Innovative Research Award
Samer Bakkour
University of Exeter, United Kingdom
Samer Bakkour is a lecturer in politics and Middle East studies at the University of Exeter whose published research addresses political developments, conflict, displacement, state failure, sectarianism, and international relations in the Middle East. His documented research record includes peer-reviewed work on Syria, forced migration, political violence, and the regional and international dimensions of conflict. [1]
The Innovative Research Award profile presents his research contributions in the context of scholarly work that connects political analysis with contemporary conflict and displacement studies. The supplied research metrics indicate 23 documents, 122 citations, and an h-index of 7; these figures should be understood as a snapshot of the supplied academic profile and may change as databases are updated.
Abstract
Samer Bakkour’s academic research is situated within politics and international relations, with particular attention to Middle Eastern politics, the Syrian conflict, displacement, state failure, sectarianism, and international intervention. His peer-reviewed publications examine how political institutions, armed conflict, population displacement, and external actors interact during periods of prolonged instability. His research on Syria includes analyses of the country’s political trajectory, the role of displacement in conflict strategy, and the political significance of non-state actors and state-building projects. [2] [3]
Keywords
Samer Bakkour; Innovative Research Award; Politics; International Relations; Middle East Studies; Syrian Politics; Syrian Civil War; Forced Migration; Internal Displacement; State Failure; Sectarianism; Peacebuilding; Conflict Studies; International Intervention; Political Violence.
Introduction
Samer Bakkour is associated with the University of Exeter’s work in politics and Middle East studies. The University of Exeter identifies him as a lecturer in politics, while academic profiles describe research interests encompassing peace processes and reconciliation, the Arab-Israeli conflict, United States policy in the Middle East, Gulf politics, migration and displacement, Syrian politics, and the Syrian Civil War. [1]
His research combines regional political analysis with questions concerning conflict transformation, population movement, state capacity, and international involvement. Several publications have appeared in peer-reviewed journals, providing case-based analyses of Syria’s political and social transformation. [4]
Research Profile
The supplied academic profile records 23 documents, 122 citations, and an h-index of 7. These indicators provide bibliometric context for the recognition profile but should not be interpreted independently of publication quality, disciplinary context, authorship, venue, research design, and the date on which the metrics were collected.
Bakkour’s documented research profile is concentrated in politics and Middle East studies. His work addresses the interaction between domestic political processes and international influences, particularly in relation to Syria. A recurring theme is the political significance of population displacement, including the relationship between military operations, political objectives, and demographic change. [4] [5]
- Research field: Politics and International Relations.
- Regional focus: Middle East, particularly Syria.
- Core themes: conflict, displacement, state failure, sectarianism, migration, and international intervention.
- Research approach: interdisciplinary political and conflict analysis supported by case-based research.
Research Contributions
A significant strand of Bakkour’s research examines displacement as a political and strategic dimension of armed conflict rather than solely as a humanitarian consequence. In research co-authored with Rama Sahtout, internal displacement in Syria is examined in relation to an integrated military-political strategy, including the removal and relocation of populations. [4]
Another area of contribution concerns the interpretation of mass atrocity and violence in the Syrian Civil War. Bakkour’s 2023 article in Digest of Middle East Studies considers competing analytical frameworks for understanding large-scale atrocities and examines how the concept of genocide has been politicized in discussions of the Syrian conflict. [2]
His work also investigates state-building and political authority. A 2023 article in Middle East Policy examines ISIS’s state-building activities in Syria and Iraq through dimensions including social stabilization, income extraction, religious politicization, and sectarian divisions. [3]
Research on Daraa and the wider Syrian crisis further considers the relationship between local developments and external intervention, connecting the micro-level evolution of conflict with broader regional and international dynamics. [5]
Publications
Selected peer-reviewed publications associated with Samer Bakkour include the following works:
- Bakkour, S. (2025). Uprooting, removing and relocating populations: The role and significance of internal displacement in the Syrian regime’s integrated military–political war strategy. Comparative Migration Studies, 13, 1. [4]
- Bakkour, S. & Stansfield, G. (2024). Sectarianism, indiscriminate violence and displacement in the Syrian Regime’s Civil War strategy. Conflict, Security & Development, 24(3), 203–226.
