Thesis topic: The interactional political aspects of the Syrian crisis
Qualifications: Hosam is a lawyer with masters and doctorate degrees in International Law. He was formerly a lecturer/assistant professor of Public International Law, International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law at various institutions.
He has worked with the Syrian Foreign Ministry and has held diplomatic postings at embassies in Tehran, London and Yerevan.
After defecting from the Syrian regime in 2012, Hosam has been an active participant in the Syrian political process. He was included as a member of the Syrian opposition negotiations delegation for the Intra-Syrian negotiations in 2014 and served as the head of the Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy Department of the Syrian Interim Government in 2014-2015. Most recently he was a member of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) and head of its legal office in 2016-2017.
Supervisors: Dr Leon Goldsmith, Emeritus Prof. William Harris
Email hafmh269@student.otago.ac.nz
Hosam's PhD research addresses the interactional political aspects of the Syrian crisis. Specifically, it focuses on the negotiation efforts that were intended to end the Syrian conflict.
The project examines the performance of the Syrian parties to the UN-sponsored talks that aimed to produce a political transition in Syria via the relevant Security Council Resolutions. The research attempts to delineate the internal and external determinants that influenced the performance of the Syrian parties in their interactions throughout the political process, particularly during the UN-led negotiations and the Astana track.