Dr. Marc Owen Jones [email protected]

Personal Profile • Innovative and proactive ‘four-star’ researcher with extensive funding and multidisciplinary publication record on Bahrain and the Gulf. • Seven book chapters, two edited books, a book under contract with Cambridge University Press, and four peer-reviewed journal articles in four years. • Award-winning research with impact, cited in both academic and non-academic, national and international outlets, such as the New York Times, the Guardian, and Foreign Policy. Have also written for outlets such as the Washington Post, CNN and the Independent • Experienced teacher and module designer for both undergraduates and postgraduates. Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy • Have contributed to funding applications that have won over $200,000 • Proficient in reading, writing and speaking Arabic; have lived in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Sudan and Syria.

Education 2011 - 2015 PhD on the History of Political Repression in Bahrain. Awarded 18 March 2016 The University of Durham, Durham, UK. [Funded by NEDTC] Supervisors: Christopher Davidson and Peter Stirk Examiners: Professor Clive Jones and Dr. Philip Robins

2008-2010 MSc Arab World Studies (2-year programme). Distinction. Universities of Durham, Edinburgh, and Damascus [Funded by CASAW] Dissertation Topic: YouTube and Sectarianism in Bahrain

2003-2006 BA (Hons) Journalism, Film & Broadcasting. First Class Honours. Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales. UK.

Relevant Employment & Experience September 2018- Assistant Professor Middle East Studies and Digital Humanities, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar

Sept 2017- Sept Lecturer History of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, Institute of Arab and Islamic 2018 Studies, University of Exeter

Oct2016 – Sept Research Fellow in Gulf Studies, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of 2017 Exeter

April – Sept’ 2016 ‘Teach@Tuebingen’ (Postdoctoral) Fellow in 'Gulf Politics' at the University of Tubingen, Germany. Sep 2015 – ‘16 Tutorial Leader on 'Middle East Politics', Department of Politics and Geography, Newcastle University 2013 – 2015 Tutorial Leader on 'Introduction to Middle East Politics', School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University 2012 – Lead Researcher at Bahrain Watch 2011 – Contributor to several news/analysis outlets

2011 – 2016 Political contributor on Bahrain for the Economist Intelligence Unit 2010 – 2011 Graduate Research Assistant, Leicester University, UK 2007 English Language Instructor, Khartoum, Sudan

Funding, Honours and Awards • 2019 HBKU Startup Grant for $10000 • 2019 Winner “Best Professor” at HBKU Faculty Excellence Awards • 2018 NY Times Quote of the Day • 2018 Nominated for “Most Innovative” Exeter Guild Student Awards • 2018 Honorarium from Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies • 2016 PhD Best Dissertation Award: Association of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies • $10,000 grant for anti-hate speech bot research from the Nexus Foundation • 'Teach @Tubingen' postdoctoral award for six months • Won $150,000 award with Bahrain Watch for HIVOS funding, with experience writing numerous proposals • Accommodation waiver from CMES at Lund University for writing up Bahrain's Uprising • ArkLight Project Award for Human Rights Research • Honorarium from the Project for Advanced Research in Global Communication, University of Pennsylvania • Funded PhD and stipend at the University of Durham from the North Eastern Doctoral Training Centre (ESRC) • Graduate Research Assistant award from Leicester University • Thouron Scholarship (declined) • Funded MSc and annual stipend from Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) for the duration of two-year MSc in Arab World Studies • One of only six students awarded 1st Class Degree in a cohort of 120 for undergraduate degree

Honorary Appointments • Honorary Research Fellow, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter • Honorary lifelong member of Ustinov GCR.

