Program: Ph.D. in Global Studies
Specialization: Historical, Political, and Social Studies
Intake: Fall 2025
Amin Omar is a Ph.D. student in Global Studies at Global Studies University, specializing in Historical, Political, and Social Studies. His doctoral research explores Djibouti City’s relationship with the Indian Ocean, focusing on transformations in maritime and social orders from the nineteenth century to the present. Approaching the city as a privileged site from which to reinterpret the western Indian Ocean, his project draws on colonial archives, oral histories, and Djiboutian literary traditions to trace how Djibouti’s development as a port city reorganized regional networks of circulation, migration, and social reproduction.
His research is informed by experience working across academia and civil society, including positions with the United Nations Development Programme in Djibouti and the Center on International Cooperation at New York University, where he researched shared-capital models. Through his research, Amin seeks to recover vernacular modernities produced in Djibouti and consider how they reconfigure African imaginaries of the Indian Ocean world and beyond.
Academic Background
- M.A., Economics, The New School, New York
- B.A., Liberal Arts and Political Science, University of North Carolina Greensboro
Professional Experience
- Research Consultant, NYU Center on International Cooperation, New York
- Analyst, United Nations Development Programme, Djibouti
- Teaching Assistant, The New School, New York
Publications and Contributions
- 2021, Shared Capital Initiatives – For Redistribution and Recognition (Policy Paper under the supervision of Dr. Sanjay Reddy)
- 2020, Master’s Thesis Fellowship, The Robert L. Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies, The New School
In Their Own Words
“My time in the program has been intellectually enriching. The breadth of expertise among faculty, students, and staff has already contributed significantly to my academic and professional development. The emphasis on interdisciplinary research fosters a productive and generative environment that supports critical inquiry and collaborative engagement. This program offers an ideal setting to explore complex questions about Africa’s political and economic futures.”
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