Dr. Talal Nizameddin is the Director of Academic Affairs at the CAPA London Center. He has lived and worked in the US, Italy, and Lebanon where he served as Dean of Student Affairs for 12 years at the acclaimed American University of Beirut. Talal has taught history and international relations courses for much of his career, with dual emphasis on Russia and the Middle East. He has a background in history and Russian foreign policy. He holds a BA from Sussex University and a PhD from the University College of London’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies. He has written and published two books that are considered fundamental works on the making and transition of Russian foreign policy and its linkage with internal political dynamics in the post-Soviet era as well as peer-reviewed articles. Talal hopes to be able to utilize his long academic and administrative experience to enhance the strategic direction of the academic programs to continuously challenge and enrich the CAPA student learning experience. As a global citizen, Talal’s travel interests have not waned, but he also enjoys simpler pastimes including playing tennis and good food.