Teaching Qualifications • Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (DULTA) • Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA)

Teaching, Supervisory & Lecturing Experience • 2016-2018 Module convenor for several postgraduate and undergraduate models, including: Britain in the Middle East, 1798 – 1977, The Middle East Before 1945, A History of the Modern Middle East 1900 – 2013, War Violence and Revolution in the Middle East. Guest Instructor on Politics and Reform in the Gulf. Ran two seminars on the topics of reform and Bahrain, and media and human rights. Marked student presentations. • 2013-2016Seminar leader for undergraduate politics module at Durham University: Introduction to Middle East Politics. Seminar leader for a second-year undergraduate module at Newcastle University: Politics of the Middle East. • Experienced with different sized classes, from small group seminars to large scale lectures. • Supervisory experience for undergraduate, masters and PhD level students on the Gulf and broader Middle East. • Have taught English to both adults and children in a challenging environment in Sudan, as well as the Czech Republic

Module Design

• HBKU: MA Modules, Approaches to Digital Humanities, Digital Media and Communication, Gender and Digital Cultures • University of Exeter: Designed second-year level module entitled Surveillance, Propaganda and Fake News in the Gulf, including innovative practical assessments, such as deconstructing ‘fake news’. • University of Tuebingen: Wrote own module on Gulf Politics for MA students on CMEPS program for a weekly class of 25 students. Marked masters-level essays and advised on Masters dissertations.

Teaching Feedback Examples • 'Marc was easily the best seminar leader I've had at Newcastle, he was very good at facilitating discussion as well as helping us to understand concepts'. • 'Marc was very friendly, interesting and approachable. He created a comfortable atmosphere for debate'. • 'The tutor I had, Marc Owen Jones, was absolutely amazing. His experience in the Middle East was evident and he was very confident and knowledgeable on the topic. I always felt like I was being challenged, and he gave us different ways of thinking about things which I really appreciated, and am sure will be beneficial in the future'. • 'The way that Marc led the tutorials and ensured that everyone was contributing was extremely useful and extended my understanding of the module. I found it extremely interesting and really enjoyed every session'.

Administration, tutoring & other professional activities

• Among the journals I have been invited to peer-review for are: Media, War & Conflict, International Journal of History, Convergence, Middle East Critique, Center for International and Regional Studies, Exeter Gulf Series, and the Journal of Arabian Studies • Organizing and revamping the PhD upgrades system at the University of Exeter. This involves organising panels for students progressing from MPhil to PhD level. • Tutoring and mentoring 12 undergraduate students through the duration of their studies at the University of Exeter. • Helping organize regular PhD Seminars on the Gulf at IAIS. This includes arranging speakers and sending out regular email blasts • Reviewing and assisting in the organisation of the Exeter Gulf Conference 2017 • Board member of human rights NGO, Bird Bahrain. • Former one of the company directors of transparency not-for-profit, Bahrain Watch. • Former elected president of Ustinov College Graduate Common Room (GCR), a registered charity responsible for the well-being of approximately 1,800 postgraduate students at Durham University • Presidential position involved attending various university functions and liaising with college management as well as other university officials: Chair of the board of trustees and legally responsible for Ustinov College GCR; I took Ustinov from an unincorporated organization to a registered charity.

Recent Talks & Conferences

09/19 American Political Science Association’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition

08/19 The Eleventh Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies

07/19 National University of Singapore, Middle East Institute,

05/19 5th China and The Middle East and North Africa Conference

12/18 Misinformation Conference, Istanbul Turkey

05/18 RightsCon Toronto, Human Rights and Censorship online in Bahrain Gulf Forum, Qatar Doha, Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies – Twitter 2/12/17 Bots in the Gulf Crisis

21/10/17 Association of Internet Researchers, Tartu, Estonia – Twitter Bots and Propaganda in the Gulf –

25/09/17 Chiba University – Mapping sectarian hate speech on Twitter

8/05/17 Aarhaus University – Automated sectarianism and Twitter bots in the Persian Gulf 01/08/16 Exeter University – Rethinking the role of the Iranian Revolution in the Gulf states' internal security 01/07/16 University of Tubingen – History of Saudi's role in de-democratisation of the Gulf 2015 BRISMES – State violence devolved: online vigilante violence in Bahrain 2015 BISA – The causes of Bahrain's failed revolution 2015 University of Sheffield – Unethical P2P diplomacy in the Bahrain Uprising 2014 University of Pennsylvania – Social media and satire in the Bahrain Uprising 2013 The Frontline Club: The abandoned revolution

