Dr. Iyob specializes in the study of nationalism, conflict resolution, postcolonial citizenship and remittance economies of the regions straddling the African Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa. Her publications on Eritrea and the Sudan have received international recognition as well as her research on governance, democratization, gendered citizenship and the international relations of the states of the Horn of Africa. Currently, she is engaged in developing more nuanced understanding of identity politics and Africa-centered policy issues and continues to work towards facilitating dialogue on bridging the gap between academics and practitioners.
Her publications and teaching reflect a wide range of research interest and include: International Relations in the Horn: Non-Conformity and Defiance. In Quadernidi Relazioni Internazionali, No. 10, May 2009, Comparative Perspectives: Territorial and Boundary Disputes in the Horn of Africa, Pacific Settlements of Border Disputes: Lessons from the Bakassi Affair and the Greentree Agreement, (2008); ornamento dell impero: Rappresetnatzione della donna nel Africa Oreintale, Afriche e Orienti: rivists di studi ai confine tra Africa mediterraneo e medio oreinte, (2007); Sudan: The Elusive Quest for Peace (with Gilbert Khadiagla), 2006, The Special Case of the Horn of Africa, (co-authored with Edmond J. Keller, in Keller and Rothchild (eds.) Africa-US Relations: Strategic Encounters (2006); From Mald; Africa to Mald Europa: The Ties That Bind, in Andall and Duncan, Italian Colonialism: Legacy and Memory, (2005); Shifting Terrain: Dissidence vs. Terrorism in Eritrea, Special Report on Terrorism in the Horn of Africa, United States Institute of Peace (2004; ) and The Ethiopian-Eritean Conflict: Diasporic vs. Hegemonic States in the Horn of Africa, 1991-1999, Journal of Modern African Studies (2000). Dr. Iyob areas of specialization is in Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, African History. She teaches courses on African Politics, Politics of the Middle East, Diaspora Politics, Women in Developing Countries, Multiculturalism, Citizenship and Representation, Religion and Politics, and Politics Through Film and Literature.
Professor and Research Fellow in the Center for International Studies