Carmen is a dedicated researcher specialising in Middle East Studies pedagogy, Islamic Studies, and Middle East politics. She completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in Oriental Studies at Sapienza University of Rome. Her academic journey led her to Egypt and Tunisia, where she lived and studied both during and in the aftermath of the 2011 Uprisings, which continue to be her primary areas of research interest.

 Before joining King’s College London, Carmen earned her PhD from the University of Otago in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her doctoral work examined the change capacity of the Party of al-Nahda Movement and the Egyptian Muslim Brothers, unpacking their organisational dynamics in the post-Uprisings period (2011–2020). Furthermore, during her PhD studies, Carmen actively participated in a funded research project titled "Fostering cross-cultural education." Within this project, she played a role in an experimental preliminary Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative, connecting Political Science students in New Zealand with those in the Sultanate of Oman. Her research aimed to explore the educational potential of internationalisation initiatives for Middle East Studies education in Western learning contexts.

Carmen's qualifications include:

PhD in Politics of the Middle East from the University of Otago (2022)

Master's Degree in Oriental Studies from Sapienza University of Rome (2017)

Bachelor's Degree in Oriental Studies from the University of Rome (2013)

Research interests

• Islam and Politics;
• Populism(s) and global neoliberalism;
• Tunisian politics;
• Political elites and political culture;
• Internationalisation of higher education; curricula;
• Middle East Studies pedagogy;

Carmen’s current research focuses on how new forms of authoritarian practices impact protest movements’ positioning in Tunisia.

Carmen’s research profile is available on:

Google Scholar

ORCID

Publications

The Neoliberal Cage: Alternative Analysis of the Rise of Populist Tunisia

C Fulco, M Giampaolo

Middle East Critique 32 (1), 27-52.

Internationalizing Middle Eastern Politics (MEP): A Study of the Educational Potential of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) for Middle East Politics Pedagogy

C Fulco, L Goldsmith

Journal of Political Science Education, 1-18

Rethinking the legacy of Tunisian pact-making in the post-July 2021 order

H Sebei, C Fulco

The Journal of North African Studies, 1-40

Teaching

Conflict and Coexistence in Divided Societies (PG)

Religion and Politics of the Middle East (UG)