Benjamin Isakhan

Benjamin Isakhan is Professor of International Politics at Deakin University's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, where he founded and directed the Polis research network. His interdisciplinary research examines heritage destruction during conflicts, particularly in Iraq and Syria, and the politics of post-conflict reconstruction.

Professor Isakhan's work investigates how cultural heritage becomes weaponized in conflicts and how local communities engage in reconstruction efforts. He has secured significant research funding, including an ARC Discovery Project on heritage dynamics after Islamic State and defense-funded research on cultural property destruction.

With extensive international collaborations, Professor Isakhan has held visiting positions at Stanford, Oxford, and the University of Pennsylvania. His publications include studies on the political mobilization of heritage and the role of international organizations in cultural recovery efforts across the Middle East.