André Bank

Dr. André Bank is a Senior Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies, part of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies. He previously served as Acting Director of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies (2018–2019). His research focuses on Middle Eastern politics, including authoritarianism, statethood, and regional conflicts, with expertise on Jordan, Syria, and Palestine/Israel. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Philipps University Marburg and has held academic positions at institutions such as the Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Hamburg.

Education:

• PhD (2010): Regional Wars and Local Orders in the Middle East, Philipps University Marburg (Dissertation Prize 2011)
• MA (2004): Political Science, Islamic Studies, and Sociology from Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen and University of Washington, Seattle

Research Interests: Authoritarianism, political domination, Syria conflict dynamics, Arabism-Islamism relations, and forced migration governance.

Key Projects:

• Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM)
• COVID-19 and Dynamics of (Post-)War Violence in Syria and Colombia
• MAGYC: Migration Governance and Asylum Crises

Awards: Nils Petter Gleditsch JPR Article of the Year Award (2015) and Dissertation Prize (2011).

Teaching & Outreach: Lectures on Middle East politics, including the Gaza War’s regional impact and Syria’s post-conflict regions. Active in policy advising and media commentary on Middle Eastern issues.