Dr. Regine Schwab

Researcher

Dr. Regine Schwab is a Researcher at PRIF’s Research Depart­ment Intrastate Conflict. Her research interests are, inter alia, armed conflicts, non-state armed groups, and violence against civilians in the MENA region.

Regine Schwab
schwab(at)prif.org
 Press photo

CV

| since 09/2024
Lecturer, Professor­ship for International In­stitutions and Peace Processes, Goethe University Frankfurt/M.

| since 07/2024
Researcher at PRIF

| 04/2024–08/2024
Visiting Professor for International Institutions and Peace Processes, Goethe University Frankfurt/M.

| 07/2022–06/2024
Postdoctoral Researcher, Goethe University Frankfurt/M.

| 05/2020–02/2024
Postdoctoral Researcher at PRIF

| 2016–2020
PhD Candidate, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale)

| 2017
Lecturer at the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Freie Universität Berlin

| 2015–2016
PhD Fellow, Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS)

| 2015
Bucerius Pre-Doctoral Fellow (Trajectories of Change scholarship program)

| 2012–2014
Master of Arts in Social Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin

| 2008–2012
Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin

| 2007–2010
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, Freie Universität Berlin

Projects

Highlights

Wissenschaft und Frieden 2024/4 - New Issue with Contributions from PRIF ...

Cover of issue 4/2024 of „W&F Wissenschaft und Frieden. Eskalationen im Nahen Osten“ (“W&F Science and Peace. Escalations in the Middle East”). The cover shows a map of Israel with Gaza, the West Bank and neighboring states. The map shows blue, red and yellow dots, which are particularly concentrated in the Gaza Strip. Hanna Pfeifer, Regine Schwab, and Mustafa Karahamad on the escalation of violence in the Middle East

Mittelweg 36 – New Issue with Contributions from PRIF ...

[Translate to Englisch:] Regine Schwab and Hendrik Simon discuss the sociology of the international legal order

Regine Schwab Speaks at Conference on International Humanitarian Law of the German Red Cross ...

[Translate to Englisch:] On violence against civilian infrastructure in armed conflicts in the MENA region

Publications

  • Gaza als Trittleiter
    | 2024
    Karahamad, Mustafa; Schwab, Regine (2024): Gaza als Trittleiter. Beobachtungen zur Rehabilitation des syrischen Regimes, W&F Wissenschaft und Frieden: 4, 22–25.
    Publication
  • Die Transformation des Krieges und Angriffe auf zivile Infrastruktur
    | 2024
    Schwab, Regine (2024): Die Transformation des Krieges und Angriffe auf zivile Infrastruktur, Mittelweg 36. Zeitschrift des Hamburger Instituts für Sozialforschung, 33: 2, 32–54.
    Publication
  • Re-examining the State/Non-state Binary in the Study of (Civil) War
    | 2023
    Schwab, Regine; Pfeifer, Hanna (2023): Re-examining the State/Non-state Binary in the Study of (Civil) War, Civil Wars, 25, 426–449. DOI: 10.1080/13698249.2023.2254654
  • The bombing of hospitals and local violence dynamics in civil wars: Evidence from Syria
    | 2023
    Schwab, Regine; Krause, Werner; Massoud, Samer (2023): The bombing of hospitals and local violence dynamics in civil wars: Evidence from Syria, Households in Conflict Network.
    Publication
  • Same same but different? Ideological differentiation and intra-jihadist competition in the Syrian civil war
    | 2023
    Schwab, Regine (2023): Same same but different? Ideological differentiation and intra-jihadist competition in the Syrian civil war, Journal of Global Security Studies: 1, 1-20. DOI: 10.1093/jogss/ogac045
  • Politicising the Rebel Governance Paradigm. Critical Appraisal and Expansion of a Research Agenda
    | 2023
    Pfeifer, Hanna; Schwab, Regine (2023): Politicising the Rebel Governance Paradigm. Critical Appraisal and Expansion of a Research Agenda. Introduction to the Special Issue, Small Wars and Insurgencies, 34: 1, 1–23. DOI: 10.1080/09592318.2022.2144000
  • Transnationale Gewaltordnungen und Konflikte
    | 2022
    Ketzmerick, Maria; Salehi, Mariam; Schwab, Regine (2022): Transnationale Gewaltordnungen und Konflikte. Workshop AK Gewaltordnungen DVPW, Universität Bayreuth, 3.-4. März 2022, Wissenschaft und Frieden, 40: 2, 54–55.
  • Escalate or Negotiate? Constraint and Rebel Strategic Choices Towards Rivals in the Syrian Civil War
    | 2021
    Schwab, Regine (2021): Escalate or Negotiate? Constraint and Rebel Strategic Choices Towards Rivals in the Syrian Civil War, Terrorism and Political Violence, 1–20. DOI: 10.1080/09546553.2021.1998007
  • Insurgent courts in civil wars: the three pathways of (trans)formation in today’s Syria (2012–2017)
    | 2018
    Schwab, Regine (2018): Insurgent courts in civil wars: the three pathways of (trans)formation in today’s Syria (2012–2017), Small Wars & Insurgencies, 29: 4, 801–826. DOI: 10.1080/09592318.2018.1497290