- Bakkour, S. (2023). Beyond genocide: Towards an improved analysis and understanding of the Syrian regime’s mass atrocity crimes in the Syrian Civil War. Digest of Middle East Studies, 32, 300–320. [2]
- Bakkour, S. (2023). The Significance of ISIS’s State Building in Syria. Middle East Policy, 30(2), 126–145. [3]
- Bakkour, S. (2022). Daraa and the Altered Trajectory of the Syrian Crisis. Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, 16(2), 225–242. [5]
Research Impact
The research addresses questions relevant to contemporary political science, conflict studies, migration studies, and Middle East studies. The focus on displacement as a component of political and military strategy contributes to discussions concerning how civilian population movements interact with conflict dynamics and post-conflict political reconstruction. [4]
The research has also received attention in academic and institutional contexts. The University of Exeter has highlighted research concerning the relationship between internal displacement, violence, and the political and social restructuring of Syria. [4]
Bibliometric indicators supplied for this profile record 122 citations and an h-index of 7. Because citation counts and h-indices change over time and can vary between databases, these figures are best treated as dated research-profile indicators rather than permanent measures of scholarly influence.
Award Suitability
The supplied record provides several documented areas that can be considered in an academic recognition process for an Innovative Research Award. These include a sustained publication record in politics and Middle East studies, research addressing complex conflict and displacement processes, and peer-reviewed studies that develop analytical perspectives on state failure, political violence, population movement, and international intervention. [2] [3] [4]
- Originality: research examines established political and conflict questions through focused analyses of displacement, state-building, sectarianism, and international involvement.
- Research depth: publications address interconnected political, social, humanitarian, and international dimensions of the Syrian conflict.
- Scholarly dissemination: research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and is associated with identifiable DOI records.
- Research relevance: the subject matter contributes to ongoing scholarly discussions about conflict, migration, governance, and Middle Eastern politics.
Final award decisions should be based on the applicable award criteria, verified documentation, independent assessment, and the complete nomination record rather than on bibliometric indicators alone.
Conclusion
Samer Bakkour’s research profile is centered on politics and international relations, with a substantial thematic emphasis on Syria, conflict, displacement, state failure, sectarianism, and international intervention. His peer-reviewed publications provide documented examples of research addressing complex political and social processes associated with contemporary conflict. [2] [4]
Within an academic recognition framework, the profile can be evaluated through the quality and originality of published research, methodological contribution, relevance to the field, scholarly dissemination, and independently verified research indicators. The supplied metrics and publication record provide supporting information for such an assessment.
External Links
References
- The dimensions and attributes of state failure in Syria
https://rli.sas.ac.uk/people/dr-samer-bakkour
- Bakkour, S. (2023). Beyond genocide: Towards an improved analysis and understanding of the Syrian regime’s mass atrocity crimes in the Syrian Civil War. Digest of Middle East Studies, 32, 300–320.
https://doi.org/10.1111/dome.12304
- Bakkour, S. (2023). The Significance of ISIS’s State Building in Syria. Middle East Policy, 30(2), 126–145.
https://doi.org/10.1111/mepo.12681
- Bakkour, S. & Sahtout, R. (2025). Uprooting, removing and relocating populations: The role and significance of internal displacement in the Syrian regime’s integrated military–political war strategy. Comparative Migration Studies, 13, 1. DOI: 10.1186/s40878-024-00403-1.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-024-00403-1
- Bakkour, S. (2022). Daraa and the Altered Trajectory of the Syrian Crisis. Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, 16(2), 225–242. DOI: 10.1080/25765949.2022.2099025.
https://doi.org/10.1080/25765949.2022.2099025