Skills Communication • Clear, confident communicator with significant experience addressing both academic and non-academic audiences. This includes public speaking, conferences, television interviews, documentaries, lectures, seminars, and radio broadcasts • Former press-secretary for Ustinov College GCR • Hosted radio show on Xpress Radio in Cardiff during undergraduate study Teamwork • Have lead on, and been supervised on numerous Bahrain Watch projects • Former president of a 30-strong committee, and chair of the board of trustees for a registered UK charity • People skills demonstrated by recent accolades, including being voted Ambassador for Ustinov College Organisational • Flexibility, time management and organization: Have successfully combined academic commitments with teaching, freelance contributing, captaining a football team, and GCR committee work IT • Experienced with Tableau, Gephi, Azure ML (beginner), Twitter Archiver, Google Sheets, Microsoft Office, Apache Open Office, SPSS, Google Drive, Lightworks, Cakewalk Sonar, Cubasis, Illustrator, Lightroom, Wordpress.org, and Wordpress.com. Not afraid to try new things; designed a mobile app for Android and iOS, as well as several websites Language • English (native speaker) • Arabic (Spoken and Written: Advanced) • French (Spoken and Written: Basic)

Interests Creative writing, film-making, song writing, crafts, playing football, digital audio recording, drawing, photography, community, guitars, cooking, hiking, wildlife.

Publications

Books

Jones M.O. (2018). Political Repression in Bahrain (Forthcoming). Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Edited Books

Jones M, Porter R, Valeri M (2018). Gulfization of the Arab World. Gerlach Press.

Jones, M.O., and Shehabi, A. (eds), The Bahrain Uprising, London, Zed Books Ltd, 2015.

Journal Articles

Jones, M.O. Propaganda, fake news, and fake trends: the role of Twitter bots in the Qatar Gulf Crisis, International Journal of Communication, International Journal of Communication; Vol 13 (2019)

Jones, M.O., Social media, satire and creative resistance in the Bahrain uprising: from utopian fiction to political satire, Communication and the Public, 2017

Jones, M.O., Nation branding and celebrity diplomacy in Bahrain, Celebrity Studies, May 2017, (ID: 1312083 DOI:10.1080/19392397.2017.1312083)

Jones, M.O., Saudi Intervention, Sectarianism, and De-Democratization in Bahrain’s Uprising, in Thomas Davies , Holly Eva Ryan , Alejandro Milcíades Peña (ed.) Protest, Social Movements and Global Democracy Since 2011: New Perspectives (Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change, Volume 39) Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2016, pp.251 - 279

Jones, M.O., 'Social Media, Surveillance and Social Control in the Bahrain U prising', Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, vol. 9, no. 2, 2013, pp. 71 – 91.

Chapters in books

Jones MO (2019) Mapping Sectarian Slurs in the Middle East Twittersphere, 第３章 中東のツイッター界にみる宗派的中傷の分布 Chuto no Tsuitta Kai ni Miru Shuhateki Chusho no Bunpu, Book Series: Politics in Transition, Koyo Shobo Publishers [Japan

Jones M.O. Contesting the Iranian Revolution as a turning-point discourse in Bahraini contentious politics. In valeri M, porter R, Jones MO (Eds.) Gulfization of the Arab World: Exeter Critical Gulf Series, Gerlach Press. 2017.

Jones, M.O. 'Political History of Bahrain', The Middle East and North Africa 2017, Oxford, Routledge, 2016.

Jones, M.O., 'Social media and unethical P2P diplomacy in the Bahrain Uprising ', in Gunter, B., Al- Areshi, M. and Al-Jaber, K., (eds), Social Media and the Arab Uprisings , London, I.B. Tauris, 2016.

Jones, M.O., (ed) 'Social media, surveillance, and Cyberpolitics in the Bahrain Uprising', in M.O. Jones and A. Shehabi (eds), The Bahrain Uprising, London, Zed Books, 2015.

Jones, M.O., (ed) 'Rotten apples and rotten orchards: police deviance, brutality, and unaccountability in Bahrain', in Jones, M.O. and A. Shehabi (eds), The Bahrain Uprising, London, Zed Books, 2015.

