Ziad Majed



Ziad Majed (زياد ماجد) is a Lebanese/French political researcher and university professor. He holds a PhD in political sciences from Sciences Po Paris, a Masters degree in Arabic Literature and a BA in Economics from the American University of Beirut.

He teaches Middle Eastern studies and International Relations at the American University of Paris and writes articles, papers and studies on reforms, democratic transitions, elections, civil society and citizenship in Lebanon, Syria and the Arab region. International IDEA, the United Nations Development Program and other institutes, journals and newspapers in Paris, London, Washington DC, Berlin, Istanbul, Amsterdam and Beirut published many of these essays and research papers.

After working for 16 years at the Lebanese Red Cross, the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (Beirut), the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (Stockholm), Internews (Beirut), he contributed in 2004 to the foundation of the Democratic Left Movement (along with the late Samir Kassir, Elias Khoury and many intellectuals, politicians, students and militants), and participated in the peaceful Independence Uprising in March 2005 against the Syrian regime's hegemony and political assassinations.

In 2006, he published a book in Arabic entitled "On the Spring of Beirut" at Dar Annahar, gathering texts and papers on Lebanese politics.

In 2007, he founded with researchers from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Yemen the Arab Network for the Study of Democracy.

In 2010, he published an essay (in English) on "Hezbollah and the Lebanese Shiite Community" (Aspin Institute - Washington DC), analyzing Lebanese politics and its sectarian characteristics.

In 2014, he published a book in Arabic and French entitled "Syria, the Orphan Revolution" at "L'Orient des livres" (Beirut) and "Actes Sud" (Paris). The book explores the situation in Syria and the regional and international political dynamics related to the Syrian conflict.

In 2017, he published an essay in English on Iran's Middle Eastern politics entitled "Iran and its four Arab fronts" (the International Institute of Social Research, Amsterdam).

In 2018, he co-authored a new book (in French) on Syria entitled "Inside the mind of Bachar Al-Assad" (Actes Sud, Paris).

In 2021, an updated version of his book "Syria, the Orphan revolution" was published in German by Nautilus Flugschrift.

Ziad Majed lives in France, and regularly visits Lebanon and the Arab region to organize or attend political and cultural events.