AISHA S.

AHMAD

Department of Political Science

University of Toronto, Scarborough
1265 Military Trail
Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4
[email protected]
416-978-3334

EDUCATION

2013 Doctor of Philosophy, Candidate: Political Science, McGill University.

Concentrations: International Relations, Comparative Politics

2003 Master of Arts: International Relations: Munk Centre for International

Studies, University of Toronto.

2002 Bachelor of Arts (hon.): International Relations (major), Political Science

(major), Environmental Studies (minor): University of Toronto, Trinity
College. Graduated with distinction.

ACADEMIC POSITION

2012-Current Assistant Professor, University of Toronto

Department of Political Science, Scarborough Campus

OTHER ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS:

2016-Current Director, Islam and Global Affairs Initiative, Munk School of Global
Affairs, University of Toronto

2016-Currents Senior Researcher, Global Justice Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs,
University of Toronto

2011-2012 Research Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs,
Harvard Kennedy School, International Security Program Fellowship and
Initiative on Religion in International Affairs

FUNDED RESEARCH

2016-2020 Norwegian Research Council, Jihadist War Economies Project [co-investigator on

four-person team; USD$1.4 million over three years]

2014 Connaught New Researcher Award, Elite Targeting and Network Fragmentation
in Islamic Insurgencies [principal investigator, three-year start-up funds $10K]

PUBLICATIONS

Scholarly Books:

Aisha Ahmad, Jihad & Co.: Black Markets and Islamist Power, Oxford University Press, New
York, forthcoming 2017.

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Peer Reviewed Journals:

Aisha Ahmad, “Canadian Values and the Muslim World,” International Journal, Vol. 72, No.2

(Spring 2017), pp. 255-268

Aisha Ahmad, “Going Global: Islamist Competition in Contemporary Civil Wars,” Security Studies,
(Spring 2016), Vol. 25(2), pp. 353-384.

Aisha Ahmad, "The Security Bazaar: Business Interests and Islamist Power in Civil War
Somalia," International Security, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Winter 2014/15), pp. 89-117. Winner of
2017 Best Security Article Award by the International Studies Association.

Aisha Ahmad, “Agenda for Peace or Budget for War? Evaluating the Economic Impact of
International Intervention in Somalia” in International Journal, Vol. 67, No. 2 (Spring 2012)
pp. 313-331

Book Chapters:

Aisha Ahmad, “Canada in Somalia: Learning from the Legacy of Failed Intervention” in Canada
Among Nations (Centre for International Governance Innovation: Waterloo, ON), 2015.

Conference Papers:

Aisha Ahmad, “Women as the War Front: Islam, Jihad, and the Politics of Intervention,” Canadian
Political Science Association, Calgary, AB, June 2016.

Aisha Ahmad, “Female Bodies as the War Front in Jihadist Competitions,” International Studies
Association, Atlanta, GA, March 2016.

Aisha Ahmad, “The Logic of Perpetual Crisis: State Weakness in International Politics,”
International Studies Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 2015.

Aisha Ahmad “Financing Failure: International Interventions as Resource Curse in Conflict and
Post-Conflict States” American Political Science Association: Chicago, MI, August 2013

Aisha Ahmad “The Boys: Understanding the Spread of Al-Shabaab and the Somali Civil War in the
Horn of Africa” International Studies Association: San Francisco, CA, April 2013

Aisha Ahmad “Holy Men and Money Lords: An Economic Explanation of Civil War
Outcomes in Somalia” African Studies Association Annual Meeting; New
Fieldwork in Somali Studies Panel: San Francisco, CA, November 18-22, 2010

Aisha Ahmad “Holy Warlords: The Rise of Islamist Movements in Failed States”
International Studies Association: New York, NY, February 15, 2009

Research in Progress:

Aisha Ahmad “Financing Failure: International Interventions as a Resource Curse in Conflict and
Post-Conflict States” (Under review)

Aisha Ahmad “The Logic of Perpetual Crisis: State Weakness in International Politics” (In
progress)

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Aisha Ahmad “Jihadist Radicalization in Contemporary Civil Wars: Intervention Trigger Points and
Extremist Reactions” (In progress)

Other Publications:

Aisha Ahmad “Islamic Movements in Afghanistan and Somalia: A Comparison” in Policy

Perspectives (Institute for Policy Studies – Pakistan); August 2009.

Aisha Ahmad “Talking to the Enemy: Strategies for Initiating Peace Negotiations in Afghanistan” in
Policy Perspectives (Institute of Policy Studies – Pakistan); Special Edition on Afghanistan,
March 2007.

Aisha Ahmad “Evolving Patterns in Afghan Women’s Security: A Historical Analysis of Trends in
Vulnerability, Rape Prevalence, and Legal Rights” in Policy Perspectives (Institute of
Policy Studies) Volume 3, Number 1, November 2005.

Ibrahim Farah, Aisha Ahmad, and Daud Omar “Cross Border Weapons Proliferation in the Horn of
Africa: the case of Mandera, Kenya, Melkasufta, Ethiopia, and Bula Hawa, Somalia” in
Controlling Small Arms in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region Project
Ploughshares: 2006.

