Dr Imène Ajala is Assistant Professor at the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD). She mainly teaches in the Master of International Relations (MIR).
She obtained her PhD from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. Prior to joining UOWD, Dr Ajala taught at Webster University and at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations. In 2015, she was selected by the United States Mission to the United Nations in Geneva to complete an International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) on the theme of “Women Leaders: Promoting Peace and Security”.
She won the International Award for Excellence for Volume 12 of the Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Journal Collection for her article “From Islamic Dress to Islamic Fashion to Cool Islam: An Exploration of Muslim Youth Identities in the West”. She is the author of European Muslims and their Foreign Policy Interests. Identities and Loyalties (Gerlach Press, 2018).
- PhD, MA, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva (IHEID)
- BA, Political Science, Grenoble Institute of Political Studies (IEPG)
- Kyoto University International Education Programme Certificate (Academic Exchange)
Journal Article
- 2023. With Rodrigo, M. & I. & Kadir, Irhanida. 2023. Qualitative analysis of a tourism area life cycle model for interacting tourism destinations. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights. 4. 100093. 10.1016/j.annale.2023.100093.
- 2022. With S. Feroze, M. El Barachi, F. Oroumchian, S. Mathew, R. Yasin, & S. Lutfi. “Combining artificial intelligence and expert content analysis to explore radical views on twitter: Case study on far-right discourse”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 362, 132263.
- 2022. “Islamic Fashion: Subversion or Reinvention of Religious Values?”, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 42(1): 26-40.
- 2022. With M. El Barachi, F. Oroumchian, S. Mathew, R. Yasin, & S. Lutfi. “Leveraging Natural Language Processing to Analyse the Temporal Behavior of Extremists on Social Media”. Journal of Communications Software and Systems 18: 195-207.
- 2019. “Tunisian Terrorist Fighters: A Grassroots Perspective". Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression 11(2): 178-190.
- 2017. “Muslim youth and consumerism: a study of Islamic street wear”, Contemporary Islam 12(1): 57-71.
- 2017. “From Islamic Dress and Islamic Fashion to Cool Islam: An Exploration of Muslim Youth Hybrid Identities in the West”, The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies 12(3): 1-11.
- 2016. With F. Candino & L. Fouad. “Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Perspectives from Islamic Organizations in Europe”. S&F Sicherheit und Frieden- Security and Peace 34(4): 263-269.
- 2014. “Muslims in Europe after 9/11: Securitization, Identities and Loyalties”. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 34(3): 123-133.
- 2013. “French Muslim communities and debating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: mobilization and narratives”. French Politics 11(3): 259-271.
- 2012. “Mobilizing in Different Political Opportunity Structures: the cases of French and British Muslims”. Air & Space Power Journal-Africa & Francophonie edition, 1st Quarter: 48-84.
- 2011. “The Muslim vote and Muslim lobby in France: Myths and Realities”. Journal of Islamic Law and Culture 12(2): 77-93.
- 2009. With U. Luterbacher. « Le changement climatique, Kyoto et les relations transatlantiques ». Politique Etrangère 74(1): 103-116.
Book
- 2018. European Muslims and their Foreign Policy Interests, Identities and Loyalties. Islam and International Relations Series. Berlin: Gerlach Press.
Book Chapters
- 2021. "Maghrebis in France: From "Arab Immigrants" to "Muslims"", In C. Youakim & M. Alkazemi (Eds.), The Arab Worlds around the World: An Examination of Migration Patterns, Identities and Communication in Diasporic Communities, Lexington Books.
Other Articles
- 2023. France's anti-separatism law is increasing the securitisation of Muslims. Melbourne Asia Review. France's anti-separatism law is increasing the securitisation of Muslims | Melbourne Asia Review
- 2013. With T. Paffenholz & Al. “Civil Society in Transitions: Facing Current Challenges in Tunisia and Egypt”, CCDP Issue Brief, Geneva: Graduate Institute.
Dr Imène Ajala’s research interests are Comparative politics, Foreign Policy Analysis, Diaspora studies and multiculturalism with a particular focus on Muslims in Europe. She is the author of European Muslims and their Foreign Policy Interests. Identities and Loyalties (Gerlach Press, 2018). Her work has appeared in several journals including Contemporary Islam, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, French Politics and Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression. She is currently collaborating with the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences at the University of Wollongong in Dubai on an interdisciplinary project exploring online extremism and machine learning
Research Grants
Research grants from the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences to attend the Euro Mediterranean Forum for Young Researchers in Istanbul (2011) and the 8th PanEuropean Conference of International Relations in Warsaw (2013).
Conference grant from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva to attend the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in Seattle (2011).
- International Relations and Islamic Studies Research Cohort (Co-IRIS)
- European International Studies Association (EISA)
- International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Alumni
- Theories of International Relations
- International Law and Diplomacy
- Terrorism & Counter-Terrorism
- Gender and International Relations
- Research Project in International Relations
- Thesis in International Relations
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