Dr. Aisha Hadi Al-Rashdi is an Assistant Professor and head of the Department of International Affairs at Qatar University. She holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of St Andrews, UK (2023), with research focusing on the sectarianization of the 2011 uprisings in both Bahrain and Syria. She also holds an MA in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from Leiden University, the Netherlands (2014), and is an alumna of Qatar University’s International Affairs program (BA, 2012). Her academic interests include Middle Eastern politics, security studies, and foreign policy. Dr. Al-Rashdi is also a certified academic reviewer accredited by the National Qualifications and Academic Accreditation Committee at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar.