He is an economics lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School's midcareer program in. Dr. Al-Ississ holds four degrees from Harvard University. He received his doctorate in Public Policy – Economic Development from the Harvard Kennedy School. Al-Ississ has a BA with honors in Economics from Harvard College, an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University, and a Masters in Public Administration in International Development from Harvard University. His research focuses on understanding the impact of beliefs on financial markets. Al-Ississ investigates the cross-border impact of political violence and religious experience on financial markets, and the effect of insurance on trust and trustworthiness in the Middle East through lab experiments.