Tribune News Network
Doha
With the prestigious Laidlaw Foundation Scholarship in hand, Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) student Jannah Elgamal is seizing this opportunity to drive meaningful change at a critical time in Syrian history. Her research explores how the Syrian war has shaped the political attitudes of Syrian youth in the post-Arab Spring era.
“As an Egyptian who witnessed the profound impact of the Arab Spring firsthand, I was driven by a deep curiosity to understand how these pivotal events have shaped the political socialisation of my generational peers in Syria,” Jannah said. “This research allowed me to explore the lived experiences of Syrian youth who have had to navigate the complex realities of displacement and conflict.”
Mentored by GU-Q Professor Uday Chandra, Jannah’s research focuses on the experiences of Syrians displaced to Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.During the annual Laidlaw Scholars Conference at Columbia University and Barnard College, she presented a poster of her findings. It was an invaluable opportunity to connect with a global network of scholars and exchange ideas on how best to make research-informed progress toward a better world.
The toppling of the Assad regime has since forced Jannah to reconsider the impact of her research on displaced Syrians.
Speaking at an Undergraduate Research Advancement talk at the Centre for International and Regional Studies, she noted, “In order to clean up the country and fix all the damage, there is a need to integrate every single segment of society… I think that the initial step is to understand them and the experiences they have gone through.”
Her interviews led to some powerful insights.“If we want to reintegrate these people – with their higher education degrees, who are very knowledgeable and very talented – in the rebuilding of the country, we need to assure them that there will be security and justice,” she added.
Jannah also shared her research process and outcomes with her peers at the talk, part of a series of events encouraging the discussion and review of research among GU-Q faculty, students, and their peers.
Several students shared how impactful her research was.“I was talking to Jannah while she was doing her interviews, and she inspired me to dig into the same sort of research” said Jazmaine Simbulan who is studying the effect of the Philippine revolution in 1986 on the country’s political climate.
Although she has presented her research several times, Jannah’s journey through the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme, which empowers students to conduct research with real-world impact while building leadership skills to drive sustainable change, is still ongoing.Fully funded and spanning 20 months, the programme combines academic inquiry with leadership development through workshops, seminars, and two six-week summer projects.
For Jannah, these experiences will culminate in her “Leadership-in-Action” project at a refugee camp, where she plans to use principles she learned to assist Syrian refugees in rebuilding their lives.
“I am committed to applying the skills and knowledge I have gained to make a positive difference in the lives of these communities,” she said, underscoring the deep sense of purpose driving her work.
Reflecting on her research and leadership training, Jannah expressed immense gratitude for the support of the Laidlaw programme and her faculty mentor, saying: “It has been a transformative experience that has significantly shaped my academic and personal growth.”
