On October 7th 2023, war broke out between Israel and Hamas, marking a dramatic shift in the dynamic of the Israel/Palestine conflict. The war also showcases a significant change in the geopolitical stability within the MENA region. International shipping between Asia and Europe is heavily affected by the attacks between the Houthi militia and Western forces in Yemen. Cyprus has been put on the map in light of the war after providing a sea route with humanitarian aid to Gaza. Talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia have frozen after several years of efforts to normalize their relations. American soldiers have been killed in Iranian-backed attacks in the northern part of Jordan and Syria. At the same time, this diverges attention away from the Russia/Ukraine war in Putin’s favor. China’s oil supply and Taiwan aspirations also benefit from a turn in Western focus from East Asia to the MENA region.
How have these recent events changed the geopolitical landscape of the MENA region?
To answer this and other critical questions, we in YATA Oslo are thrilled to have Dr. Stig Jarle Hansen from NMBU with us to present a lecture on “Critical geopolitics of the middle east in the light of the Palestinian war”. Dr. Hansen primarily works within the fields of organized crime, religion and politics, religious terror, and political theory. His geographical focus lies in the Red Sea region, as well as Yemen, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Kenya, and he is a world expert on Islamism in the Horn of Africa. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in the Middle East and is a frequent commentator on Middle East issues in Al Jazeera, as well as BBC, CNN, and Reuters.
Dr. Hansen is also currently leading Norway´s only master’s program in International Relations at NMBU. This year’s application deadline for the master’s program is the 15th of April. He will, therefore give us a briefing on international relations at NMBU as well as other relevant study programs offered at the university. He will also inform us about which study options and career possibilities are available at NMBU after a bachelor’s degree.
We hope to see you there!