  • Competitive Rebel Governance in Syria
    | 2023
    Schwab, Regine (2023): Competitive Rebel Governance in Syria, in: Fraihat, Ibrahim; Alijla, Abdalhadi (eds), Rebel Governance in the Middle East, Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, 117-150. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-1335-0_5
    ISBN: 978-981-99-1334-3
  • Who owns the law?: Logics of Insurgent Courts in the Syrian War (2012-2017)
    | 2022
    Schwab, Regine; Massoud, Samer (2022): Who owns the law?: Logics of Insurgent Courts in the Syrian War (2012-2017), in: Gani, Jasmine K./Hinnebusch, Raymond (eds), Actors and Dynamics in the Syrian Conflict's Middle Phase: Between Contentious Politics, Militarization and Regime Resilience, London: Routledge, 164–181.
    Publication
  • Globalizing Elites from the ‘Global South’: Elites in Brazil and India
    | 2015
    Schneickert, Christian; Kroneder, Andreas; Schwab, Regine (2015): Globalizing Elites from the ‘Global South’: Elites in Brazil and India, in: Lenger, Alexander/Schumacher, Florian (eds), Understanding the Dynamics of Global Inequality, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, 229–243.
    Publication
  • De-Constitutionalising the Egyptian Constitution
    | 2014
    Schwab, Regine (2014): De-Constitutionalising the Egyptian Constitution, in: Belakhdar, Naoual /Eickhof, Ilka/el Khawaga, Abla/el Khawaga, Ola/Hamada, Amal/Harders, Cilja/Sandri, Serena (eds), Arab Revolutions and Beyond: Change and Persistence. Proceedings of the International Conference, Tunis, 12-13 November 2013, Berlin: Center for Middle Eastern and North African Politics at the Freie Universität Berlin, 179–192.
    Publication

  • Politicising the Rebel Governance Paradigm
    | 2023
    Schwab, Regine; Pfeifer, Hanna (2023): Politicising the Rebel Governance Paradigm, 34: 1.
    Publication

