Leila Abdellatif graduated summa cum laude with a BA (Hons) in Political Science, specializing in International Relations from the American University in Cairo. She minored in mass communications and multimedia journalism.
Leila is interested in the use of language in identity construction. Her undergraduate thesis focused on the conceptualization of torture and the construction of its subjects. She was a recipient of the U.S. Department of State (MEPI) Tomorrow’s Leaders Gender Scholarship and has received awards for her research at AUC, including the Academy of Liberal Arts Honors Award for Excellence in Scientific Research and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences Award.
She has previously served as a research assistant to faculty and PhD candidates at AUC and the University of Michigan, participating in projects that focused on identity politics in civil war and recognition of religious groups in Belgium.
Before Georgetown, Leila served as a senior communication specialist at AUC, where she interviewed and collaborated with renowned academics including Nobel laureates as well as business leaders in MENA.
At CCAS, Leila aims to continue her research on identity construction in MENA, specifically through analysing discourse and racial dynamics. In her free time, Leila loves to cycle and learn foreign languages.