Houssein Al Malla

Houssein Al Malla is a Doctoral Researcher at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), affiliated with the GIGA Doctoral Program and the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies. Since January 2025, he has also served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Lebanese American University in the Institute for Social Justice and Conflict Resolution (ISJCR) and the Institute for Migration Studies (IMS) under a Carnegie-funded research project on international interventions in Lebanon. He has previously held research and teaching roles at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, and Goethe University Frankfurt.

His academic background includes a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt, where he was a DAAD Helmut Schmidt Scholar, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science / International Affairs from the Lebanese American University. He was also a visiting student at Sciences Po, Paris.

Houssein’s research focuses on international sanctions, foreign policy analysis, political psychology, and leadership traits, with regional expertise in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Sub-Saharan Africa, Lebanon, and Iran. His provisional dissertation explores the role of political psychology in explaining the outcomes of international sanctions. His work bridges theoretical and policy-relevant insights in the fields of peace and security, global orders, and foreign policy decision-making.

His recent publications and media contributions analyze German foreign policy in the Middle East and the phenomenon of foreign fighting in the Ukraine conflict. The articles reflect a strong trend toward understanding global security challenges through psychological and political behavioral lenses, particularly in sanction regimes and leadership behavior.

His scientific recognition includes the following awards:

• Dietmar Herz Award
• Director's Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Academic Achievement
• DAAD Helmut Schmidt Scholar for Public Policy and Good Governance

Houssein has served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Erfurt and has taught courses such as Introduction to Foreign Policy Analysis and Foreign Policy Analysis of Global Security Challenges at the University of Hamburg. He is also the Representative of Doctoral Researchers at the GIGA Doctoral Program since January 2023, indicating active engagement in academic governance. He has contributed to editorial work for the Africa Spectrum Journal and research projects on sanctions and security in Lebanon and the Central African Republic.

He has participated in academic workshops such as the IBEI-GIGA Workshop on Security, Conflict and Peace in Barcelona and the The Use and Effects of (Individual) Sanctions workshop in Berlin, demonstrating active involvement in scholarly discourse. His current research is supported by prestigious institutions including the Carnegie Center and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, where he works on rule of law programs in the MENA region.