The Bassma Kodmani Fellowship: Advancing a Democratic Transition in Syria
In December 2024, following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and in memory of our founder, Dr. Bassma Kodmani, who passed away in March 2024, the Arab Reform Initiative launched its inaugural call for the Bassma Kodmani Fellowship. This one-year fellowship is dedicated to fostering rigorous research and policy engagement on Syria’s transition toward inclusive governance, human rights, and social justice.
Honoring Bassma Kodmani’s Legacy
Dr. Bassma Kodmani was a visionary scholar, strategist, and advocate for democratic change in the Arab region. She devoted her life to the pursuit of a just and inclusive political future for Syria, believing in the power of research and dialogue to shape policy and drive meaningful transformation. Kodmani’s work spanned decades, bridging research and activism, and her efforts were instrumental in amplifying Syrian voices on the global stage. This fellowship is a realization of her vision—a commitment to ensuring that Syria’s transition is guided by informed, independent research and policy thinking that centers Syrian agency and aspirations.
Objectives of the Fellowship
The Bassma Kodmani Fellowship is designed to support scholars and analysts who are committed to advancing a democratic and inclusive transition in Syria. Fellows will conduct in-depth research on the evolving political landscape, focusing on the shortfalls of the political process, the deteriorating security situation, and economic challenges. The aim is to diagnose these pressing issues, explore potential avenues for addressing them, and provide actionable recommendations that can inform policymakers in Syria, the Arab region, and internationally.
Fellows will be expected to:
- Conduct In-Depth Research: Monitor and analyze Syria’s transition, including governance structures, economic policies, security sector reform, and political negotiations. Fieldwork inside Syria will be encouraged, depending on the evolving security situation.
- Produce High-Impact Analysis: Develop research papers, policy briefs, and op-eds that provide timely, well-documented insights into Syria’s political, economic, and security dynamics.
- Engage with Policymakers & Stakeholders: Present findings at conferences, participate in policy dialogues, and contribute to discussions shaping Syria’s future. ARI will facilitate media outreach and organize events to amplify the research.
- Contribute to ARI’s Broader Initiatives: Work alongside ARI’s network of scholars, policymakers, and civil society actors to ensure that grounded and localized insights drive policy discussions on Syria’s transition.
2025 - 2026 Priority Areas
For its inaugural year, the Bassma Kodmani Fellowship will focus on two critical aspects of Syria’s transition:
- Security Sector Reform: Examining the restructuring of Syria’s security apparatus, assessing risks of continued fragmentation, and exploring mechanisms for establishing stability and accountability.
- Economic Choices Facing Syria: Analyzing the country’s economic crisis, the impact of sanctions, and potential pathways for economic revitalization, including governance of public resources, privatization policies, and investment frameworks.
Meet the 2025 Fellows:
Dr. Rahaf Aldoughli is a Lecturer in Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster University and Senior Editor at Cogent Social Sciences. A leading scholar in Middle Eastern studies, her research has been supported by institutions such as Women in International Security (WIIS), the Kroc Institute Fellowship, XCEPT, and the Arab Center for Graduate Studies.
Her work examines nationalism, sectarianism, and political attitudes in authoritarian contexts, using an interdisciplinary approach to explore how ideology shapes identity and conflict. She is the author of Romancing Masculinity in Baathist Syria: Gender, Ideology, and Identity (Manchester University Press) and is currently finalizing a forthcoming book on sect(ism) in Syria with IB Tauris. Her third book, in progress, explores Syrian armed groups and the motivations of fighters in the war.
As a Bassma Kodmani Fellow, Dr. Aldoughli’s research will focus on security sector reform in Syria, analyzing the challenges and opportunities for restructuring Syria’s security institutions in the aftermath of the transition. Her work will assess the risks of continued fragmentation, the role of non-state armed groups, and the potential for establishing accountability and civilian oversight. Through her research, she aims to inform policy discussions on security governance and the broader efforts to build a more stable and inclusive Syria.
Dr. Aldoughli’s expertise is frequently sought by international media, including The New York Times, NBC News, Die Zeit, Al Jazeera English, TRT World, France 24, BBC News, Channel 4, and Enab Baladi. She has also contributed commissioned reports for Chatham House, Foreign Affairs, New Lines Magazine, and the Middle East Institute.
Dr. Abdullah al-Jabassini is an expert on political violence, civil war, authoritarian conflict management, reconciliation processes, security sector reform, rebel-military integration, and local governance and institutions, with a particular focus on southern Syria.
He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Kent in Canterbury. He is currently a CIVICA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Central European University in Vienna, seconded by the Max Weber Postdoctoral Program at the European University Institute in Florence. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., and an Associate Researcher at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies.
Previously, Dr. al-Jabassini was a Research Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of the European University Institute, where he worked on the 'Wartime and Post-Conflict in Syria' and 'Syrian Trajectories' research projects. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, his academic and policy research has focused on wartime and post-war dynamics in southern Syria.
As a Bassma Kodmani Fellow, Dr. al-Jabassini’s research will focus on security sector reform and investigate the challenges of integrating former rebels into military and security institutions in Syria. This research agenda aims to provide evidence-based insights to support Syria's political transition, contribute to its stabilization process, and mitigate the risk of the resurgence of violence.
Dr.Nader Atassi is a scholar specializing in Syria’s political economy and economic history. He earned his PhD from Columbia University in 2023 and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. His research explores global political economy, development, and the history of economic thought in the modern Middle East.
As a Bassma Kodmani Fellow, Nader's work will focus on Syria’s economic trajectory in the wake of the transition. His research will examine the economic choices facing Syria, including plans for revitalizing the agricultural and energy sectors, the role of privatization in economic restructuring, and the impact of sanctions on recovery and governance. By providing historical and comparative insights, his work aims to inform policy discussions on sustainable economic reform and Syria’s long-term economic stability.