Recent News Articles:

Aisha Ahmad and Minelle Mahtani, "Trump immigration ban ushers in an age of academic
darkness", The Globe and Mail, 6 March 6 2017.


Aisha Ahmad and Daniel Douek, "Invisible red lines: How Trump’s mixed signals risk global war",
The Globe and Mail, 8 April 2017.

Aisha Ahmad, “The Strategic Value of Compassion” in The Globe and Mail, 20 November 2015.
Note: This piece was ranked as the top 15 most circulated news articles of 2015.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Assistant Professor:

2012-2015 Assistant Professor, Political Science, University of Toronto, Scarborough

POLB80: Introduction to International Relations; POLC09: International
Security; POLC80: International Relations of Africa; POLD09 and
POL466/2207: International Relations of Ethnic Conflict

Lecturer:

2011 Course Instructor, Political Science, McGill University:

POLI352: Foreign Policy of Africa

SELECTED FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

2017 Best Security Article Award, International Studies Association

2010-2012 Department of National Defence, Security and Defence Forum Doctoral

Fellowship
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2011 Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award, Teaching Assistant of the Year, Political
Science Students’ Association, McGill University

2009 Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy, Doctoral Fellowship

2009-2010 International Development Research Centre, Doctoral Field Research Award

2008-2010 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada), Doctoral

Fellowship

SELECTED TALKS

2017 “Pluralism and Islam: The Future of Peace in Canada Amidst Growing
Islamophobia” Massey College, March 20, 2017.

2017 “Jihad & Co.: Black Markets and Islamist Markets” Queen’s University March 14,
2017.

2016 “Faith in Public Life” Massey College, November 24, 2016.

2016 “The Forgotten War: Al-Shabaab in Somalia” Yale University, November 2016.

2016 “We Have Captured Your Women” ” Belfer Center for Science and International
Affairs, John F. Kennedy School, Harvard University, October 2016.

2015 “Road to Recovery: China, India and Pakistan's Role in Afghanistan's Post-NATO
Era”, Munk School, Asia Institute Event, March 11, Toronto, ON.

2015 “IS in a Global Context”, Canadian Association for Intelligence and Security
Studies (CASIS), January 15, Ottawa, ON.

2015 “The ISIS Attacks on Paris: What they mean for Immigration, Refugees, and
Security” Munk School Featured Event, November 18, Toronto, ON.

2015 “Canada Among Nations 2015 Book Launch” Munk School Event Panelist,
November 2, Toronto, ON.

2015 “Policy Relevance in Foreign and Defence Scholarship” Women in International

Security-Canada Workshop, May 27-29, Kingston, ON.

2014 “The Boys: Ideological Extremism and Islamist In-Fighting in the Somali Civil
War” Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School,
Harvard University, March 20, 2014

2014 “Trade and Taliban: Business Interests and Political Power in Civil War
Afghanistan (1992-96)” Asia Institute, Munk School, University of Toronto,
December 4, 2013

2013 “The Economics of State Failure and State Formation”, Mogadishu University,
Somalia, February 21, 2013

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2013 “Aid, Trade, and the Business of War: Field Notes from Afghanistan, Pakistan and
Somalia”, CCDS Lecture, University of Toronto, Scarborough, March 20, 2013

2013 “A Diverse Humanitarian Landscape: Engaging with ‘Emerging’ Relief Actors”,

International Peace Institute, United Nations, New York, NY, April 18, 2013

2013 “Forgiveness in War”, TEDx University of Toronto, May 18, 2013

2012 “The Mosque and the Market: An Economic Explanation of Political Islam in Civil
War Somalia” Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: March 23,
2012 in Ottawa, Canada

2012 “The Mosque and the Market: An Economic Explanation of Political Islam in
Somalia” Harvard Kennedy School: January 26, 2012 in Cambridge, MA, USA

2011 “Contemporary and Future Ideas and Approaches for Peacebuilding” Munk School
of Global Affairs, University of Toronto: on October 15, 2011 in Toronto, Canada

2009 “Transnational Civil Society and Climate Change Policy” University of Nairobi: for
the course Environment and Security on November 19, 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya

2009 “The Taliban and Neo-Taliban Insurgency in Pakistan and Afghanistan” Coro Civic
Center: on February 20, 2009 in Pittsburgh, USA

2009 “Islamic Nationalism and State Failure: A Comparison of Social Movements in

Afghanistan and Somalia” Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Public Seminar: on June
10, 2009 in Islamabad, Pakistan

2008 Two-part lectures: “Women and insecurity in Afghanistan” and “Understanding the
Taliban and Neo-Taliban Insurgencies” Claremont Colleges on February 20, 2008
in Claremont, CA, USA

2006 “Canada's Role in Afghanistan Panel” NDP Panel with the Honorable Jack Layton:
on October 5, 2006 in Ottawa, Canada

2006 “Pakistan in a Regional and International Security Context” Three-part guest

lecture series Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar
(Pakistan) April-May 2006 in Peshawar, Pakistan

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