  • Armed Group Constellations in Multiparty Civil Wars: How Syrian Rebels Toppled Assad
    | 2025
    Schwab, Regine (2025): Armed Group Constellations in Multiparty Civil Wars: How Syrian Rebels Toppled Assad, Civil War Paths.
    Publication
  • Aussichten für Syrien nach dem Sieg der Rebellen
    | 2024
    Schwab, Regine; Gromes, Thorsten (2024): Aussichten für Syrien nach dem Sieg der Rebellen, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • Im Vakuum
    | 2024
    Pfeifer, Hanna; Schwab, Regine (2024): Im Vakuum, IPG.
    Publication
  • Syrien: Blitzoffensive der islamistischen Rebellenallianz stürzt Assad
    | 2024
    Schwab, Regine; Al Hakari, Masood (2024): Syrien: Blitzoffensive der islamistischen Rebellenallianz stürzt Assad, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • Gazakrieg beenden, Konfliktlösung neu denken: Internationale und regionale Verantwortung
    | 2024
    Baumgart-Ochse, Claudia; Braun, Damaris; Hoffberger-Pippan, Elisabeth; Pfeifer, Hanna; Schwab, Regine; Weipert-Fenner, Irene; Wildangel, René (2024): Gazakrieg beenden, Konfliktlösung neu denken: Internationale und regionale Verantwortung, in: Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC)/Leibniz-Institut Hessische Stiftung Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (PRIF)/Institut für Friedensforschung und Sicherheitspolitik an der Universität Hamburg (IFSH)/Institut für Entwicklung und Frieden (INEF) (eds), Friedensgutachten 2024, Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, 23–43.
    Publication
  • The weaponization of civilian infrastructure
    | 2023
    Schwab, Regine (2023): The weaponization of civilian infrastructure, CPD Policy Blog.
    Publication
  • Arab States’ Incentives Towards (not) Normalizing Relations with Syria – Islamists and Drug Trafficking?
    | 2023
    Karahamad, Mustafa; Schwab, Regine (2023): Arab States’ Incentives Towards (not) Normalizing Relations with Syria – Islamists and Drug Trafficking?, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • The Externalization of EU Borders
    | 2023
    Horváth, Sarah; Schwab, Regine (2023): The Externalization of EU Borders. The Case of Agadez, PRIF Spotlight, 4, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/prifspot2304
  • Eine politische Naturkatastrophe in Nordwestsyrien – das Erdbeben und das Versagen der internationalen Gemeinschaft
    | 2023
    Schwab, Regine (2023): Eine politische Naturkatastrophe in Nordwestsyrien – das Erdbeben und das Versagen der internationalen Gemeinschaft, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • Blick zurück nach vorn: Was droht bei einer Belagerung ukrainischer Städte?
    | 2022
    Gromes, Thorsten; Schwab, Regine; Karahamad, Mustafa (2022): Blick zurück nach vorn: Was droht bei einer Belagerung ukrainischer Städte?, PRIF BLOG.
    Publication
  • Withdrawal of NATO troops – Comeback of the Taliban?
    | 2021
    Schwab, Regine (2021): Withdrawal of NATO troops – Comeback of the Taliban?, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • Wechselnde Herrschaft in Postkonfliktkontexten. Hessische Stiftung für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung
    | 2021
    Schwab, Regine; Pfeifer, Hanna (2021): Wechselnde Herrschaft in Postkonfliktkontexten. Hessische Stiftung für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung, Wissenschaft und Frieden, 39: 2, 50–51.
    Publication
  • Wütende Kämpfe
    | 2021
    Röleke, Juliane; Schwab, Regine (2021): Wütende Kämpfe. Über den Dokumentarfilm „As I want“, Gewalt gegen Frauen in Ägypten und die Möglichkeiten politischer Selbstorganisation, zeitgeschichte online.
    Publication
  • Why not to deport suspected ‘terrorists’ to Syria: a security perspective
    | 2021
    Karahamad, Mustafa; Schwab, Regine (2021): Why not to deport suspected ‘terrorists’ to Syria: a security perspective, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • Who are these “Islamists” everyone talks about?! Why academic struggles over words matter
    | 2020
    Pfeifer, Hanna; Schwab, Regine; Süß, Clara-Auguste (2020): Who are these “Islamists” everyone talks about?! Why academic struggles over words matter, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • Krieg der Bilder – wie das syrische Regime den Bürgerkrieg im Fernsehen weiterführt
    | 2020
    Schwab, Regine (2020): Krieg der Bilder – wie das syrische Regime den Bürgerkrieg im Fernsehen weiterführt, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • Ein zweischneidiges Schwert
    | 2020
    Schwab, Regine (2020): Ein zweischneidiges Schwert. Rezension zu "The Internet and Political Protest in Autocracies" von Nils B. Weidmann und Espen Geelmuyden Rød, Soziopolis.
    Publication

  • (Un)Sichtbarkeit von Gewalt
    | 2025
    Ahlheim, Hannah; Cramer, Tina; Fuhrmann, Larissa-Diana; Guntrum, Laura; Ismail, Nadia; Mannitz, Sabine; Marauhn, Thilo; Lasso Mena, Verena; Oettler, Anika; Schwab, Regine; Spittler, Sara-Luise; Wolff, Jonas (2025): (Un)Sichtbarkeit von Gewalt, TraCe Working Paper, 6, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCeWP2506

Further Activities

  • Christiane Rajewsky Award 2022 for the best dissertation in peace and conflict research by the German Association for Peace and Conflict Studies (AFK)