Dr Carmen Geha

Dr Carmen Geha is a scholar-activist and expert on the politics of inclusion and exclusion in the Middle East and North Africa. Her work sits at the intersection of academia, policy, and practice, with a focus on women’s political and economic participation, refugee education and protection, and civil society and protest movements.

She holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of St Andrews and served as Tenured Associate Professor of Public Administration and Leadership at the American University of Beirut until 2022. She later relocated to Spain as a María Zambrano Fellow. A widely cited scholar, her research has been published in leading journals including Social Movement Studies, Middle East Law and Governance, Organizational Studies, International Review of Psychiatry, and the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy.

Alongside her academic work, Dr Geha designs and delivers executive training and development programs tailored to corporate leaders, civil society organizations, and public sector institutions. As Co-Founder and Managing Director of Soltara Consulting, she leads a network of experts supporting organizations in building inclusive policies, strengthening leadership, and driving institutional change across sectors including education, telecommunications, governance, and economic development.

Dr Geha also writes for a broad public audience, regularly publishing with newspapers, think tanks, and policy platforms. Her commentary focuses on peace and security, women’s inclusion, migration, and freedom of assembly, translating complex research into accessible and policy-relevant insights.