George Beck

George comes to the dual degree program between Columbia and the Aga Khan Institute after having completed his juris Doctor at the St. John’s University School of Law. During his time at St. John’s, his coursework focused on private and public international law, cross border transactions, and national security. A portion of his scholarly writing requirement discussing the status of the international legal framework governing the Mekong River Basin was published in the first quarter 2020 edition of Benedict’s Maritime Bulletin. In addition to his academic work, George was a Teaching Assistant for the St. Johns’ Transnational Legal Practice Program, whose purpose is to instruct non-U.S. legal practitioners and students in the nuances of legal practice across borders. Before attending law school, George graduated with a B.A. in History with dual minors in French and Economics, with honors, from Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham. His undergraduate thesis explored the development and crystallization of Shari’ah commercial law, and how this process differed from the development of commercial law in Europe.

George's research interests relate to understanding political and diplomatic structures in the Persianate Islamic world, and how these affected the development of transboundary activities during the pre-modern period. He is also interested in understanding how historical patterns can serve as an analogy for modern economic development and integration.