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cover art for Episode 28 | Project Overview | Danyel Reiche | April 2023

Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022

Episode 28 | Project Overview | Danyel Reiche | April 2023

Ep. 28

In this episode, we turn the tables and interview the podcast host, Dr. Danyel Reiche, Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) and Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University Qatar where he leads a research initiative on "Building a Legacy: Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022."


With Paul Brannagan, he published the book Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Politics, Controversy, Change (Palgrave Macmillan 2022), and edited the volume Handbook of Sport in the Middle East (Routledge 2022).


Reiche joined Georgetown University Qatar in the summer of 2020. It is the second time he is joining GU, after being a Visiting Assistant Professor at the main campus in Washington D.C. from 2006 to 2007. Dr. Reiche graduated with distinction from Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany. From 2008 to 2020, he was a tenured Associate Professor for Comparative Politics at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon.


Dr. Reiche's past research has focused on two areas: energy as well as sports policy and politics, with the latter his recent priority. Professor Reiche published Success and Failure of Countries at the Olympic Games in 2016 with Routledge. His proposed model to explain sporting success received positive reviews in academic journals and extensive media coverage. For example, CNN host Fareed Zakaria referenced the book in his weekly Washington Post column. Professor Reiche also edited with Tamir Sorek (University of Florida) a volume entitled Sport, Politics and Society in the Middle East, which was published in 2019 with Hurst/Oxford University Press. His peer-reviewed articles have been published both in area study journals (such as International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics and Journal of Energy Policy) and in broader-oriented journals, such as Third World Quarterly or The Middle East Journal. Dr. Reiche is co-founder of the Sports Scholars in Lebanon Network (LESSN) and chair​ of the Political Studies Association’s Sport and Politics Study Group.


Dr. Reiche has given invited lectures around the world at universities including Harvard University, Princeton University and the University of Cambridge. He has been frequently quoted by major media outlets including ESPN, Financial Times, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and interviewed by podcasts, radio stations, and TV programs including Al Jazeera's Inside Story, CNN, and Sky. He has also written op-ed's for newspapers including The Washington Post and Der Spiegel.

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  • 27. Episode 27 | Experiences of Working at the FIFA World Cup 2022 | February 2023

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    Professor Danyel Reiche, Georgetown University in Qatar, spoke with five members of the Georgetown University in Qatar (GUQ) community about their experiences while working at the FIFA World Cup 2022. The panelists included:- Mohammed Al-Zeyara, a GUQ student (Class of 2024), majoring in International Politics, was part of the Guest and Protocol Team during the FIFA World Cup of 2022.- Farasha Jaleel graduated from Qatar University and works as an Economics specialist at the Office of Academic Services. She was part of the workforce management team at two stadiums.Two students worked with Overseas Leisure Network, an international hospitality company:- Jeta Kreka, a GUQ student (Class of 2023), majoring in International Politics and minoring in Economics and Arabic.- Mohamed Noeman, a GUQ student (Class of 2024), majoring in International Politics.Professor Reiche’s son, Johan Reiche, a 7th grader at the German International School, was a flag bearer at the World Cup.
  • 26. Episode 26 | Fan experiences at the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 | January 2023

    45:52||Ep. 26
    In this episode, GU-Q professor Danyel Reiche speaks to members of the Georgetown University in Qatar community, including faculty, staff, and students, about their experiences attending live matches at the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. Taking part in this episode were GU-Q students Ahmad Al-Kuwari (class of 2023) and Suhaim Al-Thani (class of 2024); Santiago Garcia-Couto (GU-Q Assistant Professor of Economics); Sarah Holt (Student Wellness and Counseling Center program manager); and Robert Laws (Data, Web, and Media Services Librarian).
  • 25. Episode 25 | Afghanistan & FIFA World Cup 2022 | Farkhunda Muhtaj & Arni Arnthorsson | November 2022

    35:04||Ep. 25
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  • 24. Episode 24 | Jack Thomas Taylor | Is Football a Beautiful Game? | October 2022

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  • 23. Episode 23 | Lolwa Husain Al-Marri | The World Cup and Women’s Sports in Qatar | August 2022

    15:59||Ep. 23
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  • 22. Episode 22 | Abdullah Al-Arian | Football in the Middle East and the World Cup | August 2022

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  • 21. Episode 21 | Abdulla Al Mulla & Andy Pearce | The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympics and Sports Museum | June 2022

    24:01||Ep. 21
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  • 20. Episode 20 | Talar Sahsuvaroglu | Sustainability at the Qatar World Cup 2022 | April 2022

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