Houssein Al Malla

Hello! My name is Houssein Al Malla (He/Him). 

On this landing page, I post everything  International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis, Comparative Politics, International Security, and Sanctions! From research essays, commentary blog posts, to even podcasts! 

On the podcast front, I am currently the producer of the Bulletin Podcast at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, which I occasionally also host.

For my CV, please consult the relevant page here: https://housseinalmalla.com/cv

Short Bio: 

I am a Helmut Schmidt Scholar for Public Policy and Good Governance at the Willy Brandt School, specializing in Conflict Studies and Management.

I hold a Bachelor’s in Political Science & International Affairs and a Minor in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from the Lebanese American University, which included a year abroad module at the Paris Institute of Political Science (Sciences Po), where I specialized in American Soft Power & Public Diplomacy.

Currently, I serve as a research assistant at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) and the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF). I also serve as an Editorial Assistant to the Africa Spectrum Journal.

Over the summer of 2021, I was involved in research activities as a research associate at the Rule of Law Program (Middle East and North Africa) of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and I currently continue working with the team as a Student Assistant.

On the policy side of things, I served as a policy research assistant at Triangle for Research, Media, and Policy in 2021, and currently, also take on several independent policy consultancy projects.

Looking to have a conversation? Let's talk!

Abstract: With the recent es­calation of Russia’s war on Ukraine, tens of thou­sands of foreign fighters have flocked to the region. While the wide­spread praise for indivi­duals suppor­ting the Ukrainian defense effort is under­standable, govern­ments should take measures to prevent their citizens from joining the war. Foreign fighters epi­tomize the privati­zation of wars, and the multi­plicity of indi­vidual motives and aims contri­butes to the conflict’s comple­xity. The involve­ment of third-country nationals also has the poten­tial to escalate the conflict further. Lastly, Western countries will have to deal with retur­nees who are better trained, trauma­tized, and poten­tially radica­lized.

Access to the Spotlight published by the Peace Research Institute here:

Venezuela has been rocked by some of the worst crises in its history in recent years. These crises have sparked one of the largest migration crises of the 21st century. However, unlike other migrations, there is no one single event that the migration can be attributed to, making it a complex migration crisis to fully comprehend

What are the roots of this crisis and what is happening to the Venezuelans that are migrating? We are glad to have Dr. Pau Palop-Garcia, a Research Fellow at the Willy Brandt School and Eva Serrano with us.

Dr. Pau Palop-Garcia holds a PhD in Political Sciences from the Free University of Berlin (2019). He specializes in the study of migration policies and the political representation of migrant communities. He has published widely about these topics in journals such as Democratization, Citizenship Studies, Comparative Migration Studies, Citizenship Studies, and the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.

Eva Serrano recently completed her Master's at the Willy Brandt School, writing her thesis on the Colombian response to the Venezuelan crisis. She is currently beginning her career advocating for migrants and working to help migrants integrate into German life.

Alternatively, you can access the episode using Spotify, Google Podcasts, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts from.

We will be thrilled to hear your feedback, as well as to receive suggestions for the next episodes!

Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) has recently started gaining salience in the Social Sciences research communities for its ability to capture the causal complexity of social phenomena that are often caused by a countless number of interwoven factors.

Researchers employing QCA gain the unique advantage of being able to study the concepts of conjunctural causation (combinations of conditions), equifinality (multiple pathways), and causal asymmetry (outcome and non-outcome may require different explanations) in their research. The method allows researchers to explore the specific conditions under which the events of their interest occur, by breaking down the conditions into ‘necessary’ (i.e. must be present for an event to occur) and ‘sufficient’ (i.e. will produce the event, but not necessary).

Full review available on Political Studies Review:

PDF Link:

The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Law was enacted by the German Bundestag on 11 June 2021, and will come into force from 1 January 2023. This represents the first time that the responsibility of German companies to respect human rights and environmental obligations in global supply chains has been given a legal foundation. Starting from 1 January 2023, companies with at least 3,000 employees will be covered.

While it is a big step forward, why do some still find the law controversial? How would the law impact Global South countries on the supply chain? We are glad to have Karina Marzano, a PhD Candidate of Willy Brandt School with us.

Karina Marzano has been researching Private Environmental Governance and the Global South under the supervision of Professor Andreas Goldthau. She shares her insight and analysis on the newly passed German Supply Chain Due Diligence Law.

