I’m Amro Ali, a sociologist, Middle East analyst, and public scholar exploring the fractured modernities and human condition in the Arab world, Mediterranean, and diasporic spaces. Whether analyzing the failures of the Arab uprisings or the quiet struggles of exile in Berlin, I trace the moral undercurrents of crises and how humans endure and reimagine life amid modern upheaval. I also turn to fiction, poetry, and the occasional standup bit – creative outlets that mirror my view of a fractured world. My scholarly site connects you to my work and opens a window into my intellectual and creative pursuits.
I hold a PhD from the University of Sydney, specializing in political sociology and political philosophy, as well as a Master’s of Arts (with Honours) in Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, and a Master’s of Diplomacy, from the Australian National University. I’ve taught and researched across institutions like the University of Sydney, WZB Berlin Social Science Center, American University in Cairo, Free University of Berlin, Hassan II University of Casablanca, and the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities. I currently consult for UNESCO on the Arab region. Based between Casablanca, Berlin, and Alexandria, I see these cities as tales of fractured modernity – Alexandria’s haunted past, Berlin’s exilic present, and Casablanca’s postcolonial flux.
The ten pillars that shape my research: political sociology and philosophy; intellectual currents and conceptual continuities; Arab public spheres and social movements; Mediterranean margins and fractures; global studies and cities; alienation, rootlessness, and exile; religion and sacred imaginaries; technological modernity; historical imaginaries and identity; and genealogies of the political.
My scholarly journey reflects a conscious decision to step out of the confines of traditional academia, although my work remains deeply rooted in academic inquiry, to spark dialogue in public spheres, intellectual spaces, and policy circles. The outcome nurtures a meaningful conversation for society’s welfare. Scholarship, to me, is a public act.
My interdisciplinary approach is narrative-driven, philosophically synthesized, with a public pulse that tests ideas in real-time. I approach with an ethnographic eye and often employ storytelling – whether in articles, essays, book chapters, lectures, or workshops – to resonate widely. As a public scholar, I analyze the problem as it stands. As a public intellectual, I push further – to reimagine what could be.
Whether you’re a researcher, institution, or curious mind, I’m open to collaborations, talks, or projects that rethink our fractured age. Reach me at or explore more on this platform.
The site’s tagline “Our inheritance was left to us by no testament” by French poet René Char from the opening of Hannah Arendt’s Between Past and Future (1961), shook me as it shook her – a past unmoored, a modernity in ruins with no clear guide.