Political Science professor Gawdat Bahgat has been selected for a faculty position in the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
“We were thrilled with the chance to add Dr. Bahgat to our staff,” Anne Moisan, NESA Center associate dean, said.
“He is a win-win because of his expertise and passion for the Middle East and the Gulf. He brings an ability to organize from his academic experience and is able to add more depth to lectures and panels from his skills gained at the university.”
Bahgat, who directs IUP's Center for Middle Eastern Studies in addition to his teaching responsibilities, will be on leave from IUP for two years to serve in his role at NESA.
NESA's goal is to enhance security in the Near East and South Asia by building relationships and promoting effective communications through interaction in an academic environment. This includes building partnerships among security professionals and leaders in the NESA region. NESA staff members have served as ambassadors, government ministers, military officers, and university faculty.
“I plan to share my experiences with my students and colleagues at IUP upon my return,” Bahgat said. “My work at NESA includes a lot of traveling in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and interacting with officials from these countries. I also hope to offer opportunities for IUP students to serve as interns at NESA in the future.”
Bahgat will also be responsible for briefing American and foreign diplomats and military leaders on topics related to the Middle East in his faculty role.
Bahgat has worked at IUP since 1995 and has served as director of IUP's Center for Middle Eastern Studies since 1997. He is the recipient of many grants and awards, including a Peace Scholarship from the federal government in 1982, a grant to study Floridian attitudes toward the Middle East from the Florida-Israel Institute in 1994, a Special Project Award from IUP in 2003, a research award from IUP in 2007, and University Senate Committee Awards from IUP in 1995, 1996, and 1998.
He has published several books: The Gulf Monarchies: New Economic and Political Realities; The Future of the Gulf, The Persian Gulf at the Dawn of the New Millennium; American Oil Diplomacy in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea; Israel and the Persian Gulf: Retrospect and Prospect; and Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East.
His most recent book, Sovereign Wealth Funds in Non-OECD Countries, will be released later this year.
Bahgat has also published close to two hundred articles in scholarly journals; presented papers at conferences in Australia, Europe, and the Middle East; and written seventeen book reviews related to Middle Eastern studies. He is a frequent contributor to media outlets including Voice of America; Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies; and the Wall Street Journal. He formerly worked as a journalist for the British Broadcasting Company in London and is fluent in Arabic, English, and French.
Bahgat received his Ph.D. in political science from Florida State University, a master's degree in Middle Eastern studies from American University, and a bachelor's degree in political science from Cairo University.