Jones, M.O., and Shehabi, A. (eds),'Bahrain's Uprising: The Struggle for Democracy in the Gulf', in in Jones, M.O. and A. Shehabi (eds), The Bahrain Uprising, London, Zed Books, 2015.

Jones, M.O., 'An inconvenient height above sea level', in Lucantoni,P. Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language Workbook 2 , Cambridge:Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Blog Chapter in E-Book:

Jones, M.O., ‘Social media in the Bahrain Uprising: From hope to despair’, in Atanasova D, Reilly P, Veneti A (eds) Politics, Protest, Emotion: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, PressBooks, 2017

Analysis, Commentary, and Media Output

Jones M.O. A triple execution in Bahrain has provoked national outrage – and international silence, The Conversation, 2017 https://theconversation.com/a-triple-execution-in-bahrain-has- provoked- national-outrage-and-international-silence-71367

Jones M.O. From Geneva to London: How Bahrain Tries to Game Human Rights Accountability in the International Arena, Orient XXI, 2017 http://orientxxi.info/magazine/from-geneva-to-london- how- bahrain-tries-to-game-human-rights-accountability-in,2010

Jones M.O. Hacking, bots and information wars in the Qatar spat, Washington Post, 2017.

Jones M.O. How a spate of killings in Bahrain has raised suspicions of state brutality, The Conversation, 2017 https://theconversation.com/how-a-spate-of-killings-in-bahrain-has-raised- suspicions-of-state-brutality-73644

Jones, M.O. POLARISED FUTURES? Trump’s visit stokes sectarianism and repression in the Gulf, Middle East Solidarity Magazine, 2017.

Jones, M.O. Automated Sectarianism and Pro-Saudi Propaganda on Twitter. Tactical Tech, 2016, https://exposingtheinvisible.org/resources/automated-sectarianism

Jones, M.O. Bahrain’s uprising: resistance and repression in the Gulf [Book Summary]. 2015.

Jones, M.O., 'Banned from Entry to Bahrain', Pen Atlas, 8 October 2015, http://www.englishpen.org/pen-atlas/banned-from-entry-to-bahrain/

Jones, M.O., 'The more Appalling the Human Rights Record, the better the Customer at the London's Arms Fairs', The Independent, 15 September 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-more-appalling-the-human-rights-record-the- better- the-customer-at-londons-arms-fair-today-10500389.html

Jones, M.O., 'Why aren't the Gulf States taking more Syrian Refugees?', New Statesman, 8 September 2015, http://www.newstatesman.com/world/middle-east/2015/09/why-aren-t- gulf-states-taking-more-syrian-refugees

Jones, M.O., 'The Deepening Divide in Post-Election Bahrain', LSE Blog, 20 January 2015, http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2015/01/20/the-deepening-divide-in-post- election-bahrain/.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain's Elections – Husbands, iphones and jobs', Middle East Eye, 21 November 2014, http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/analysis-bahrains- election-promises-are- husbands-iphones-and-jobs-1503052065.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain's State Unaccountability', Muftah, 17 April 2014, http://muftah.org/bahrains- state-unaccountability/#.VSQvRPnF8hU.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain's Celebrity Anti-Diplomacy', Your Middle East, 20 March 2014, http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/opinion/bahrains-celebrity- antidiplomacy_22383.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain's Silent Spring: What Happened to the “Pearl Revolution?”'', CNN, 14 august 2013, http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/14/opinion/bahrain- protests-silent-spring/.

Jones, M.O., 'The history of British invovlement in Bahrain's internal security', Open Democracy, 8 August 2013, https://www.opendemocracy.net/opensecurity/marc-owen- jones/history-of- british-involvement-in-bahrains-internal-security.

Jones, M.O., 'Little Hope for Bahrain as World Turns Away', Your Middle East, 7 August 2013, http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/opinion/marc-owen-jones-little-hope- for- bahrain-as- world-turns-away_16948.

Jones, M.O., 'Putting a Price Tag on Repression', Your Middle East, 6 May 2013, http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/opinion/marc-owen-jones-putting-a-price-tag- on- repression_14547.

