معرفی
Paul Amar is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and Director of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies. He holds affiliate appointments in Feminist Studies, Sociology, Comparative Literature, Middle East Studies, and Latin American & Iberian Studies. His work bridges political science and anthropology, focusing on police brutality, authoritarian legacies, and security regimes in Latin America and the Middle East, particularly Brazil and Egypt. He is a former journalist, UN development specialist, and police reform activist.
- Education: Ph.D. in Political Science and Anthropology
- Key Affiliations: UCSB, Federal University Fluminense (Brazil), Cairo University (Egypt)
Research interests include critical security studies, human rights, post-colonial theory, and queer theory, with a focus on state violence against racial and sexual minorities. His seminal work The Security Archipelago (2013) won the Charles Taylor Award for its analysis of human security and neoliberalism.
His articles and books explore policing dynamics, urban geopolitics, and revolutionary movements, particularly in the context of the Arab Spring and Brazil’s socio-political landscape. He critiques authoritarian policing practices and advocates for progressive state reforms.
- Awards: Charles Taylor Award (2014)
- Leadership: Directed the Orfalea Center and global studies programs at UCSB
He has authored/co-authored influential books on Middle East-Brazil relations and global South dynamics, while teaching courses on human rights, comparative politics, and critical security studies.
