• Misinformation & Political Discourse: Political communication in polarized democracies; identity politics and electoral messaging; pandemic-era political responses
• Regime survival and democratic resilience: Focuses on party adaptation, institutional pressures, electoral change, and the erosion of democratic norms in transitional settings.
• New media, youth studies, and political culture: Explores youth political participation, digital engagement, and the cultural foundations of political behavior and hegemony.
• Comparative politics across Asia and the Middle East: Brings a regional comparative lens to political change, governance, and crisis dynamics across diverse Asian and Middle Eastern contexts.

Dr. Noor Sulastry Yurni Ahmad is an Associate Professor of comparative politics and international relations at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, with over two decades of expertise in political dynamics, democratic governance, and contemporary political crises. Her scholarly trajectory spans political culture and hegemony to new media and youth studies and onward to emergent threats facing democratic systems, particularly misinformation, regime survival strategies, and political polarization in Asia and the Middle East. Dr. Ahmad's recent research directly addresses contemporary political challenges. Her work examines how political parties respond to misinformation and polarization, including analyses of identity politics in Indonesian elections (2024-2026), pandemic-era political discourse, and the role of social media in amplifying political division. She has published extensively on how regimes navigate institutional pressures, electoral manipulation, and the erosion of democratic norms, themes central to understanding regime survival in transitional democracies.

Her publications reflect deep engagement with information politics and democratic resilience. Recent works analyze political party adaptation in polarized contexts, the role of religious and identity-based messaging in shaping electoral outcomes, and youth political participation in fragmented democracies. Her research on new media and youth studies connects these themes by showing how young citizens engage political information, participate through digital platforms, and encounter the forces of misinformation and polarization that shape democratic engagement. Dr. Ahmad's multilingual scholarship, published in English, Malay, and across indexed international journals, positions her as a bridge between Western and Asian political scholarship.

Beyond academia, Dr. Ahmad brings policy-relevant expertise through consultancy with Malaysia's Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Home Affairs, think tanks, and NGOs. She has served as a Research Fellow and Board Director for youth research initiatives, translating academic insights into actionable recommendations for democratic institutions facing polarisation and misinformation.

As a columnist for major regional publications and a sought-after commentator, Dr. Ahmad combines rigorous scholarship with accessible analysis, making her an ideal contributor to contemporary political discourse on democratic governance, institutional resilience, and the information politics shaping modern democracies.

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy centers on developing critical thinkers and self-directed learners who can engage meaningfully with society, not merely master content. I create dynamic learning environments through interactive teaching methods, real-world examples, and experiential learning opportunities that encourage students to ask questions and explore beyond classroom material. I foster active participation by rewarding engagement and designing assessments, including novel problem-solving projects and reflective essays that evaluate both content mastery and higher-order thinking.

I recognize that effective learning requires psychological safety and emotional support; therefore, I tailor my approach to each student’s individual needs while maintaining a classroom culture where students feel valued as whole persons. I continuously refine my teaching through anonymous mid-semester and end-of-semester feedback and regular office hour conversations, demonstrating my commitment to meeting student needs and exceeding expectations.

Ultimately, I believe education should balance content knowledge with creative thinking and personal development, recognizing that strong teacher-student relationships built on genuine care and mutual respect are essential to fostering transformative learning experiences.

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