Getting to Know: Yossi Mekelberg
Webster London’s director of international relations is Israeli native, peace advocate, passionate teacher

Mekelberg discusses Middle East affairs during a recent visit to Webster’s home campus in St. Louis.

Since 1996, Yossi Mekelberg has taught international relations (IR) and directed the IR program at Webster University’s London campus at Regent’s College. Born in Israel, he is also an associate fellow in the Middle East Program at the renowned Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

In late 2008 he visited the St. Louis campus to speak on human rights in the Middle East as part of Webster’s celebration of the Year of International Human Rights. Global Thinking conducted the following Q&A to learn more about his fascinating background and academic interests.

Global Thinking: You were born in Israel. How did that influence your interest in international relations?

Mekelberg: I was born in Israel to parents who were Holocaust survivors. Since I can remember, war and politics were major topics of conversation at home and with friends – and basically everywhere. From a very early age I had interest in domestic politics and what had happened in the wider world. Seeing how wars affected so many innocent people and deprived so many others of their potential made me want to understand more and get involved.

GT: What moved you to relocate to London?

Mekelberg: I came to London to study, but also to have a breather from the intense life in Israel. Never planned still to be here 18 years later.

GT: So what steered you to international relations?

Mekelberg: In high school I studied electronics and intended to study electronics engineering after completing my military service. However, while I was a soldier, the 1982 war with Lebanon broke out. Seeing the way it was conducted and the senseless lose of lives and destruction politicized me even further. I became involved with the peace movement in Israel, and after completing my military service, I studied political science and international relations at Tel Aviv University.

GT: What brought you to Webster?

Mekelberg: Some 12 years ago I was invited to share one course with another lecturer, and I never looked back. I’ve enjoyed it from my very first class.

GT: You wear many hats, as a Chatham House associate fellow, as Webster teacher and department head, and as speaker/media consultant on international affairs. What are your favorite roles and activities?

Mekelberg: I like all of them. First and foremost, I am a teacher who loves to be with his students: Nothing is more rewarding than that. My current role as program director of international relations and social sciences at Regent’s College enables me to develop the program in conjunction with our other European campuses and develop interesting curriculum taught by exciting staff.

GT: What excites you about teaching and interacting with students?

Mekelberg: One can hardly think about a more exciting job than interacting with a bunch of young people who dedicate some of their best years in life towards acquiring knowledge. Teaching international relations and politics is always exciting, as students are coming into class already with ideas and opinions and much enthusiasm about what happens in the world.

Helping them understand the complexity of world affairs, researching these issues scientifically and keep their passion for international affairs are the main challenges. Every class is a new experience in which I learn immensely from my students.

GT: Tell us about your activities at Chatham House.

Mekelberg: Being an associate fellow in the Middle East Program is a great honor and privilege. In the seven years I have been with the institute, I’ve participated in enormous meetings with people who play a key role in world affairs. I have written on different issues including Iraq, Israel domestic politics, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Iranian nuclear issue.

Our meetings vary from the ones open to the public to the ones which are closed and strictly under the Chatham House role. This enables speakers to discuss issues without having to be concerned with outside pressures. Part of the work there involved media appearances on networks around the world and newspapers.

We also advise governments and international businesses. It is all very exciting and enables me to use to good effect the academic knowledge for practical purposes.

GT: Your areas of expertise include U.S. foreign policy, international relations and revolutions, international politics in the Middle East, and the Arab-Israeli peace process. What topics excite you the most? Or do you see them all as part of a constantly intertwining web?

Mekelberg: It is definitely the latter. International relations by nature is interdisciplinary. In my early days, revolutions captured my imagination as one of the most dramatic events in history that transform societies and had impact well beyond their geographical borders. Still, they were neglected by international relations scholarly work. Writing about U.S. foreign policy towards the Cuban and Iranian Revolutions added another tier to my understanding of how great powers conduct their foreign policy – and not always successfully.

Coming from the Middle East and being involved with the peace movement, I think that made it inevitable that at one stage or another I will engage not only with academic research but also with the more practical side of producing policy papers, being part of track II negotiations and advice on the region.

GT: Regarding the academic field of international relations, would you describe yourself as subscribing to any particular theory or theories more than others?

Mekelberg: If there is anything I don’t like to do, it is to label myself. I leave it to others. I think reality is always more complex than any single paradigm. Events in the last few years challenged many theories and require new thinking. Theories of political change and conflict resolution are of great interest to me.

GT: What do you see for the future of the International Relations program at Webster, both at London and throughout Webster’s campuses?

Mekelberg: The International Relations Department at Webster is vibrant and innovative. It addresses the changing needs of students in the current international climate. Programs such as the Global M.A. in IR, M.A. in International Non-Governmental Organizations, and an undergraduate program in Human Rights represent the changes in emphasis in studying International Relations. Moreover, having campuses in key places in the world and fantastic scholars in each makes it very special.

The London department enjoys having a group of extremely dedicated and highly qualified members who present with students with never ending intellectual challenge. They are joy to work with.

GT: Finally, what current issues are you researching?

Mekelberg: My main current topics of research deal with the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Iranian Nuclear Program. Needless to say, recent events in Gaza attracted a lot of attention from around the world and I was privileged enough to be asked for my comments from the media around the world. I think these issues will stay with us for some time.