Alternatively, you can access the episode using Spotify, Google Podcasts, iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from.

We will be thrilled to hear your feedback, as well as to receive suggestions for the next episodes!

Abstract: Culture plays an essential and increasing role in the public policy-making processes around the world. Family and Social Policies are among the ones that are connected the most to and dependent on a culture’s values and attitudes. This short comparative essay looks at the cases of Norway and Switzerland using the “ceteris paribus” (all else equal) or the “most similar design” model to compare the state of welfare policies in both countries and explore how culture might have played a role in the final outcome by employing Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions theory.

Cross-Cultural Studies eJournal , 6(25)

Keywords: Comparative Politics, Culture, Masculinity Index, Hofstede, Norway, Switzerland, Family Policy, Social Policy

Abstract: U.S. foreign policy under the presidency of Donald Trump (2017–2021) was noted for its unpredictability and its heavy emphasis on hard power. Many believed this shift in foreign strategy was influenced by the president’s personality and leadership style. To investigate, this article employs Trump’s Leadership Trait Analysis conducted by Immelman & Griebie, to highlight Trump’s most prevalent leadership traits: The Dominant Pattern, Dauntless Pattern, Ambitious Pattern, and Outgoing Pattern. By highlighting how these traits can be observed in U.S. foreign policy towards Iran, this paper shows that Trump’s personality and leadership style did indeed play a significant role in shaping both the process and outcome of U.S. foreign policy towards Iran. This research reemphasizes the importance of Leadership Traits Analysis as a tool of Foreign Policy Analysis.

Social & Personality Psychology eJournal, 3(4).

Keywords: Foreign Policy, Donald Trump, United States of America, Iran, Middle East, Security, Peace, Leadership Trait Analysis

In this episode, we invited Bakhtiyor Tukhtabaev, a Brandt School alum to discuss the wild year in finance and economics. How can policy prevent instability in markets?

Inflation, crypto, meme stocks. 2021 has been a weird year. To kick off Season 2 of the Bulletin Podcast, Jesus and Caroline are joined by Bakhtiyor Tukhtabaev to recap what happened with the GameStop stock (GME). They ask, ‘are markets rational? If markets aren’t rational, what are they?’ Then, with Bakhtiyor serving as their guide, the team looks at cryptocurrency and instability in markets and asks, ‘how can policy prevent instability in markets?’

Mr. Tukhtabaev graduated from the Brandt School in 2011. He has spent a decade working in both the public sector and the financial services industry. In his current role as Senior Business Analyst, he analyzes EU regulations and works to implement them into business processes.

Alternatively, you can access the episode using Spotify, Google Podcasts, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts from.

We will be thrilled to hear your feedback, as well as to receive suggestions for the next episodes!

Diplomacy’s 21st Century Secret Weapon: Online Mobility.

The Benefits Of Online Public Diplomacy, Why It's Time For The Lebanese Ministry Of Foreign Affairs To Improve Its Digital Diplomacy Strategy, and How To Achieve Online Upwards Mobility.

AbstractWhen Analysing Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affair's digital strategy, one can immediately point its shortcomings that prevent Lebanon from achieving important Online-Diplomacy goals and translating Online-Efforts into tangible Offline Diplomacy results. This brief will utilize multiple studies of Online Networks of MFAs and UN Missions, to make policy recommendations that would aid the Lebanese MFA in reaching peak online performance by achieving upward online mobility and becoming more central to social media networks. This brief will also provide a set of tools and strategies in the form of Policy Implications to maximize the centrality of these Social Media accounts. These include adopting tactics to perform upward social media mobility (curating relevant information, generating online discussions), training diplomats in conducting social media analyses, evaluating the centrality of their institutions on social media, using multi-media content, offering real-time analyses of events, and offering information relevant to the diplomatic community.

Cultural Anthropology eJournal, 6(154)

Keywords: Public Diplomacy, Online Mobility, Twitter, Soft Power, Foreign Affairs, Lebanon, Digital Governance, Comparative Politics, Policy Recommendations

Abstract: The Trump Administration has left long-lasting scars on U.S soft power in its four years of presidency. While history and the father of the concept of soft power argue that the U.S will bounce back under the Biden administration, this piece refutes that claim and discusses that it may take more than one administration to restore U.S soft power.

Keywords: Foreign Policy, United States, Soft Power, Public Diplomacy.

