Tina Zintl

Tina Zintl is a Research Fellow and Academic Coordinator for the Comparative & Middle East Politics and Society (CMEPS) M.A. Program at the University of Tübingen. She holds expertise in Middle Eastern and North African authoritarian regimes, focusing particularly on Syria. Her academic background includes a PhD in International Relations from the University of St Andrews (2013) and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (2008). Prior roles include Research Assistant at the Centre for Syrian Studies (2009–2013) and internships with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

Her research interests center on authoritarian rule dynamics, state-society relations, and Euro-Mediterranean diplomacy. She explores how foreign-educated elites interact with authoritarian systems, including their roles in transnational advocacy and regime legitimacy strategies. Zintl also examines migration politics and research ethics, emphasizing qualitative methodologies.

Zintl’s publications analyze Syria’s political evolution under Bashar al-Asad, including the impact of sanctions and diaspora networks on regime resilience. Her work bridges comparative politics with case-specific studies, revealing how authoritarian regimes adapt through elite co-optation and reform strategies.

• Travel Grant: Honeymann Foundation (2009) for conference participation.

In advising and grants, Zintl oversees the CMEPS program and has secured funding from the Fritz Thyssen Foundation for projects on authoritarian regimes and sanctions. She contributes to the Schlumberger Team at Tübingen, focusing on Middle East and comparative politics. Her presentations highlight methodological challenges in studying authoritarian contexts and the evolving role of international sanctions.