SHAHEEN Institute for Strategy and Development
[Arabic: مركز شاهين للاستراتيجية والتنمية]

Note: GCC-based, Oman preferred · Application deadline: 24 Aug 2026
Contract-based · Remote

The Shaheen Institute for Strategy and Development seeks a Research Associate to bring an edited volume on the geopolitics of hydrogen and renewable energy to submission readiness. The volume consolidates an extensive body of policy analysis and is intended for submission to an established academic [publisher].

Renewable energy and hydrogen are no less geopolitical than the concentrated energy carriers they increasingly displace — but power in this domain runs through different channels: access to critical minerals, technology ownership, industrial leadership, and the setting of standards. The fragmentation of the global order is redrawing energy trade along these lines, with Asia emerging as an increasingly self-contained centre of gravity, while the Middle East, the United States, and Europe redefine their positions — not least through industrial policy. The volume addresses this terrain, with a particular focus on [GCC–China relations].

The associate will work with the authors and editors at the Shaheen Institute, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP Berlin), and the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) and will be affiliated with the Institute’s research cluster on GCC–China [relations].

— Consolidate, edit, and selectively rewrite existing analytical material into a coherent book manuscript.
— Author a chapter on the geopolitics of energy between China and the GCC.
— Manage the manuscript towards submission — structure, formatting, permissions, correspondence — under the direction of the editors.
— Support the editing of a further Institute publication on public policy in the GCC.
— Contribute to the Institute’s wider publication and outreach activity as capacity allows.

— PhD candidate, recent PhD graduate, or master’s graduate with a demonstrably strong research record, in economics, political science, international relations, energy policy, or a related [field].
— At least one academic publication (peer-reviewed article, book chapter, or substantial policy paper published with a recognised [institution/publisher]).
— Demonstrated editing experience with academic or policy texts, including the ability to maintain a consistent editorial voice across a multi-author [volume].
— Substantive knowledge of the geopolitics and political economy of the energy transition — in particular the global hydrogen economy, value and supply chains for renewables and critical minerals, hydrogen industrialisation, and the competition for industrial and technological leadership between China, the United States, Europe, and the Middle [East].
— Excellent written English. Desirable but not required: working command of Arabic and/or German.

— Remote service contract, running September to December 2026.
— Lump sum compensation of €4,700 against defined deliverables.
— Candidates must be based in the GCC; residence in Oman is an advantage.
— Expected start: Early September

Send a CV, one writing sample, and a short motivation letter (max. 1 page) to applications@shaheeninstitute.org with the subject line ‘Research Associate — Energy Geopolitics’. The application deadline is 24 August [2026].

The Shaheen Institute for Strategy and Development (مركز شاهين للاستراتيجية والتنمية) is a think tank headquartered in Muscat, working across Oman and the Gulf Cooperation Council states and engaging globally.

The institute exists to support the long-term development and prosperity of the region through rigorous scholarly and policy-relevant research rooted in the region’s own realities, priorities, and aspirations — informing decision-making in government and industry, and contributing to an intellectually self-determined and forward-looking research and policy discourse in and about the [region].

Its work spans four fields — economic development and industrial policy; energy and infrastructure systems; geopolitics and regional stability; and state–society dynamics — with strategic foresight as a cross-cutting discipline running through all of [them].