Manochehr Dorraj
Professor Texas Christian University
- Fort Worth TX
Manochehr Dorraj has expertise in international affairs, energy, and global geo-strategy.
Media
Biography
He is the author, coauthor, editor or coeditor of 7 books and more than 80 refereed articles and book chapters. In addition, he has produced more than 100 non-refereed publications such as review articles, book reviews, blogs and Op-eds. References to his work and the translation of his publications have appeared in 20 languages. He has been invited to present his scholarship and has been an invited speaker at John Hopkins, Yale, Harvard, UCLA, UT (Austin), Texas A&M (College Station), Queens and Toronto University (Canada), University of London and Nottingham University (Great Britain), St. Andrews, Aberdeen, and Dundee University (Scotland), Charles University (Czech Republic), Beijing and Fudan University (China), National University of Singapore, and National University of Vietnam. He has also been an invited speaker in such Think Tanks and International Organizations as the Hudson Institute and the World Bank (Washington, DC), International Group for the Study of Security (Verona, Italy), The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (The United Arab Emirates), The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (Qatar). During 2012-2013 he was a visiting fellow at Georgetown’s Center for International and Regional Studies in Doha, Qatar. In 2017-2018 (Winter), he was a Visiting Scholar at Fudan Institute for International Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. He has also previously taught at the University of Texas at Austin (Austin) and Shanghai International Studies University (China).
Manochehr Dorraj is a frequent commentator on global affairs in general and Middle East politics in particular. He has granted numerous interviews to international, national and local media. His commentary has appeared in the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, the Associated Press, the United Press International, the Agence France Presse, the Huffington Post, the Atlantic Post, The Atlantic Council, The Hill, China Daily, South China Morning News, Japan Times, and O Estadaode, S.Paulo, Brazil, among others. He has been interviewed by ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS Television, as well as NPR, BBC, and numerous other radio stations.
Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
Full Professor Summer Research Grant, AddRAn, TCU
2019 and 2022
Visiting Scholar Fellowship Award, Fudan Institute for International Development, Fudan University
2017-2018
Faculty Distinguished Lecture Award, AddRan College, TCU
2015-2016
Andrew Heiskell Award, The Institute of International Education
2014-2015
Education
The University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D.
Political Science
1984
Media Appearances
Questions remain on deals, Syria sanctions following Trump's Middle East trip
ABC News online
2025-05-17
"Increasingly, he's convinced, as a former real estate developer and businessman, that pushing for expansion of America's business interest should be the primary business of American government, so to speak. And he went there with that mission," Manochehr Dorraj, a political science professor at Texas Christian University, told ABC News. "So far as that was a guiding principle, he took major strides toward achieving that goal."
President Xi Meets with MBS: What Does This Mean for Iran?
Fair Observer online
2023-04-14
However, the visit “should not be regarded as China no longer being interested in Iran,” Dr. Manochehr Dorraj of Texas Christian University said. “But that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) not only rank as the number one and number two trade partners for China, but they also have the financial capability to invest in the Chinese economy, something that Iran is currently lacking. This is among several factors why the Chinese leadership may prioritize bilateral ties with the Arab World as more significant.”
Russian invasion of Ukraine means green light for green energy in Europe | Opinion
The Hill online
2022-03-20
The invasion of Ukraine has exposed the European vulnerability to the supply of Russian oil and natural gas. Many countries in East and Central Europe receive 40 percent of their natural gas and 25 percent of their oil imports from Russia. As the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine has revealed, Russian President Vladimir Putin is more than willing to use the dependence of Europe on its energy resources to extract political concessions.
International affairs expert discusses violence in the Middle East
FOX 4 KDFW tv
2021-05-17
The Middle East, a long simmering trouble spot, is boiling again with an escalating dispute between Israel and its neighbors to the west in Gaza. TCU professor of international affairs Dr. Manochehr Dorraj joins Good Day to discuss the conflict.
Event Appearances
“Rethinking China, Middle East and Asia in a ‘Multiplex World’"
May 2022 | University of Alberta, China Institute Alberta, Canada
"Iran Facing Outward: Changing Politics, Military Doctrine, and Border Issues"
September 2021 | Middle East Institute Online
Conference on “The Geopolitics of Gulf Energy”
November 2019 | Qatar University Doha, Qatar
Conference on “China’s Belt and Road Initiative”
June 2019 | SOAS, University of London London, UK
“The 5th China and the Middle East and North Africa Conference”
May 2019 | Center for Global Studies, Shanghai University Shanghai, China
Articles
The Divided West and the Rising East
Journal of International Relations2016
This paper draws attention to some of the consequences of the decline and possible slump of the liberal world order, while focusing predominantly on factors that have divided the Western world, most notably the toxic rise of nationalism, nativism, populism, authoritarianism, anti-institutionalism, anti-immigrant, and anti-globalization sentiments. We argue, that as the United States further embraces economic nationalism and protectionism under the Trump administration, the support for multilateral institutions, rooted in the liberal order, is likely to significantly retreat. The dissolution of the liberal order will arguably pave the way for political disorder across the globe, while at the same time dividing the Western world at a time when an economically resurgent China, in a strategic alliance with a more assertive Russia under Putin, is likely to pose new challenges to the West.
Populism and Corporatism in the Middle East and North Africa: a Comparative Analysis
Chinese Political Science Review2017
This paper would first define the concepts of populism and corporatism often used to study political systems in Latin America and Europe, (specially Southern Europe). The utility and the relevance of the concepts for the study of politics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions are delineated. Since our study of populism intends to not only shed light on populism as an ideology and movement, but also analyze its role as an instrument of incorporation of the newly energized masses in the political system and the consolidation of power of populist regimes, we believe the two concepts are organically linked and complementary and as such are integral to understanding populism not only as an opposition movement, but also in shedding light on the policies of populist states once in power.
The Resilience of Populism in Iranian Politics: A Closer Look at the Nexus between Internal and External Factors
The Middle East Journal2021
This article seeks to demonstrate that the resiliency of populism in Iran cannot be fully explained by internal variables alone. In contrast to many existing approaches, we argue that a combination of internal and external factors have contributed to the longevity and the resilience of Islamic populism in the country. The United States' hostile policies toward Iran—especially under Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump—have contributed to the rise of a nationalistpopulist backlash intended to safeguard the survival of the Islamic Republic.
