Hala Al Daoud is a PhD student in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Basel. Before joining Basel, she earned her Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Leiden University, graduating with high distinction. Alongside her studies, Hala worked as a political analyst with several international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, where she contributed to research, investigations, and policy analysis on the conflicts of Libya and Sudan.

Her doctoral research examines the dynamics of leader cults in the Middle East and North Africa region from a transnational and bottom-up perspective. Moving beyond state-centered analyses, her study explores how voluntary followers shape and sustain political veneration across borders and over generations. Through a combination of historical and field research, the project investigates the sociological diversity and enduring influence of leader cults in the region, offering new insights into the relationship between authoritarianism, imperialism, and popular political symbolism in contemporary Middle Eastern politics.

Sprechstunde mittwochs 11.30-12.30 Uhr oder nach Vereinbarung.