Prof. Dr. Yousra Abourabi
Du Bois - Fellow
Yousra Abourabi is an Associate Professor at Sciences Po Rabat, Université Internationale de Rabat, and an Associate Researcher at the "Les Afriques dans le Monde" laboratory in Bordeaux. She holds a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from the Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, where her dissertation focused on Morocco’s foreign policy in Africa under King Mohammed VI. Over the years, her research has progressively shifted toward the governance challenges on the African continent, with a particular focus on environmental issues and the production and transfer of global norms.
Dr. Abourabi has been awarded two prestigious fellowships at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg Centers for Advanced Study in the Humanities. Currently, Dr. Abourabi serves as one of the coordinators of the IPORA project (Interdisciplinary Policy-Oriented Research on Africa), an ambitious research initiative funded by a “GPR” in France, involving partnerships with institutions such as the University of Bordeaux, University of Addis Abeba and University Felix Houphouët Boigny.
“Climate Governance in Africa: The Normative Challenges of Climate Wars”
This research investigates the intersection of climate governance and the escalating risks of climate-induced conflicts in Africa. The study aims to analyze the normative frameworks shaping African responses to the dual challenge of climate change and its potential to ignite or exacerbate wars over dwindling resources, such as water and arable land. The study also highlights the role of epistemic communities in reframing climate resilience as not only an environmental priority but a cornerstone of peacebuilding. By investigating local practices and regional initiatives, the research identifies pathways through which African actors contribute to mitigating the nexus of climate change and conflict. Ultimately, this project seeks to advance understanding of how Africa can assert normative agency in global climate governance while addressing the existential threats posed by "climate wars" on the continent. It underscores the urgency of redefining environmental justice to account for the disproportionate risks borne by Africa and the necessity of integrating climate resilience into broader security and development agendas.
Academic Profile
Yousra Abourabi is an associate professor at Sciences Po Rabat, Université Internationale de Rabat, and an associate researcher at the laboratory “Les Afriques dans le Monde” in Bordeaux. She holds a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from the Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, where her dissertation focused on Morocco's foreign policy in Africa under King Mohammed VI. Over the years, her research has increasingly shifted to the challenges of governance on the African continent, with a particular focus on environmental issues and the creation and transmission of global norms.
Dr. Abourabi has been awarded two prestigious fellowships from the Käte Hamburger Kolleg Centers for Advanced Study in the Humanities. Currently, Dr. Abourabi is one of the coordinators of the IPORA project (Interdisciplinary Policy-Oriented Research on Africa), an ambitious research initiative funded by a “GPR” in France and involving partnerships with institutions such as the University of Bordeaux, the University of Addis Ababa and the University Felix Houphouët Boigny.
She was a fellow of the IRSEM (Paris) in 2014, a fellow of the Kate Hamburger Kolleg (Bonn) in 2020 and a fellow of the African Studies Center & International Institute for Asian Studies (Leiden) in 2022. She sits on the editorial boards of the journals “Afrique en Mouvement” and “Revue Internationale des Mondes Francophones”. She has been a member of the Political Affairs Cluster of ECOSOCC (African Union) since 2018 and a member of the Academic Council of the Global Campus For Human Rights since 2019. She is co-creator of the program “Alternatives” on Medi1 TV Afrique and has worked as an expert for UN Women, UNECA, AU, IFDD and other institutions.
Coordinators of the IPORA project (Interdisciplinary Policy-Oriented Research on Africa), an ambitious research initiative funded by a “GPR” in France and involving partnerships with institutions such as the University of Bordeaux, the University of Addis Ababa and the University Felix Houphouët Boigny.
Monographies
•Abourabi Y., La politique africaine du Maroc. Identité de rôle et projection de puissance, Brill, Leiden, 2020, 356 pages.
•Abourabi Y. Maroc, De Boeck Supérieur, Coll. Monde Arabe Monde Musulman, 2019, 128 pages.
Articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals
•Abourabi Y, “Governing African Migration in Morocco: The Challenge of Positive Desecuritisation”, International Development Policy | Revue internationale de politique de développement [Online], 14 | 2022
•Abourabi Y. " Le Maroc francophone : identité et diplomatie africaine ", Revue Internationale des Francophonies, Numéro spécial : La F/francophonie dans les politiques étrangères, décembre 2019.
Articles in dictionaries and encyclopedias
•Abourabi Y., « The Millenium Development Goals », in C. Binder, M. Nowak, J. Hofbauer, P. Janing (ed.), Elgar Encyclopedia of Human Rights, Edward Elgar Publishing, September 2022, ISBN: 978 1 78990
•Abourabi Y. " Maroc ", Oxford's Constitutions of the Countries of the World (CCW), Oxford University Press, 35 pages.
Studies and Reports
•Abourabi Y., " Reportage sur l'importance d'adopter l'agroécologie au Maroc ", Fondation Heinrich Böll, Rabat, 2020, 28 pages. Traduit également en arabe.
