Harout Akdedian

Dr. Harout Akdedian studies state-society relations, exclusionary extremism, and Middle East politics and society. He joined the Civil Rights Unit at the Oregon Department of Justice in February 2022 as Program Analyst. He is Visiting Scholar at Portland State University’ Middle East Studies Center.

Prior to joining the Oregon Department of Justice, Akdedian was a Carnegie post-doctoral research fellow at the Central European University in Budapest and Vienna. He worked as research consultant for organizations and think tanks including the United Nations – Economic and Social Commission of Western Asa (ESCWA), and Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in political science and international law, and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of New England (AU). He was recipient of the International Postgraduate Research Award for his doctoral studies and has taught on campuses worldwide. His publications feature in peer-reviewed academic journals including Political Geography and the Middle East Journal. He is the author of multiple books including, State Atrophy in Syria: War, Society and Institutional Change, which examines the disastrous consequences of undermining state institutions and public trust by government officials in Syria.