Experts
Akram Zaoui is a Senior Specialist and Chargé de Mission to the Executive President at the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS). Prior to this, he was Manager of Research Support and the Public Policy Lab at the PCNS. His main area of research interest is the geopolitical economy of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
From 2018 to 2020, Zaoui coordinated a network of 70+ civil society organizations (CSOs), working with local communities, public authorities, and private companies. His responsibilities included managing administrative and financial affairs, communications, development, fundraising, operations, and strategic planning.
Zaoui holds degrees from HEC Paris and Sciences Po, as well as a bachelor's degree (licence) in history from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He also audited courses in Iranian and Shia Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) in 2015-2016.
In 2011, Zaoui was the Founding President of HEC Monde Arabe, the Arab Society of HEC Paris. He organized events with multiple Arab organizations including Sciences Po Monde Arabe, Arab Excellence and the French-Arab Chamber of Commerce.
He represented both Morocco and Tunisia in the 2023 MENA Japan Experts Program, organized by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which brought together prominent young authors, diplomats, journalists, scholars, and think tank members from across the Arab world in Tokyo, Japan.
Zaoui is a Raisina Young Fellow and participated in the 2024 Asian Forum on Global Governance (AFGG) in Delhi, India.
He was also the sole Arab participant in the 2024 Primakov Readings Youth Session in Moscow, Russia.
Zaoui speaks fluent Arabic, English, French and Spanish.
