The Center's Fellows are long-time specialists of Iraqi history, politics, culture and society. For at least two decades, the Center’s scholars have been monitoring diligently developments in Iraq. Highly proficient in Arabic (as well as in other Middle Eastern and European languages) all specialists of the Center are teaching at the University of Haifa, Israel.

The head of the center, Professor Amatzia Baram has been focusing on Iraq since 1978. He has published three books and many articles in the academic press as well as articles in such newspapers as the New York Times, the London Times, the Sunday Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian and others, in addition to many German, Spanish, Italian and French newspapers. He has often been interviewed by the major TV networks: CNN, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, BBC, and other European channels. Prof. Baram has advised occasionally the administrations of Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush. Recently his two main fields of research have been the Iraqi Sunni and Shi’i tribal systems and the Iraqi Shi’i community.

Dr. Michael Eppel, Senior Lecturer at the University of Haifa, has been studying Iraqi history and politics since the mid-1980s. He has published two books and a large number of articles. Recently he has been studying mainly the Kurds in Iraq and in neighboring countries. Dr. Eppel has often been interviewed by the Israeli T.V. channels and press and by Danish, Swedish and Polish radio stations and press.

Dr. Ronen Zeidel has been studying Iraq since the mid-1980s. He has published several articles and is now preparing his first book for publication, dealing with the role of Tikrit and the Tikritis in Iraqi political, social and cultural history since the late 19th century. Presently his main focus is on the Sunni-Arab community of Iraq.

Dr. Noga Efrati, head of the Iraq Research Group at The Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, The Hebrew University. She has been studying Iraq since the early 1990s and has published several articles and several articles are awaiting publication. She is preparing for publication her first book titled Women and state Building in Iraq: an Untold History analyzing gender history in Iraq during the era of the monarchy. She is also co-editing a book concerning the political and social realities in post Saddam Iraq. Her interest in Iraq during the past few years has included women and youth as well as the humanitarian crisis. More Fellows will join the Center after it is fully operational in order to address specific areas and contribute to the center according to its needs.

Ms. Anna Nave, a Masters Degree student at the Department of Middle Eastern history at the University of Haifa is the Center’s Administrator and Public Relations Officer.