معرفی
Alaa Dia is a lecturer and PhD candidate in the Department of Urban Studies at the University of Basel, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He holds an MSc in Architecture from the Lebanese University and a MAS in Urban Design from ETH Zürich. His academic work bridges architecture, urban studies, and migration research.
His research focuses on the spatial and architectural dimensions of migration infrastructure, particularly within the Mediterranean borderscape. He was a principal researcher on the Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS)-funded project 'Infrastructure Space and the Future of Migration Management: The EU Hotspots in the Mediterranean Borderscape', and contributed to interdisciplinary studies on border spaces, refugee communities, and statecraft. His work critically examines how infrastructure enables migration control and transforms urban and political landscapes.
He has co-authored research on the EU Hotspot Approach, analyzing how infrastructure spaces function as sites of biopolitical filtering and security prioritization. His publications reflect a strong engagement with critical urbanism, coloniality of infrastructure, and the socio-spatial impacts of migration governance.
Scientific Awards:
- Doc.Mobility Scholarship (University of Basel & SNSF)
- Scholarship from Die Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft (FAG), Basel
- Research Grant from the Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS)
Alaa Dia has served as a doctoral researcher and teaching assistant at ETH Zurich, where he investigated the social and architectural impacts of refugee communities in Germany. His work was featured in the 'Inclusive Urbanism' exhibition at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum Frankfurt. He continues to contribute to teaching and research at the University of Basel, advising on urban challenges through a critical, interdisciplinary lens.
He is involved in research projects that integrate academic theory with urban practice, focusing on transformative urban thinking and the historical-political dynamics of urban life. His work emphasizes the need for alternative future scenarios grounded in justice and inclusion.
