Jessica Elias

Jessica Elias is a PhD Candidate and Assistant Lecturer at the University of Kent's Kent Law School. She holds a double Master of Laws in International Law with International Relations (with Merit) from the University of Kent (2015) and a Bachelor of Political Studies from the American University of Beirut (2012). Her research focuses on protests, peace processes, and legal frameworks beyond state actors, employing critical legal scholarship and cultural theory. She has conducted fieldwork on informal justice actors in Syria and Lebanon.

Teaching roles include Lecturer of International Studies at Leiden University’s Faculty of Humanities and Visiting Lecturer for the Middle Eastern Studies Master’s program at the University of Groningen (2023). She specializes in Politics, Cultural Studies, Middle Eastern Culture/Politics, and Cultural Interaction. Jessica is certified in Higher Education Teaching and Curriculum Design (BKO, 2019).

Her professional experience includes work with Oxfam GB, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Lebanese Red Cross. She consults for the UN Climate Parliament and has led humanitarian programs in the Middle East. Fluent in Classical Arabic (and its 15 dialects), English, French, and Dutch (beginner), Jessica also served as Chief of the Scouts Association in Lebanon for 11 years.

Awarded numerous scholarships and grants, her recognitions highlight academic excellence and leadership. Her research bridges legal, cultural, and political dimensions, emphasizing marginalized actors in conflict and peacebuilding contexts.