Fall 2022 Fellows

Andra-Ioana Curutiu

Women Empowerment and Human Rights Fellow. Romania - Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Originally from Romania, Andra moved to the Netherlands at 18 to study International and European Law at the Hague University of Applied Sciences. During her studies, Andra specialized in public international law and human rights, and she started developing a strong interest in international dispute resolution and mediation. Andra wrote her Bachelor’s Thesis on the legal limits and the restriction of the veto power in cases of atrocity crimes, examining the case study of Syria. In 2021, she took part in the New York Model United Nations, acting as a Security Council representative for Tunisia, and this year, Andra graduated with an LLM in International Commercial Arbitration from Stockholm University in Sweden. Her fellowship will focus, amongst others, on women empowerment, refugee protection and children’s rights.

Articles: Born in Syria | Civilizations in Review: Saffarid Dynasty | How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division | Saffarid 101 | Septembers of Shiraz | The Land Beyond: A Thousand Miles on Foot through the Heart of the Middle East | The Prophet

Alex Doyle

Gender Parity and Security Policy Fellow. USA, Washington DC

Alex is a BA student of International Affairs at the George Washington University. They are concentrating in Security and Gender Policy as well as minoring in Arabic Studies. Alex has conducted past research on the factors influencing female representation and looks forward to bringing this background to Al-Fusaic. Her fellowship will focus on the advancement of gender equality in the MENA region and how these developments affect the security of the region as a whole.

Articles: Bavand 101 | Beirut 2020 Diary of the Collapse | Civilizations in Review: Bavand Dynasty | The Latest on the Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border Crisis

Jane Fitzpatrick

Religious Arts Fellow. USA - State College, PA

Jane is currently earning her Master's degree in International Affairs with a concentration in Religion in World Politics at the Pennsylvania State University. She graduated from Gettysburg College with a Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies and a Minor in Middle East and Islamic Studies in 2021. Working as an intern for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during the summer of 2022 solidified Jane's hopes of working in the field of international relations and protecting international religious freedoms. Passionate about research and education, Jane is thrilled to explore the unique art forms of religious traditions in the MENA region with Al Fusaic.

Articles: Arts of Islam; Distant Perspectives: Bertoldo di Giovanni's Portrait Medal of Sultan Mehmed II | Arts of Islam; Distant Perspectives: Cartier and Islamic Arts | Arts of Islam; Distant Perspectives: Gentille Bellini’s “Saint Mark Preaching in Alexandria” | Arts of Islam; Part One: The Kaaba | Arts of Islam; Part Two: The Qur’an | Arts of Islam; Part Three: Geometry and Patterns | Arts of Islam; Part Four: Rock Crystal | Arts of Islam; Part Five: Layla and Majnun | Arts of Islam; Part Six: Gardens | Arts of Islam; Part Seven: Celestial Bodies | Arts of Islam; Part Eight: Blessed Arms and Holy Protection | Arts of Islam; Part Nine: Insignia of Sultan Süleiman the Magnificent | Arts of Islam; Part Ten: Jonah and the Whale, Art from the Qur’an | Arts of Islam; Spotlight On: Cairo's City of the Dead | Arts of Islam; Spotlight On: The Grand Mosque of Bursa | Avaaz | Civilizations in Review: Yamhad Empire | Forbidden Faces; Part One: The Prophet (PBUH) | Forbidden Faces; Part Two: Allah | Salvation Army | The Great Theft | The Lover: A Sufi Mystery | The Vision of Islam | Yamhad 101

Giorgia Piantanida

Climate Security Fellow. Trento, Italy

Giorgia is currently a graduate student at the Università di Trento and Scuola Superiore di Sant’Anna Pisa, about to begin the second year of her course in International Security. During her undergraduate career, she fostered a passion for conflict studies and became interested in the ties between Europe and the MENA region. Giorgia spent her first year of undergraduate studying Arabic and has since been continuing her studies on her own. Recently, Giorgia undertook a summer school that focused on gender issues in the MENA region, enabling her to improve her understanding of the gender topics and issues that face several countries. Her interests in the MENA region are rooted in climate change and human security, especially as the region becomes increasingly unlivable.

Maximiliano Valdebenito

Culture & Civilization Fellow – Chile and USA – Washington, DC

I am Maximiliano Valdebenito, I am originally from Santiago de Chile, and I am a translator and interpreter in English-Spanish-Japanese, I am currently studying for a Master's Degree in International Relations with a Certificate in Advanced Stages in Conflict Resolution at Syracuse University, New York. I am very interested in being able to help break the stereotypes that exist about the Middle East, as a foreigner I consider it very important to make the culture of each country known to make it known that we are not very different.

Articles: Hamza Namira | Tahirid 101

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