Joshua M. Landis (born May 14, 1957) is an American academic who specializes in theMiddle East and is an expert onSyria.[1][2][3][4][5][6] He is the head of the Center for Middle East Studies at theUniversity of Oklahoma,[7] and since 2004, he has published the blogSyria Comment.[8]
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Landis was born on May 14, 1957, inManhattan,New York City,New York. When he was one year old, his family moved toSaudi Arabia, where his father was sent byCitibank to open the first branch of an American bank in the country. After staying in Saudi Arabia for three years, Landis' family moved toBeirut,Lebanon, due to his father being transferred there to work as Citibank's vice-president for the Middle East. When Landis was ten years old, his family moved back to the United States.
Landis earned a BA fromSwarthmore College, majoring in European History and French Literature. He spent his collegesophomore year in France. After graduating, Landis then returned to Beirut in the midst of theLebanese Civil War to teach at theInternational College, Beirut. According to Landis, his experience of living in Beirut during the civil war shaped his interpretation of theSyrian Civil War later on. In 1981, Landis went toDamascus University on aFulbright Grant. During the following year, whilst Landis was still living inDamascus, theHama uprising of 1982 took place. Landis visitedHama a week after the uprising.[9] Later he earned an MA fromHarvard University, and his PhD fromPrinceton University.
Fluent inArabic andFrench, he has studiedTurkish,Italian, andOttoman Turkish. He has received three Fulbright grants and a Social Science Research Council award.
He taught atSarah Lawrence College,Wake Forest University, and Princeton University before moving to the University of Oklahoma. Since May 2004, Landis has published theSyrian Comment blog, which focuses onSyrian politics, history, and religion. Landis regularly travels to Washington, D.C., to consult with government agencies.[citation needed]
Landis is a frequent analyst on TV and radio, such asPBS News Hour,Charlie Rose Show,[10]CNN andFox News.[11] He comments frequently forNPR andBBC Radio. He has spoken at theBrookings Institution,USIP,Middle East Institute, andCouncil on Foreign Relations.[citation needed]
Landis is married to Manar Kashour, who comes from anAlawite family inSyria.[12][13]
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Articles written by Joshua Landis:
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