. Through expert research, analysis, exchanges, and public discussion, the institute seeks to encourage thoughtful debate and inform decision makers shaping U.S. policy regarding this critical geo-strategic region.
