Salwa Tannir is a PhD candidate in Constitutional Law at Beirut Arab University, where she began her doctoral studies in 2021.From January to June 2025, she participated in a research mobility at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain as part of the Erasmus+ program. During this period, she further developed her doctoral research under the thesis titled “Constitutional Principles Governing Electoral Laws.” Her work investigates how electoral laws not only reflect but also shape the constitutional and political culture of a society, engaging with both legal frameworks and the broader social and institutional contexts that influence electoral legitimacy and democratic representation. In addition to her doctoral work in constitutional law, she is enrolled as a PhD student in Islamic Studies at Imam Ouzai College of Islamic Studies.
 

Research Project

Her project at OIB entitled by “ Constitutional Foresight in Fragile States: The Case of Lebanon ” focuses on the current constitutional mechanisms and the gaps that have been revealed through practical experience. It aims to anticipate the future viability of these constitutional provisions—or their potential obsolescence—while relying on the present reality to signal to the legislator the need for amendments.

• The project centers on the existing constitutional rules and the dysfunctions or flaws inherent within them, especially those that have contributed to repeated institutional deadlocks or political paralysis, sectarian tensions, and social unrest.
• The goal is to design a future-ready constitution that more effectively guarantees individual rights and freedoms, promotes inclusive citizenship, and ensures social and political cohesion.
• It highlights future scenarios addressed or implied in the constitution and provides analytical assessments of their legal, political, and societal implications.
• Finally, the project provides practical policy recommendations for legislators, constitutional scholars, and reform advocates to align legal frameworks with the realities and needs of a rapidly changing Lebanese society.