IMES is happy to announce that we will be hosting Dr. Ahmed Zohny as a non-resident scholar during the 24-25 academic year. Dr. Zohny is currently a Professor in the Department of Applied Social and Political Sciences at Coppin State University. He returned to academia after serving in the United States Department of State/USAID and the World Bank. He is an economic, social, and political development expert on the Middle East, North Africa, and the broader Islamic World.

Dr. Zohny is the author of two recent books: Donald Trump’s Digital Diplomacy and Its Impact on US Foreign Policy Toward the Middle East (April 2023) and Barack Obama and The Arab Spring, A successful Balancing Act of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy (July 2021).

Dr. Zohny holds a Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.A. in Political Science from Bloomsburg State University, an LL.M. in International Business Law from American University, and an LL.B. from Ain Shams University in Egypt. Dr. Zohny is licensed by the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals as a Legal Consultant on Egypt and the Middle East and has appeared on major U.S. media networks as an analyst on events in Egypt and the Middle East. He is fluent in Arabic and English.

At IMES Dr. Zohny will work on his current project, which focuses on waning US influence and China’s expanding diplomatic and economic footprint in the Middle East, specifically through the lens of Beijing’s efforts toward reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the US’s longstanding commitment to Israel, as well as the potential impact of the ongoing war on Gaza.