Michael Avanzato

Michael Avanzato began his doctoral studies in August 2022 under the supervision of Dr. Laila Parsons. He holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy and International Affairs from the American University of Beirut, and a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Michael’s research focuses on land tenure under the British Mandate in Palestine. In particular, he looks to the effects of British imperialism on land privatization and the dispossession of the Palestinians. His MA thesis at the American University of Beirut was supervised by Dr. Tariq Tell, and was entitled Accumulation by Dispossession in Palestine: The New Imperialism and Land Tenure under the British Mandate.

Michael was also the coordinator of the Palestine Land Studies Center at the American University of Beirut. The PLSC is committed to the documentation of Palestinian history, and supporting the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Prior to leaving Lebanon, Michael was a contributing writer for the newspaper Beirut Today, focusing on the international dynamics of imperialism.