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Staff Profiles

Cheryl Benard Washington Office Director, Initiative for Middle Eastern Youth, RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy; Senior Political Scientist Media Availability This researcher is available for interviews. Show Details » More Experts Education Ph.D. in political science, University of Vienna; B.A. in international relations, American University of Beirut RAND Publications List Contact Information

• Overview
• Expert Profile

Related RAND Resources

• Center for Middle East Public Policy
• Initiative for Middle Eastern Youth

Research Focus

Youth radicalization; civil-military relations; Islamism in the Diaspora; post-conflict reconstruction; Afghanistan and the Middle East; women in development

RAND Research Areas

International Affairs

Recent Projects

• Middle Eastern youth
• Radicalism
• Public diplomacy
• Post-conflict reconstruction

Selected Publications

Angel Rabasa et al., Tora K. Bikson et al., Building Moderate Muslim Networks, RAND Corporation, 2007

Seth G. Jones et al., Securing Health: Lessons from Nation-Building Missions, RAND Corporation, 2007

, "Fixing What's Wrong-and Building on What's Right-with Middle East Education", SAIS Review 26(2), 2006

, Civil Democratic Islam: Partners, Resources and Strategies, RAND Corporation, 2003

Conference Proceedings, "The Myth of Martyrdom: Young People and the Insurgency in Iraq", Chapter 7 ,

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• Congressional Resources
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• RAND Policy Experts by Area of Expertise

Research Focus

Youth radicalization, civil-military relations, Islamism in the Diaspora, post-conflict reconstruction, Afghanistan and the Middle East, women in development

Recent Projects

• Middle Eastern youth
• Radicalism
• Public diplomacy
• Post-conflict reconstruction

Previous Positions

Research Director, Boltzmann Institute of Politics, Austria

Selected Publications

Afghanistan: State and Society, Great Power Politics, and the Way Ahead: Findings from an International Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2007, Cheryl Benard et al., RAND Corporation, 2008

Building Moderate Muslim Networks, Angel Rabasa et al., RAND Corporation, 2007

"Fixing What's Wrong-and Building on What's Right-with Middle East Education," SAIS Review, Vol. 26, No. 2, Summer-Fall 2006

Securing Health: Lessons from Nation-Building Missions, Seth G. Jones et al., RAND Corporation, 2006

"The Myth of Martyrdom: Young People and the Insurgency in Iraq," Conference Proceedings, Chapter 7, Options for Helping Middle Eastern Youth Escape the Trap of Radicalization, Cheryl Benard and Ed O'Connell, RAND Corporation, 2005

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: Aljazeera; BBC; Christian Science Monitor; EducationNews.org; New York Sun; NPR; Voice of America; Wall Street Journal

Commentary: Christian Science Monitor; Emma (Germany); In Touch Magazine (Los Angeles); International Herald Tribune; Wall Street Journal

To arrange an interview:

Contact the RAND Office of Media Relations, (703) 413-1100, x5117 or (310) 451-6913, or send an email to media@rand.org.

Public Policy Experts Guide

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