Alaa Zoubi is a Research Assistant with the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey in the New Global Order Programme at RUSI. Her research focuses on the intersection of international law, security, and diplomacy, with a particular interest in how legal frameworks and judicial interpretation can contribute to long-term peace and stability in regions affected by protracted conflict.

She recently completed her LLM in International Law at the University of Edinburgh, where her dissertation, “Short-Term Security vs Long-Term Peace: An Analysis of the Role of Courts in Interpreting International Humanitarian Law for Sustainable Peace”, developed a three-layered model of judicial interpretation. This model argues for a peace-oriented approach to international humanitarian law, combining strict legal compliance with forward-looking assessments of stability and legitimacy.

Before joining RUSI, Alaa earned a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and Security from Tel Aviv University, where she concentrated on the role of international institutions and legal norms in shaping regional politics. Her earlier academic background includes undergraduate studies in diplomacy, media, and journalism, disciplines that sharpened her expertise in political communication and her ability to analyse international developments with both legal and strategic lenses.