Professors Cyrus Schayegh and Christiana Parreira will discuss the history of Syrian politics, with a focus on the rise of the Assad regime and its long-term impact on the country's political dynamics. They will then explore the challenges Syria faces after the regime’s fall, including rebuilding institutions, managing internal divisions, and navigating both regional and international influences. The conversation will also highlight the roles of various actors, including local factions, foreign powers, and international organisations, in shaping Syria’s political future.

Moderated by Dr Annyssa Bellal, Executive Director of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform.

Cyrus Schayegh is Professor and Head of the International History and Politics Department. He joined the Geneva Graduate Institute in 2017. Before, he was Associate Professor at Princeton University and, in 2005-2008, Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut. His most recent works are the monograph The Middle East and the Making of the Modern World (Harvard UP, 2017), the edited volume Globalizing the U.S. Presidency: Postcolonial Views of John F. Kennedy (Bloomsbury, 2020), and a primary source collection.

Christiana Parreira is Assistant Professor of International Relations and Political Science. She joined the Geneva Graduate Institute in 2022. Before, she served as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University and a Pre-Doctoral Associate at the Harvard Kennedy School's Middle East Initiative. Her research, published in the Journal of Politics, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Journal of Peace Research, focuses on the role of local political institutions and actors in the Middle East. Her forthcoming book project examines the evolution of local governance in Lebanon.