The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) is a non-profit association that fosters the study of the Middle East, promotes high standards of scholarship and teaching, and encourages public understanding of the region and its peoples through programs, publications and services that enhance education, further intellectual exchange, recognize professional distinction, and defend academic freedom in accordance with its status as a 501(c)(3) scientific, educational, literary, and charitable organization.
The Middle East Studies Association’s 58th annual meeting will be held virtually from November 11-15, 2024
Submissions to the Call for Papers are now closed. Program decisions will be announced in May.
The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) advocates on behalf of its members on issues that are central to its mission.
This includes statements and letters from MESA's Board of Directors, MESA's Committee on Academic Freedom, the Task Force on Civil and Human Rights, and the MESA Global Academy.
Be a part of a community of scholars who are passionate about the pursuit of academic knowledge on the MENA region. Help MESA defend academic freedoms. Share your research at the annual meeting. Access the best, cutting-edge scholarship in person at the conference or online in our journals.
Join or renew today!
If you submitted for MESA's 58th Annual Meeting to be held virtually in the fall of 2024, please check back in May for decisions from the Program Committee. In the meantime, please see the full call for papers and submission instructions here.
The MESA Board of Directors invites applications and nominations for the next editor of the International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES) for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2025. Application review will begin June 2024, and continue until a new editor is identified. For more information, go here.
The MESA Board of Directors invites applications for the next editor of the Review of Middle East Studies (RoMES) for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2025. Application review will begin August 2024, and continue until a new editor is identified. For more information, go here.
To access, select the Publications tab in your myMESA account then click the publication image. 
There are two active security alerts issued by MESA’s Board of Directors for those embarking on research in Egypt and UAE.
Profiles of Iranian academics who have been dismissed from their university positions since the beginning of the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi in 2021 through the Woman, Life, Freedom nationwide movement in 2022-2023 when Iranian universities emerged as centers of activism.
MESA has created a new Campus Climate resource page for our members in response to academic freedom-related developments on campuses across North America and beyond.
Our letter expressing alarm at Columbia University’s harsh and ill-advised response to a student-organized event that took place on 24 March 2024.
The HRFP provides a limited number of fellowships in the form of reimbursement to help offset transportation and living expenses incurred in connection with the awards. The fellowship application deadline is May 3, 2024.
The World Conference on Web 3.0 & IoT, also known as Webs Week 2024, where groundbreaking innovations and cutting-edge technologies are set to reshape the digital landscape. This exciting event is scheduled to take place from September 16-18, 2024, from the vibrant city of Frankfurt, Germany.
We meet again to convene the second scholarly symposium on MENA and Central Asian dances. This year’s topics include music and performing arts from the same regions. All submissions must be accompanied by abstract (150-250 words). Abstracts may be submitted on our website: https://www.menaca2024.com/call-for-submissions/
Our letter to the Iranian authorities protesting the politically motivated arrest of Prof. Vasmaghi, a renowned scholar of theology, from her home in March 2024, and her transfer to Evin Prison, violating her basic rights.
The departments of History and Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech seek applications for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professorship in Middle Eastern Studies.
Our letter to President Erdoğan regarding the ongoing dismantling of faculty governance, top-down appointments of external candidates without the due search process, growing censorship and institutionalization of surveillance, as well as the rapid erosion of academic norms and standards and elimination of student life on the campus of Boğaziçi University under the authoritarian leadership of the Physics professor Naci Inci, appointed as the university rector by President Erdoğan.
Scholars are kindly invited to submit their contribution for the thematic sessions. Key Deadlines: Abstract/Panel Submission Deadline: 15 August, 2024 Notification of Abstract Submission: 15 September, 2024 Conference Date: 7-8-9 November, 2024
The North American Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies (NAAIMS) has issued a call for papers for an Oct. 2024 webinar conference on "Palestine, Israel, Free Speech and Inter-religious Relations." Abstracts are due May 3rd.
Our letter expressing concern about a number of Barnard College’s recent actions that call into question its avowed commitment to protecting the right to free speech and the academic freedom of its students, faculty, and staff.
The Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Language Institute (MEDLI) at the University of Wisconsin - Madison allows students to earn 8 academic credits in just 8 weeks of summer study.
Our letter expressing our grave concern about several of Pomona College administration’s recent actions with respect to student activism in support of Palestinian rights
This annual exploratory and informal workshop offers the opportunity to reflect on methodologies, research agendas, and case studies for investigating history writing in Arabic in the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond in any period from the seventh century to the present.
The Early Scholars Publication Grants, offered through the UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) are intended to facilitate and support the publication and dissemination of outstanding graduate-level research in a peer-reviewed academic publication.
Our letter expressing concern about several of the Vanderbilt University administration’s recent actions with respect to student activism in support of Palestinian rights
We invite articles that critically examine and rethink translating cultures and other related theoretical approaches to translation in the Global South humanities. We welcome innovative discussions from various interdisciplinary perspectives, including translation theory, cultural studies, and social sciences. The deadline for the submission of an abstract is Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 11:59PM Riyadh time (GMT+3).
Our letter to the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces regarding the devastation wrought on the education sector in Sudan since the outbreak of fighting in spring 2023 and the severe challenges faced by students and faculty alike.
The UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) in Saudi Arabia announces a call for submission: A Critical Reader on translating cultures organized by the Chair’s Translating Cultures Lab (TCL).
Our letter to Egyptian authorities expressing our concerns with the persistent deterioration in the conditions of academic freedom in Egypt and the ongoing detentions of scholars and researchers about whom we have written numerous times.
The Arabic Language Institute in Fez (ALIF) is a globally-oriented center that aims to educate and engage students from around the world in Arabic, North African culture, cross-cultural communication, research, and community service. ALIF's 2024 Summer Arabic Institute runs from May 21 to July 26, 2024.
The Committee on Academic Freedom received a response to our 21 March letter objecting to the recent suspension from teaching of an esteemed faculty member, Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian.
Please send a title and a 400-word abstract to the guest editor, Gül Kale, Carleton College ([email protected]), by June 15, 2024.
Our letter expressing grave concern about Executive Order No. GA-44, issued on 27 March 2024, which defines its purpose as “addressing acts of antisemitism in institutions of higher education.”