Katya Al Khateeb

Katya Al Khateeb is a Senior Research Officer at the Essex Law School, University of Essex, where she has been employed since 2019. Her work integrates International Humanitarian Law (IHL), transitional justice, and the intersection of human rights with the arts in conflict and post-conflict settings.

• Education
  • LLM in International Human Rights Law and Humanitarian Law, University of Essex (2018)
  • PhD in Literature, Theatre, and Film Studies, University of Essex (2016)
  • MA in Literature, Theatre, and Film Studies, University of Essex (2011)
  • BA in Comparative Cultural Studies, Tishreen University (2007)

Katya's research focuses on the legal implications of emerging military technologies (e.g., brain-computer interfaces), transitional justice in Syria, and the critique of legal norms through speculative fiction and cultural expression. Her publications address complex legal-ethical challenges in armed conflict, the role of cultural narratives in peacebuilding, and domestic human rights frameworks.

Recent trends in her articles emphasize the regulation of cybernetic enhancements in warfare, post-conflict reconciliation through arts, and interdisciplinary approaches to law reform. These works are grounded in international law, technology ethics, and cultural studies.

• Grants & Funding
  • Resistance, Reconciliation and Peacebuilding by Syrian Artists in Exile (2023, QR Impact Fund, University of Essex)
  • Agree to Disagree? Responding to Intolerant Narratives in Initiatives for Transformative Justice (2022, ESRC IAA, University of Essex)

Katya is actively involved in projects such as the Syria in Transition initiative and serves as an editor for the Essex Human Rights Centre blog. She has also contributed to interdisciplinary research through the Digital Verification Unit and the Armed Conflict and Acute Crisis Hub.