Update: What Next for Syria?

The current situation in Syria remains fluid and unpredictable, with ongoing developments. To complement George Kassis’ class titled “The Fall of Assad in Syria” on February 21^st, Dr. Richard Lobban will offer an update to the complex Syrian revolution. This class will address critical questions about the present power dynamics in Syria. Who is in charge now and what are the implications for Turkey, Iran, Israel, Russia, Qatar and the United States? Will the revolution follow the path of other Arab Spring movements, leading to failed states, new dictators or civil war? Let’s hope not, but hope is not a plan.

Richard Lobban, Ph.D., professor emeritus of anthropology and African studies at Rhode Island College, serves as adjunct professor of African studies at the Naval War College. He has a master’s degree from Temple University and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and has taught at the American University in Cairo, Tufts University and Dartmouth College, among others. He has conducted field research in Tunis and Egypt and has been excavating a temple in Sudan for 10 years. Richard is widely published in urban and complex societies, informal sector economy, gender, ethnicity, race and class, especially in the Middle East. He often serves as a subject matter expert and court-appointed expert witness in political asylum cases for refugees from Africa and the Middle East.