Visiting Scholars: Fawaz Gerges

Fawaz A. Gerges, Ph.D., will present his lecture “The Arab Spring and Jihadism: Myth Confronts Reality?” at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 23, in Mabee Theater, Sedgwick Hall.

In his talk, Gerges will take stock of the profound changes taking place in the Middle East since the rise of the Arab Spring.

Gerges specializes in Islam and the political process, social movements that include mainstream Islamist organizations and jihadist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda, and 20th century Arab and Muslim politics. His expertise has made him a leading interpreter of international relations in the context of the Middle East.

Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics and director of its Middle East Centre, earned his doctorate from Oxford University. He has taught at Oxford, Harvard and Columbia, and was a research scholar at Princeton.

Gerges’ most recent books are Obama and the Middle East: The End of America’s Moment? and The Rise and Fall of Al-Qaeda. He is also the author of the best-sellingJourney of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy, and The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global, which The Washington Post selected as one of the best 15 books published in the field.

Gerges has received MacArthur, Fulbright and Carnegie fellowships. His articles and editorials have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor and many others. He is a regular fixture on television, having served as an ABC news analyst from 2000 to 2007, and continues to be seen regularly on CNN, “Charlie Rose,” BBC and PBS.

Register your attendance to hear Fawaz Gerges, one of the world’s foremost Middle East authorities, by calling. 816-501-4828. Mabee Theater is located in Sedgwick Hall on Rockhurst University campus, 54th Street and Troost Avenue.