Congratulations to Gürol Baba, Global Fellow of Arts and Humanities at DKU, on the recent publication of a special issue on the theme of South Asian Impulses in the Middle East: An Asymmetrical Transregionalism, in the Journal of Asian and African Studies, which he guest edited with his colleague Amit Ranhan. The issue features Baba and Ranjan’s introduction, as well as Baba’s research article Middle East–South Asia Relations: Transregional Minilateralism Cemented with Bilateralism.
Baba, G. (2023). Middle East–South Asia Relations: Transregional Minilateralism Cemented with Bilateralism. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 58(4), 500–517. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096231162100
Abstract
The politico-economically uneven structure, fragile inter-state affairs and weak regionalism of the Middle East make it difficult to explain its interactions with South Asia within a single theoretical pattern. Neither interregionalism nor multilateralism could illuminate these interactions individually. This study merges recently popularized interaction schemes of minilateralism and bilateralism on a transregional basis to provide an eclectic and flexible conceptual framework to explain the patterns of Middle East–South Asia inter-state affairs. It argues that regardless of its weak regionalism and intra-regional power games, the Middle East, with these trendy interaction schemes, could still develop effective inter-state relations with South Asia. The study utilizes the empirical analysis method to interpret various levels and types of interactions between actors of various capabilities. In addition, it also uses case studies to produce a deeper context-dependent knowledge of Middle Eastern – South Asian actors.
Biography
Gürol Baba is a Global Fellow in Arts and Humanities at Duke Kunshan University, and a professor in the Department of International Relations at the University of Ankara, Turkey
