Russian foreign policy, especially toward the Middle East; Transnational revolutionary movements
Mark N. Katz, Professor of Government and Politics, began teaching at George Mason University in 1988. He writes on Russian foreign policy, the international relations of the Middle East, transnational revolutionary movements, and other subjects.
During 2017, he was a visiting scholar first at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (January-March), and then at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki (April-September). During 2018, he was a Fulbright Scholar at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London (January-March), and then the 2018 Sir William Luce Fellow at Durham University in the UK (April-June). In February 2019, he was appointed a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.
Links to his recent articles can be found at www.marknkatz.com
Russian foreign policy toward the Middle East (especially Arabia and the Gulf)
Russian-American relations
“When the Friend of My Friends Is Not My Friend: The United States, US Allies, and Russia in the Middle East,” Atlantic Council Issue Brief, May 2019.
“Syria and the Middle East: Fracture Meets Fracture,” in Anna Ohanyan, ed., Russia Abroad: Driving Regional Fracture in Post-Communist Eurasia and Beyond (Georgetown University Press, 2018).
“Support Opposing Sides Simultaneously: Russia’s Approach to the Gulf and the Middle East,” Al Jazeera Center for Studies, August 23, 2018.
"Better Than Before: Comparing Moscow's Cold War and Putin Era Policies toward Arabia and the Gulf," Durham Middle East Paper No. 96/Sir William Luce Fellowship Paper No. 19, Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University, August 2018.
“Russia and Israel: An Improbable Friendship,” in Nicu Popescu and Stanislav Secrieru, eds., “Russia’s Return to the Middle East: Building Sandcastles?” Chaillot Paper no. 146, European Union Institute for Security Studies, July 2018.
“The US-Russia Relationship," in Mika Aaltola et al., eds., Between Continuity and Change: Making Sense of America’s Evolving Global Engagement (Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Report no. 54, 2018).
“Putin and Russia’s Strategic Priorities,” in Ashley J. Tellis, Alison Szalwinski, and Michael Wills, eds., Strategic Asia 2017-18: Power, Ideas, and Military Strategy in the Asia-Pacific (The National Bureau of Asian Research, 2017).
“Fluid Dynamics: Global Great Powers in the 21st Century,” Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Working Paper, no. 100, October 24, 2017.
“America’s Dilemma: Dealing with Multiple Adversaries Simultaneously,” Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Working Paper, no. 96, June 15, 2017.
“The Gulf and the Great Powers: Evolving Dynamics,” Middle East Policy, Summer 2017.
“Saudi Arabia and Russia,” in Neil Partrick, ed., Saudi Arabian Foreign Policy: Conflict and Cooperation (I.B. Tauris, 2016).
Sir William Luce Fellowship, Durham University (UK), Easter Term (late April—late June) 2018.
Fulbright Scholarship, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, January-March 2018.
Earhart Foundation Fellowship Research Grants, Summer 1997, Summer 2001, Summer 2004, Summer 2005, Summer 2006, and Spring 2015.
Kennan Institute Short-Term Grant, January 2008.
Hokkaido University Slavic Research Center 21st Century Center of Excellence Program Foreign Visitors Fellowship, June-July 2007.
National Endowment for the Humanities Stipend, Summer 1995.
United States Institute of Peace Grant, September 1994-May 1995.
Earhart Foundation Fellowship Research Grant, September 1993-May 1994.
United States Institute of Peace Jennings Randolph Peace Fellowship, June 1989-May 1990.
Kennan Institute Research Scholarship, February-August 1985.
Rockefeller Foundation International Relations Fellowship, September 1982-November 1984.
Brookings Institution Research Fellowship, September 1980-August 1981.
Earhart Foundation H. B. Earhart Fellowships, Summer 1980, and Fall 1981.
Institute for the Study of World Politics Fellowship, September 1979-May 1980.
Spring 2020:
GOVT 447--Revolution and International Politics
GOVT 731--Revolutions
Fall 2019:
GOVT 338--Government and Politics of Russia
Govt 540--International Relations
Spring 2019:
GOVT 444--The War on Terror
GOVT 731--Seminar on Russia
Ph.D. in Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, February 1982.
M.A. in International Relations, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, May 1978.
B.A. in International Relations, University of California at Riverside, June 1976.
“Always Looming: The Russian Muslim Factor in Moscow’s Relations with Gulf Arab States,” Workshop on “Russia’s Islamic Diplomacy: Institutions, Informality, and Believers,” George Washington University Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies/Central Asia Program, April 29, 2019.
“Not Getting Any Easier: Putin’s Middle East Balancing Act,” Workshop on “Russia’s Reshaped Role in the Middle East,” George Washington University Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies/Central Asia Program, December 7, 2018.
“Changing Great Power Politics and US-Russia Relations,” 5th Annual Helsinki Summer Session, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, August 21, 2018.
“Better than Before? Comparing Moscow’s Cold War and Putin-Era Policies toward Arabia and the Gulf,” Sir William Luce Lecture, Trevelyan College, Durham University, June 14, 2018, Durham, UK.
“Balancing Act: Russia between Iran and Saudi Arabia,” London School of Economics Middle East Centre Workshop on “Saudi Arabia and Iran: Beyond Conflict and Co-Existence?” May 8, 2018, London.
“Russia and the Middle East: Putin’s Balancing Act,” St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, February 28, 2018.
“What Do They See in Him? How the Middle East Views Putin and Russia,” School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, February 7, 2018.
“Russia-Iran,” Conference on “Iran in the World,” Trinity University, October 20-21, 2017, San Antonio, TX.
"Prospects for Russian, American, and European Cooperation in the Middle East,” Workshop on “Russia in the Mediterranean: Strategies and Aspirations,” Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Regional Program South Mediterranean, September 25-26, 2017, Tunis, Tunisia.
C-SPAN2, May 30, 2019
Jiji Press (Japan), July 15, 2018
BBC World Service “Newsday,” June 13, 2018
Al Jazeera, November 17, 2017, December 14, 2017, June 29, 2018, July 16, 2018
CNBC Asia, November 1, 2017