Curriculum
Mahmoud Farag is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Political Science at TU Darmstadt, Germany. He also serves as an External Lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Starting in April 2026, he will be a Research Group Leader at the Center for Multidisciplinary Area Studies (CenMAS) at Charles University in Prague.
He previously held positions or undertook research visits at Goethe University Frankfurt, Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Zurich, and the University of Geneva. He received his PhD (Dr. phil., summa cum laude) in political science from Humboldt University of Berlin. His dissertation was shortlisted for the German Thesis Award offered by the Körber Foundation.
His research interests lie broadly in comparative politics, with a focus on democratic backsliding, comparative authoritarianism, polarization in divided societies, and Middle Eastern politics. His current research examines two main questions: the dynamics of opposition strategies under democratic backsliding and authoritarianism, and the origins and consequences of polarization in societies divided along ideological and ethnic lines.
His research has been published or is forthcoming in journals such as European Political Science Review, Civil Wars, European Political Science, Government and Opposition, International Political Science Review, Mediterranean Politics, PS: Political Science & Politics, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft, in addition to a number of policy outlets.
His work has been supported by fellowships and scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (twice) and the State of Berlin.
Before transitioning to academia, he spent over a decade consulting for and working with international NGOs, including Transparency International, CARE International, and the International Civil Society Centre, focusing on issues related to good governance and accountability.