The Bourse & Bazaar Foundation is Now on Substack
Announcing a new platform, new board members, and new associate fellows.
Over the last five years, the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation has supported peacebuilding efforts in the Persian Gulf region. The events of the last month have been heavy. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this unprecedented war. We are continuing to pursue an end to this conflict through our research and advocacy.
As part of our response to the war and our commitment to providing actionable insights to a wide range of audiences, we have launched a new Substack platform. This post, which has been sent to all of our database subscribers, explains our move to Substack and includes links to several newly published articles. It also includes some important developments about the expansion of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation.
New Platform
You are receiving this email through our new publication platform on Substack. Moving to Substack provides us a seamless way to publish and share our research and analysis. As a subscriber to the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, you will receive each article we publish directly in your inbox. We aim to publish around one article per week, so your inbox won’t be overwhelmed.
The analysis we publish offers incisive perspectives on developments in West and Central Asia. Our articles are read widely by policymakers, business leaders, analysts, researchers, journalists, and members of the general public.
In recent weeks, we have published analysis from policy experts based in Tehran, Tashkent, Doha, Singapore, and Paris. Here are some recent examples of the analysis we have published:
What a Durable Peace with Iran Requires
By Zeynab Malakouti and Mohammad Eslami
War Ruptures the Gulf’s Understanding with Iran
By Mehran Haghirian
The Iran War Threatens Central Asia’s Economic Growth
By Shakhlo Kamaladinova
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New Board Members
The foundation has recently added three new board members, who bring a wealth of experience on issues related to economic diplomacy and economic development in West and Central Asia. The expansion of the board came as the foundation marked its five-year anniversary. Our new board members are:
Luca Giansanti: Ambassador Luca Giansanti, now retired, is a former Italian diplomat. He has held positions including Director General for Political Affairs, Ambassador to Iran, and Ambassador to the EU Political and Security Committee. He is the former Head of European Government Affairs for Eni based in Brussels.
Zuhra Halimova: Zuhra Halimova is one of Central Asia’s leading policy practitioners. She is a Senior Advisor to CAPS Unlock, an independent policy think tank based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She also conducts research on the digital transformation of the Central Asia region, working with organizations including the World Bank and GIZ.
Louis Skyner: Louis Skyner is a partner at the global lawfirm Dentons. Previously, he was leading legal counsel at Norwegian-headquartered energy company Equinor. Aside from his legal practice, Louis has extensive policy experience, having held affiliations with Chatham House and the New Economic School in Moscow.
We are delighted to have Luca, Zuhra, Louis “on board!”
New Associate Fellows
The foundation has also added three new associate fellows, who will be contributing to our work through their writing, research, and participation in key projects:
Mohamed El Dahshan: Mohamed is a development economist with particular expertise on fragile and post-conflict states in West Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. He is the founder of OXCON, a consulting firm. He has previously held positions at the United Nations and the African Development Bank.
Francesco Salesio Schiavi: Francesco is a researcher focused on security, governance, and geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East. He is a Nonresident Fellow at the Middle East Institute of Switzerland (MEIS) and a regular contributor international platforms, including Al-Monitor, Amwaj, The New Arab, and the NATO Defense College Foundation.
Henrietta Toivanen: Henrietta serves as an independent advisor on diplomacy, mediation, and regional cooperation in West Asia. She was previously a Visiting Fellow at the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation. She holds a PhD and MA from Princeton University in Public and International Affairs.
Keep an eye out for articles by Mohamed, Francesco, and Henrietta in the coming months!
Photo: ESA