Welcome! 

My name is Mahmoud Farag. I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Political Science, TU Darmstadt, Germany. I previously held positions or undertook research visits at Goethe University Frankfurt, Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Zurich and the University of Geneva. I received my PhD (Dr. phil., summa cum laude) in political science from Humboldt University of Berlin in 2021. My dissertation was shortlisted for the German Thesis Award offered by the Körber Foundation. 

I am broadly interested in comparative politics with a focus on two research areas: first, the dynamics of opposition strategies under democratic backsliding and authoritarianism, and second, the origins and consequences of polarization in societies divided along ideological and ethnic lines. 

My research has been published in Civil Wars, European Political Science, Government and Opposition, International Political Science Review, Mediterranean Politics, PS: Political Science & Politics, Stanford Social Innovation Review and the German Journal of Comparative Politics (Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft) in addition to a number of policy outlets. 

My work has been supported by fellowships and scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (2x) and the State of Berlin.

Before shifting to academia, for over a decade, I consulted for and worked at international NGOs including Transparency International, CARE International and the International Civil Society Centre among others on issues related to good governance and accountability.