Zaynab El Bernoussi, Associate Professor of Political Science at The Africa Institute, recently delivered a lecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, hosted by the Middle East Studies Program and the African Studies Program. The visit was organized with the support of the Center for Middle East Studies, led by Director Steven Brooke and Assistant Director Tesla Barr. Her talk, The China-Morocco Relation: From Third World Internationalism to Strategic Hedging, took place on March 5, 2025, as part of the university’s Spring Lecture Series.
El Bernoussi’s presentation examined the historical trajectory of Sino-Moroccan relations, tracing their roots to the late 1950s when the two nations were part of a rising wave of Third World solidarity. However, these ties weakened by the mid-1960s as Morocco shifted toward a pro-Western stance. Today, with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Morocco has re-emerged as a key partner, with China becoming its third-largest trading partner.
Her lecture provided a comprehensive analysis of the key sectors shaping this renewed engagement, including industry, investment, tourism, education, and high-tech collaborations. She also highlighted the geopolitical constraints affecting Sino-Moroccan relations, particularly the longstanding territorial dispute between Morocco and Algeria over the Sahara.
In addition to engaging with graduate and undergraduate students, El Bernoussi connected with leading scholars in the field, including Professor Aili Tripp, former President of the African Studies Association, and Professor Nevine El Nossery, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their discussions underscored the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue in African and Middle Eastern studies, further fostering academic exchange on North Africa’s evolving global position.
El Bernoussi’s research focuses on the politicization of dignity in the political evolution of the Global South, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East. In 2015, she received the Arab Prize from the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) for her work on the postcolonial politics of dignity. Her first book, Dignity in the Egyptian Revolution: Protest and Demand during the Arab Uprisings (Cambridge University Press, 2021), examines the role of dignity in revolutionary movements. Her forthcoming co-authored book, International Political Economy and the Global South: Perspectives from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East (Routledge, June 2025), expands on global economic dynamics from a Southern perspective.
The event was co-sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and the African Studies Program, reinforcing the importance of interdisciplinary scholarship in understanding Africa’s evolving geopolitical and economic partnerships.
Zaynab El Bernoussi, Associate Professor of Political Science at The Africa Institute, recently delivered a lecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, hosted by the Middle East Studies Program and the African Studies Program. The visit was organized with the support of the Center for Middle East Studies, led by Director Steven Brooke and Assistant Director Tesla Barr. Her talk, The China-Morocco Relation: From Third World Internationalism to Strategic Hedging, took place on March 5, 2025, as part of the university’s Spring Lecture Series.
Zaynab El Bernoussi, Associate Professor of Political Science at The Africa Institute, recently delivered a lecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, hosted by the Middle East Studies Program and the African Studies Program. The visit was organized with the support of the Center for Middle East Studies, led by Director Steven Brooke and Assistant Director Tesla Barr. Her talk, The China-Morocco Relation: From Third World Internationalism to Strategic Hedging, took place on March 5, 2025, as part of the university’s Spring Lecture Series.
El Bernoussi’s presentation examined the historical trajectory of Sino-Moroccan relations, tracing their roots to the late 1950s when the two nations were part of a rising wave of Third World solidarity. However, these ties weakened by the mid-1960s as Morocco shifted toward a pro-Western stance. Today, with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Morocco has re-emerged as a key partner, with China becoming its third-largest trading partner.
Her lecture provided a comprehensive analysis of the key sectors shaping this renewed engagement, including industry, investment, tourism, education, and high-tech collaborations. She also highlighted the geopolitical constraints affecting Sino-Moroccan relations, particularly the longstanding territorial dispute between Morocco and Algeria over the Sahara.
In addition to engaging with graduate and undergraduate students, El Bernoussi connected with leading scholars in the field, including Professor Aili Tripp, former President of the African Studies Association, and Professor Nevine El Nossery, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their discussions underscored the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue in African and Middle Eastern studies, further fostering academic exchange on North Africa’s evolving global position.
El Bernoussi’s research focuses on the politicization of dignity in the political evolution of the Global South, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East. In 2015, she received the Arab Prize from the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) for her work on the postcolonial politics of dignity. Her first book, Dignity in the Egyptian Revolution: Protest and Demand during the Arab Uprisings (Cambridge University Press, 2021), examines the role of dignity in revolutionary movements. Her forthcoming co-authored book, International Political Economy and the Global South: Perspectives from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East (Routledge, June 2025), expands on global economic dynamics from a Southern perspective.
The event was co-sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and the African Studies Program, reinforcing the importance of interdisciplinary scholarship in understanding Africa’s evolving geopolitical and economic partnerships.
Subscribe to our mailing list and get the latest news from The Africa Institute
