History
In 2025, the MESA Board created the Committee on Academic Autonomy (CAA) to showcase the depth and breadth of Middle East studies. In 2026, the committee was renamed the Committee on Middle East Studies in the Public Sphere (CMPS). Via social media and in the press, CMPS highlights the innovative knowledge production in the field of Middle East Studies.
What CMPS does
CMPS works with Middle East departments, centers and programs at universities and colleges across North America (and beyond) to highlight the vital role that these institutions play in the collective production, exchange, and dissemination of teaching and knowledge about the Middle East. By producing social media content highlighting the curricula, programming and output of centers, departments and programs, the committee aims to raise awareness of the intellectual communities, institutional infrastructures, and collaborative networks that sustain scholarship and teaching in our field. CMPS also works with centers, programs and departments to address the infrastructure of Middle East studies, such as funding and language training resources. Follow our social media platforms to access the newest content highlighting the contributions of Middle East Studies institutions to higher education.
Composition
Committee members:
Aslı Ü. Bâli, CMPS Chair
Ussama Makdisi, MESA President ex officio
Jeffrey Reger, MESA Executive Director ex officio
Hosam Aboul-Ela, University of Houston
Nadia Abu El-Haj, Columbia University
Fida Adely, Georgetown University
Beth Baron, CUNY Graduate Center
Rosie Bsheer, Harvard University
Akram F. Khater, North Carolina State University
Marc Lynch, George Washington University