Jones, M.O., 'How the Al Khalifas Took a Quarter of Bahrain's Weath', Your Middle East, 29 April 2013, http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/opinion/marc-owen-jones- how-the-al- khalifas- took-a-quarter-of-bahrains-wealth_11643.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain's History of Political Injustice', Your Middle East, 29 April 2013, http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/opinion/marc-owen-jones-bahrains-history-of- political- injustice_14064.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain Activists' Trouble with Trolls', Index on Censorship, 15 May 2012, http://uncut.indexoncensorship.org/2012/05/bahrain-marc-owen-jones- twitter-trolls/.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain's PR Machine Threatens Free Speech', Index on Censorship, 14 February 2012, http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2012/02/bahrains-pr-machine- threatens-free-speech/.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain Analysis: Navigating a Rising Tide of Violence', EA, 24 January 2012, http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2012/1/24/bahrain-analysis- navigating-a- rising- tide-of-violence.html.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain Video Feature: Celebrating Creative Resistance', EA, 21 January, 2012, http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2012/1/21/bahrain-video- feature- celebrating- creative-resistance-owen-j.html.

Jones, M.O., 'Bahrain Special: The Steel Rods of the Police', EA, 16 January 2012, http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2012/1/16/bahrain-special-the-steel- rods-of- the-police.html.

Forecasts and Analyses for Economist Intelligence Unit

'Human Rights Activst Sentenced', 27 January 2015,

'Protests erupt after opposition leader's arrest', 13 January 2015, Analysis Piece

'Bahrainis stripped of citizenship face jail or deportation', 27 August 2014,

'Bahrain accuses Qatar of offering Bahrainis citizenship', 11 august 2014,

'MPs agree to proposal to limit parliament's powers', 16 June 2014,

'Prime Minister approves new corruption laws', 19 May 2014,

'Opposition figurehead to be released', 13 May 2014,

'Opposition call for protests ahead of Formula One race', 3 April 2014,

'Members of parliament deny funding jihadis in Syria', 20 March 2014,

'Opposition accuses authorities over detainee's death', 28 February 2014,

'Clashes mark anniversary of 2011 uprising', 18 February 2014. Analysis

'Bahraini living in Iran named as suspect in foiled attacks', 8 January 2014,

'Government releases progress report on BICI recommendations', 19 December 2013,

'UK holds “fruitful” talks with Bahrain over jet sales', 21 November 2013,

'Police raid exhibition', 1 November 2013,

'Nine sentenced over bomb-making', 9 October 2013,

'Opposition boycotts National Dialogue', 6 September 2013,

Book Reviews

Political Change in the Arab Gulf States, Tetreault, M.A. Et al (eds), review in Journal of Arabian of Studies: Arabia, the Gulf and the Red Sea, vol. 2, no. 2, 2012, pp. 243 – 245.

Aouragh, M., Palestine Online: Transnationalism, the Internet and the Construction of Identity, review in Media, War and Conflict, vol. 5, no. 1, 2011, pp. 92 – 94.

Select reports and projects

PR Watch, Bahrain Watch, November, 2012, https://bahrainwatch.org/pr/ (accessed 20 February 2015).

Bahrain: The Unauthorised Tour, Bahrain Watch, 2012, https://bahrainwatch.org/tour/, (accessed 20 February 2015).

Gunter, B. et al, UK News Media Review 2012, Department of Media and Communications, http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/media/documents/UK-News-Media-Review-2010.pdf (accessed 22 February 2015).

Jones, M.O. ‘Qatar say their official news agency website was hacked Twitter Bots suggest they may have a point’, AmanaTech, May 2017, https://bahrainwatch.org/amanatech/en/investigations/qatar-say- their-official-news- agency- website-was-hacked-twitter-bots-suggest-they-may-have-a-point

Jones, M.O. ‘Uncovering a Twitter Bot Army Mobilised Against Al Jazeera’. AmanaTech, August 2017, https://bahrainwatch.org/amanatech/en/investigations/we-demand-the-closing-of- the-channel-of- pigs