•Abourabi Y. , Durand de Sanctis J., " L'émergence de nouvelles puissances sécuritaires africaines ", Coll. Études, Institut de Recherche Stratégique de l'École Militaire, mai 2016, 125 pages.
Reviews in scientific peer-reviewed journals
•Abourabi Y. " Penser les relations internationales africaines à travers l'étude des régionalismes ", Critique de Daniel Bach, Regionalism in Africa, Genealogies, Institutions and Trans-State Networks, Abingdon, Routledge, 2016, publié dans la Revue Française de Science Politique, 2017/5 (Vol. 67), pp. 931-945.
Chapters
•Abourabi Yousra, Lubaale Emma, "Gender Based Violence in North Africa and the Criminal Justice System : Beyond Legal Reforms", in Budoo, Ashwanee, Lubaale, Emma Charlene (Eds.), Violence Against Women and Criminal Justice in Africa : Volume II Violence sexuelle et vulnérabilité, Sustainable Development Goals Series, Palgrave Macmillan, 2021.
•Abourabi Y. "Un avertissement global sur le réchauffement climatique ? Les effets de la crise Corona sur la perception des normes environnementales", in Gephart Werner (ed), In the Realm of Corona Normativities. A Momentary Snapshot of a Dynamic Discourse, Klostermann, Bonn, 2020.
•Abourabi Y., Ferrié J.-N., " Reconnaissance de la marocanité du Sahara et normalisation des relations Maroco-Israéliennes : le legs de Donald Trump à Joe Biden ", in Abidi H., Le Moyen-Orient selon Joe Biden, Editions Erick Bonnier, Paris, 2021, 192 pages.
•Abourabi Y. Ferrié J.-N., " La nouvelle politique migratoire comme instrument diplomatique ", in Alioua M., Ferrié J.-N., Reifeld H.(dir) La nouvelle politique migratoire marocaine, Publications de la Fondation Konrad Adenauer, 2017 pp. 123-143.
•Abourabi Y. " Les relations internationales du Maroc ", in Dupret B. (et all.), Le Maroc au Présent, Centre Jacques Berque, Editions de la Fondation Ibn Saoud, Casablanca, 2016, 1017 pages.
•Abourabi Y. " La réapparition du drapeau du Rif lors du printemps arabe au Maroc ", in Dupret B. (et all.), Le Maroc au Présent, Centre Jacques Berque, Editions de la Fondation Ibn Saoud, Casablanca, 2016, 1017 pages.
•Abourabi Y. " Le Maghreb face au sahel : des tentatives de coopération sécuritaire à l'avènement de diplomaties religieuses ", in Hasni ABIDI, Monde arabe ; entre transition et implosion, Editions Erick Bonnier, Collection Encre d'Orient, Paris 2015, 330 pages.
Discussionpapers
•Abourabi Y, Jean-Noël Ferrié, "Maroc Israël : pour une analyse constructiviste-réaliste", Revue Telos, 4 février 2021.
•Abourabi Y., Jean-Noël Ferrié " La diplomatie environnementale du Maroc en Afrique : un mix intérieur-extérieur " , Revue Telos, 7 juin 2018.
•Abourabi Y. " La découverte de pétrole au large des îles Canaries : un facteur de conflit entre le Maroc et l'Espagne ? ", Centre interarmées de concepts, de doctrines et d'expérimentations, octobre 2014.
Journalistic Articles
•Abourabi Y., " La Chine au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord : un nouveau partenaire en matière de sécurité ? "Middle East Eye, 17/02/2020.
•Abourabi Y., " Pourquoi la Zleca doit être écoresponsable ", Jeune Afrique, 10/10/2019.
•Abourabi Y., " LeMarocà la Cedeao, et si c'était pour bientôt ? », Jeune Afrique, 19/08/2019.
•Abourabi Y., " Maroc : l'avant-garde continentale ", Jeune Afrique,16/06/2019
•Abourabi Y., " Maroc - Retour du service militaire : des femmes aptes et volontaires ", Jeune Afrique,15/07/2019.
•Abourabi Y. " Maroc- CEDEAO : oùen est lademanded 'adhésion ? ", MiddleEastEye , 05/05/2019.
•Abourabi Y., " Maroc-Nigéria : vers la reconstruction de la géopolitique régionale ", Middle East Eye, 23/06/2018.
•Abourabi Y., " Interview de Yousra Abourabi par Marouane Kabbaj, à propos de la politique africaine du Maroc ", Maroc Hebdo, 14 septembre 2017.
•Abourabi Y., " La politique africaine du Maroc prend un nouveau tournant ", Le Point Afrique, 20 mars 2017.
•Abourabi Y., " Diplomatie religieuse : quelle place ? quel but ? quelle paix ? ", Centre international pour la paix et les droits de l'homme, 27 février 2017.
•Abourabi Y., " Yousra Abourabi : " L'UA pourrait devenir une arène d'affrontements diplomatiques entre pro et anti-Marocains ", Jeune Afrique, 02 février 2017.