Prof. Dr. Elham Manea is Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Zurich and directs as a senior expert the newly established Middle Eastern and Gulf Studies Research Competence Area at the Institute of Political Science. The research area examines the Middle East and the Gulf within a shifting multipolar global order, focusing on ongoing conflicts, the expanding regional and international roles of Gulf states, and their transregional engagements, including in the Horn of Africa, while foregrounding local and regional agency.

Prof. Manea academic work focuses on regional politics in the Middle East and the Gulf, with particular attention to regional rivalries, conflict dynamics in fragile states, especially Yemen, as well as questions of state formation and governance. Her research and fieldwork combine theoretically grounded analysis with extensive empirical engagement and address themes such as Gulf involvement in regional conflicts, gender and politics, and women’s rights under Muslim family law.

Alongside her academic role, Professor Manea is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the University of Zurich for Middle East and Gulf Region studies. She additionally serves as External Senior Expert at the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), contributing to policy-oriented analysis, peacebuilding, and security sector reform initiatives in Yemen and the wider MENA region.

Prof. Manea has held several public advisory roles in Switzerland, including membership in the Federal Commission for Women’s Issues (2010–2019) and the Federal Commission for Migration, where she served as Vice-President (2020–2024). She has published widely in English, German, and Arabic, including academic monographs, policy-oriented work, and literary fiction. She is a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship and is Yemeni-Swiss, living and working in Switzerland.