Education

Degrees

  • PhD in International Relations, Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey), Sept. 2009–Mar. 26, 2016
  • Master in International Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman, June 11, 2007–November 02, 2009
  • [1]BA in International Studies, University of the East (Manila, Philippines), June 09, 2003–November 29, 2006

[1] Nassef represented the university for the search for the Jose Rizal Model Students of the Philippines, elected as Vice President of the College of Arts and Sciences Student Council, and previously elected as Public Relations Officer (External) of the International Studies Students Organization.

Certificate and/or Diploma Courses

  1. Certificate on “Post-Legislative Scrutiny” training given by Westminster Foundation for Democracy and funded by the UK government (February 15-16, 2026)
  2. Certificate on “Strategic Public Finance for the BARMM: Developing and Managing a Resilient and Inclusive Legislation” awarded by the Asian Institute of Management (July 07-09, 2025)
  3. Certificate of completion on “2017 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RACCS)” awarded and attested by the Civil Service Commission for BARMM (September 05-06, 2024)
  4. Certificate of completion on “Strategic Performance Management System (SPMS) Policy awarded and attested by the Civil Service Commission for BARMM (April 19-21, 2024)
  5. Certificate of completion on “Values Transformation Training” conducted by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in collaboration with the Development Academy of the Bangsamoro (DAB) and Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) (October 05-08, 2023)
  6. Online executive course on “the Political Economy of Development” provided by the International Alert Philippines and taught by LSE Professor James Putzel (October 08–December 10, 2022)
  7. Advanced certificate course on Post-Legislative Scrutiny provided by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the University of London, UK and funded by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (July 2–30, 2021)
  8. Regional course on “Science Diplomacy” certified by the UNESCO The World Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Akademi Sains Malaysia (March 16-19, 2021)
  9. Certificate of completion on “Teaching Effectiveness Course” awarded by the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Office for the Advancement of Teaching (June 04-08, 2018)
  10. Certificate of advanced study on “Religious Pluralism in the United States” awarded by the Dialogue Institute under the SUSI scholarship at Temple University, Pennsylvania, USA (June 24–August 05, 2017)
  11. Global minority rights summer school certificate on “The Impact of Boundary Politics on Identity and Inequality: One Hundred Years after the First World War” (with 3 ECTS credits) awarded by the National University of Public Service, Tom Lantos Institute, and Middlesex University of London (July 19-25, 2015)
  12. Summer institute certificate on “Borders, Borderthinking, Borderlands” awarded by the University of Bremen and funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (May 15-26, 2015)
  13. Certificate on “Foreign Policy Analysis and the Diplomacy of Sub-State Actors” awarded by the International Studies Association’s (ISA) Foreign Policy Analysis Working Group (February 2015)
  14. Intensive doctoral training certificate on “Law and Culture” awarded by the University of Lucerne, Lausanne, Switzerland (November 14-15, 2014)
  15. International ILEM summer school certificate of completion on “The State and Society in Muslim World” awarded by T.C. Basbakanlik Kamu Diplomasisi Koordinatorlugu (August 23-29, 2014)
  16. Turkish language certificate (with C1 credit level course) awarded by the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University’s Turkish and Foreign Languages Teaching Practice and Research Center (November 29, 2013)
  17. International ILEM summer school certificate of completion on the “Transformation of Muslim World in the 21st Century” awarded by T.C. Basbakanlik Kamu Diplomasisi Koordinatorlugu (August 24-30, 2013)
  18. Five (5) ECTS credited PhD course on “Politics, State, and Society – theoretical reflections in a historical context” awarded by the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (December 10–14, 2012)
  19. Summer school certificate on “Muslims in the West” awarded by the University of Erfurt, Germany and funded by the German Academic Exchange Services (August 01-15, 2012)
  20. EUROSPHERE PhD school course certificate on “Is Public Sphere Exclusively a Nation-State Phenomenon?” (5 ECTS credits) provided by EUROSPHERE Consortium representing 17 European universities and funded by the European Commission (Sabanci University, Istanbul, July 18–22, 2011)
  21. International summer seminar certificate on the “History and Philosophy of International Relations” awarded by Panteion University’s Institute of International Relations, Greece (June 30–July 03, 2011)
  22. Online course certificate on “Muslims and Jews: The Historical and Contemporary Encounter” provided by the WOOLF Institute, Cambridge, UK (January 10–May 27, 2011)
  23. High School and Elementary diplomas, Trinity University of Asia (formerly, Trinity College of Quezon City), Philippines, from June 1993 to April 04, 2003

Discontinued degree programs

  • PhD in Civilization Studies (all but dissertation), Ibn Haldun University (previously housed at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University), Istanbul, Turkey, September 2012–March 2016
  • PhD in International Area Studies major in Middle East and African Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, South Korea, September–December 2011
  • MA in International Studies major in European Studies, De La Salle University, Manila, Jan.–April 2009