Interdisciplinary Urban & SWANA* Scholar

*South West Asia & North Africa

ABOUT ME:

Dina Yunis, Ph.D. is an Interdisciplinary urban and SWANA scholar exploring the critical intersections of public space, visual arts, subcultural practices, and conflict.

As a recent doctoral graduate in Middle Eastern Studies from King’s College London, her thesis, 'Spray, Space, & Society: Unveiling the Layers of Graffiti in Post-War Beirut', provides a longitudinal analysis of the politicalisation & radicalisation of graffiti during/after significant political upheavals/crises in Lebanon.

With a professional background at MIT and the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs, Dina brings a wealth of experience in qualitative research, project management, and community engagement to her work.

Dina’s current research centres on spatial politics and the ‘political palimpsest’, conceptualising the urban wall as a defiant uncollectible modern archive where governmental erasure itself documents the state’s participation in the visual struggle within post-conflict societies.

SPECIALITIES

  • Expertise in longitudinal immersion, participant observation, and navigating sensitive environments in conflict-affected zones.

  • High-level experience in academic publishing, digital content creation, and translating complex research into accessible narratives.

  • Proven ability to draft compelling proposals and secure funding for interdisciplinary research and community-led initiatives.

  • Proficient in identifying patterns within complex socio-political datasets and utilising thematic/visual analysis to drive insights.

  • Experienced in leading regional programs from conception to execution, managing cross-functional teams, and facilitating stakeholder engagement.

Exploring the role of street art, graffiti, & iconography as vital tools for reclaiming urban space & public agency and challenging dominant narratives.

Analyzing how the built environment and public spaces are used as sites of political struggle, negotiation, and social control.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

VISUAL ARTS

&

ICONOGRAPHY

URBAN

&

SPATIAL POLITICS

POLITICAL

PALIMPSEST

&

ARCHIVAL WORK

Conceptualising the urban wall as a living, layered archive where the tension between public expression and state erasure is documented.

SUB-CULTURAL

PRACTICES

Investigating nontraditional forms of protest and the everyday creative practices that allow publics to navigate power.

SWANA

&

GLOBAL SOUTH

Specialized research into post-conflict urbanism across the SWANA region and the Global South, with an emphasis on the socio-political transformations of contemporary Lebanon.