In this episode, we invited Patricia Loggetto, Brandt School's alumna, to discuss the vaccine roll-out in the Global South! How to overcome the pandemic when vaccines fall short in more than the half of the world?

Ms. Patrícia Loggetto graduated from the Brandt School in 2020. She currently works at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as a project coordinator, developing education, research, and capacity-building projects and researching cancer policies.

Alternatively, you can access the episode using Spotify, Google Podcasts, iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from.

We will be thrilled to hear your feedback, as well as to receive suggestions for the next episodes

Abstract: The U.S. – Iranian relations have been in a constant state of disruption since the mid-twentieth century. This short essay aims to showcase how the Middle East’s regional stability has been heavily dependent on stable U.S. – Iranian relations, by looking at the relatively recent history of the two countries’ relations (2008-2021) and highlighting how major changes in the nature of the relations, correlated with disruptions of peace in the region.

Anthropology of Peace & Violence eJournal, 4(79)

Keywords: Foreign Policy, Historical Analogy, United States of America, Iran, Middle East, Security, Peace.

In this episode, we invited Prof. Dr. Achim Kemmerling, Brandt School's Director, to answer the most pressing questions on the digitalization of the welfare state and to introduce his new volume coming out soon! What happens when the welfare state goes digital?

He talks about his recently compiled edited volume with the title ‘Digitalization and the Welfare State’, forthcoming with Oxford University Press.

The book describes the implications of digitalization and automation for the politics and policymaking in key areas of the welfare state: social and labour market policy, health, education and taxation.

The book is joint work with Prof. Marius Busemeyer, University of Konstanz, Prof. Paul Marx, University of Duisburg-Essen, and Prof. Kees van Kersbergen, Aarhus University, Denmark.

You can access the episode using Spotify, Google Podcasts, iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from!

We will be thrilled to hear your feedback, as well as to receive suggestions for the next episodes!

In this episode, we invited Carolina Reis, Brandt School's alumna, to discuss the deployment of facial recognition technologies by law enforcement agencies. Who has your facial data?

Ms. Carolina Reis is a Brazilian attorney specialized in digital rights and democracy. She holds a Master's in Public Policy from the Brandt School and a Bachelor of Laws from the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil. During her studies, she was awarded scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Botin Foundation, and the Wilhelm von Finck Foundation.

Alternatively, you can access the episode using Spotify, Google Podcasts, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts from.

We will be thrilled to hear your feedback, as well as to receive suggestions for the next episodes!

In this episode, we invited Johanna Botia, Brandt School's alumna, to discuss gender, migration, and the challenges of being a foreigner - including the ones faced by Brandtians in Germany. How much do you know about being a migrant?

Ms. Johana Botia is the Information Reporting Analyst at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Colombia. Before beginning her career as a civil servant, Johana earned her Master of Public Policy at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy and specialised in Conflict Studies. Her thesis researched the reintegration process of indigenous ex-combatants in Colombia after the 2016 Peace Agreement. During her time at the Brandt School, Johana also served as the President of the Student Government for 18-19 Academic Term.

Alternatively, you can access the episode using Spotify, Google Podcasts, iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from.

We will be thrilled to hear your feedback, as well as to receive suggestions for the next episodes!

In this episode, we invited Dr. Hasnain Bokhari to discuss privacy in the digital era and what governments, companies and users are (not) doing to secure it. Do you realize how much big tech companies know about you?

Dr. Hasnain Bokhari has been teaching at the Brandt School since 2006. He has worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Erfurt designing projects focusing on the issues of internet politics and peace education. His projects were funded by the German Academic Exchange Service and German Federal Foreign Office securing a funding of about 1 million euros for the Erfurt University. Dr. Bokhari has also served as an independent consultant for KFW funded project and in addition he is also associated with the Centre for Development Informatics at the University of Manchester. His research interest includes eGovernment, ICTs for Development, Cyber Security and Digital Entrepreneurship. Since 2018 he is consulting an IT start-up based in Erfurt and teaching at the University of Lüneburg in Germany. Mr. Bokhari holds a PhD in eGovernment on a Heinrich Böll doctoral fellowship from the University of Erfurt.

Alternatively, you can access the episode using Spotify, Google Podcasts, iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from.

We will be thrilled to hear your feedback, as well as to receive suggestions for the next episodes!