​Rana Barout holds a Master's (with Distinction) in Critical Security Studies from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, with a dissertation titled, "Putin's Operational Code and Its Role in Shaping Russian Foreign Policy: The Syrian Case." She graduated from Qatar University with a Bachelor's in Mass Communication with a major in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in International Affairs. She previously interned at Al Jazeera in the online journalism section, and she was an assistant organizer for the 12^th AJ Forum in 2018. Her interests are in conflict and strategic studies, state fragility, and humanitarian action. Her publications include a research paper on "Iranian-Russian Relations during the Syrian Crisis" published by the ACRPS Political Unit and a book review of Carl Schmitt "Politische Theologie" in Siyasat Arabia.