Alaa Dia MSc. MAS.
PhD candidate
Curriculum Vitae
Alaa Dia is an architect, lecturer, and PhD candidate in the Urban Studies department at the University of Basel. With academic roots in Architecture from the Lebanese University and Urban Design from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zürich), Alaa's work sits at the compelling intersection of architecture, urban studies, and migration research. Before joining the University of Basel teaching faculty, Alaa contributed as a principal researcher to the project "Infrastructure Space and the Future of Migration Management: The EU Hotspots in the Mediterranean Borderscape." This interdisciplinary project, funded by the Swiss Network for International Studies, examined the transformational role of infrastructure in border spaces across five Mediterranean nations. Alaa led the exploration of spatial and architectural dimensions within this context. In earlier roles, Alaa served as a doctoral researcher and teaching assistant at ETH Zurich's Department of Architecture. His postgraduate research under Prof. Marc Angélil investigated the social and architectural impacts of refugee communities in Germany. This work was featured in the "Inclusive Urbanism" exhibition at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum Frankfurt.
Awards/Scholarships
Scholarship, Doc.Mobility - funded by the University of Basel and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
Scholarship, Die Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft (FAG), Basel.
Research Grant, Swiss Network for International Studies (S.N.I.S.)