Mission Statement
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.
Vision Statement
The strength of MESA lies in its dual commitment to scholarship and advocacy. MESA fosters, sustains, and disseminates scholarship, intellectual exchange beyond borders, and pedagogy. MESA advocates for academic freedom as well as the civil and human rights of scholars and students in the field of Middle East studies. MESA is proud to serve as an association that gives voice to the value of studying the Middle East in its global context, opposes all forms of discrimination, and defends the mission of higher education in both North America and in the MENA/SWANA region.
Description
The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) is a private, non-profit learned society that brings together scholars, educators and those interested in the study of the region from all over the world.
MESA is primarily concerned with the study of the Middle East (including Southwest Asia, the Arab world, and North Africa) from the seventh century to today, though not at the exclusion of earlier time periods. Other areas of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas—including diaspora communities—are also included as part of the study of the transnational dimensions of the societies of the Middle East in an interdisciplinary and comparative context.
From its inception in 1966 with 51 founding members, MESA has increased its membership to more than 2,800 and now serves as an umbrella organization for more than fifty institutional members and thirty-six affiliated organizations. The association is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Council of Area Studies Associations, and a member of the National Humanities Alliance.
As part of its goal to advance learning, facilitate communication and promote cooperation, MESA sponsors an annual meeting that is a leading international forum for scholarship, intellectual exchange, and pedagogical innovation. It is responsible for the International Journal of Middle East Studies, the premiere journal on the region, the MESA Review of Middle East Studies and a biannual newsletter. An awards program recognizes scholarly achievement, service to the profession, and exemplary student mentoring. MESA is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors elected by the membership.
Strategic Plan
MESA has adopted a strategic plan for 2021-2025.
Privacy Policy
MESA’s privacy policy governs the manner in which MESA collects, uses, maintains and discloses information collected from users of the mesana.org website and the myMESA membership portal.
Policy on public statements and media appearances
MESA has adopted a spokesperson policy on the authority to represent or speak on behalf of the association.
Guidelines Governing Donations and Solicitation of Gifts
MESA has adopted guidelines that govern how it receives donations and/or solicits gifts.
Photo Credits
Our thanks to Richard Doughty, AramcoWorld and Jonathan Bloom, Boston College for permitting MESA to use their beautiful photos of mosaics as banner images on the MESA website.