Award-Winning Dissertation: GIGA Researcher Dr. Hana Attia Receives the “Aquila Ascendens” Young Researcher Award for Security Policy

For her outstanding dissertation “Biased Coercion: The Imposition, Management, and Termination of US Sanctions,” GIGA researcher Dr. Hana Attia was awarded second place in the “Aquila Ascendens” Young Researcher Award for Security Policy. The GIGA warmly congratulates her on this well-deserved award.

In her dissertation, Attia examines whether United States sanctions decisions are systematically biased and what the causes of that are. Taken altogether, this dissertation presents a nuanced framework for studying sanctions and improves our understanding of why and how these measures are used by state leaders. It also sheds light on the latter stages of the sanctions process – their management and termination – that have hitherto attracted insufficient scholarly attention as compared to for the imposition and effectiveness of these measures. More precisely, this dissertation makes theoretical, conceptual, and empirical contributions to the scholarship. Theoretically, it introduces a comprehensive framework that accounts for both domestic and international sources of bias at the different stages of the sanctions process. Conceptually, it accounts for the varying dynamics and interests among domestic actors in the sender country that affect the sanctions process. Empirically, it uses novel data, employs statistical tests, and utilises interview material to provide evidence that sanctions are biased from cradle to grave.

The findings help change the way we think about sanctions in two key ways. First, they underline that to fully understand the use and effectiveness of these measures, one should look at the entire sanctions process and account for domestic and international circumstances. Second, they remind us of the diversity of sanctions – as an instrument that has both symbolic and punitive attributes and is not tied to specific policy goals. This explains why leaders continue to use these measures despite their mixed record of success. The dissertation concludes by discussing the implications of its findings for sactions in the twenty-first century: evidence of bias can undermine the effectiveness hereof, as it negatively impacts both the credibility of sanctions as an instrument of foreign policy and of the US in international bargaining. Finally, the results carry important policy implications on sanctions exit strategies.

Hana Attia was honoured in November 2023 for her dissertation on a highly topical subject with real-world relevance in the field of security policy. The “Aquila Ascendens” science prize is awarded by the DialogForum Security Policy in cooperation with the Security Policy Working Group of the Bundeswehr University Munich. Prizes are awarded to dissertations and master’s theses worthy of distinction in the field of security policy, with a focus on forward-looking and theory-based empirical work with real-world relevance or with reference to options for action. The aim of the award is to promote academic debate on the topic of security policy and to engage with a wider audience. An advisory board, supported by a scientific committee made up of members from various areas of society, decides on the award winners.