Youssef Mnaili is currently a Researcher and Lecturer in Political Science at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER) at Wits University in Johannesburg. Former Eiffel Excellency scholar, he holds a PhD in Political Science from the European University Institute (Florence, Italy). He studied at the International University of Rabat,  Cardiff University, FLACSO Buenos Aires, and Sciences Po Grenoble. He previously was the Mediterranean fellow at the NATO Defence College in Rome and a GIAS Postdoctoral Fellow at the Central European University (CEU). Theoretically, his work focuses on State-Society relationships, indirect governance theory and political economy. Empirically, his work covers the Middle East and Africa with a particular emphasis on Palestine, Israel, Morocco, and South Africa. His research has been published by the Review of International Organization and accepted by Politics and Society.