Daniel Zoughbie: Systems Scientist & Foreign Policy Expert
Dr Daniel Zoughbie is a complex-systems scientist, historian, and expert on presidential decision-making. He studied International Relations at Oxford as a Marshall and Weidenfeld Scholar. Today he works as an Associate Project Scientist at the Institute of International Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and holds affiliate roles in global health and complex systems research.
His academic career includes appointments and fellowships at Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Bologna, the University of Athens, and universities in Italy and the United States. His work bridges international security, development, and health — shaped in part by the interdisciplinary approach he embraced at Oxford.
Daniel’s latest book, Kicking the Hornet’s Nest: US Foreign Policy in the Middle East from Truman to Trump (2025), offers a fresh analysis of eight decades of U.S. policy in the region, aimed at encouraging deeper reflection on past choices and their consequences. Based on interviews with senior leaders and broad primary research, the book examines nuclear threats, genocide, and sectarian-driven conflicts that have fuelled global displacement. Kicking the Hornet’s Nest provides a vivid account of how U.S. presidents have navigated these crises, helping readers understand the forces that have shaped American foreign policy and its far-reaching consequences.
Daniel also co-founded Microclinic International, a nonprofit that designs behaviour-based health programmes for communities affected by chronic disease, from diabetes prevention initiatives to public health capacity building.
His leadership experience also includes board service with the San Mateo County Community Colleges District Foundation and CASA at the University of Arizona, where he helped advance community engagement, education, and support services.
