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Letter regarding recent developments in the prosecution of scholars who signed the declaration “We will not be a party to this crime”—commonly referred to as the “Academics for Peace Petition”—as well as the ongoing targeting of scholars whose research exposes threats emanating from the Turkish government’s policies in areas such as public health and environmental regulation.
MESA mourns the passing of Founding Member and Turkish historian Kemal Karpat.
Congratulations to Daniel Hershenzon and Lital Levy for receiving 2019 Burkhardt Residential Fellowships.
Congratulations to Karen Pinto on receiving the inaugural Inclusivity and Diversity Travel Grant to present her paper, “Mapping the Worlds of the Global Middle Ages,” during the MMA’s 94th annual meeting, March 7-9 in Philadelphia.
MESA joined in a letter to the Prime Minister of Hungary regarding academic inquiry and scholarly research in Hungary.
Letter denouncing the aggressive public smear campaign against Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian related to her research and expressing concern regarding the Hebrew University’s failure to protect her.
In response to Alaska Governor Dunleavy's proposed funding cuts for higher education, 32 professional societies signed-on to a letter expressing concern about the damage such cuts would impose.
Letter to President Trump, Secretary Pompeo, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives expressing opposition to the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA) of 2018, as it results in the denial of the right to education to Palestinian students from the West Bank and Gaza Strip in a MEPI program. CAF calls on Congress and the President to cancel ATCA.
International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) pens an op-ed on the failure of the Muslim Ban's promised "waiver process."
Letter condemning the arbitrary arrests and detention of Palestinian students and professors as well as the assaults on Palestinian universities. These measures are a clear violation of Palestinian academic freedom.
More than 200 scholars and personalities from around the world have signed a letter written to the king and crown prince of Saudi Arabia on behalf of renowned Saudi scholar, writer and women’s rights advocate Hatoon al-Fassi. She has been detained and held in solitary confinement in the kingdom since June 21, 2018. The letter calls upon the Saudi government to release Dr. al-Fassi and to allow her to continue her important work. MESA's Committee on Academic Freedom wrote a letter to protest her arrest (dated 3 July 2018) and MESA awarded Dr. al-Fassi the 2018 Academic Freedom Award.
Letter to UAE authorities protesting the decision of the State Security Court of the Federal Supreme Court to uphold the 10 year prison sentence imposed on human rights advocate Ahmed Mansoor in 2018.
Letter to UAE authorities expressing concern for the health of Nasser bin Ghaith, a professor of economics sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in 2017 for "insulting" the UAE in public statements and tweets, who is on hunger-strike.
MESA mourns the passing of Basima Bezirgan, former MESA member and ME cataloger at the University of Chicago.
Letter to Iranian authorities condemning the continued detention of visiting academics on the basis of what appear to be fabricated charges
Letter expressing concern over the most recent version of the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S. 720) which continues to criminalize participation in what it terms “politically motivated” boycotts directed at Israel.
Letter (co-signed by Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies) to UAE authorities condemning the sentencing of British PhD student Matthew Hedges to life imprisonment for ‘spying’ supposedly on behalf of the United Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Service.
MESA in the news: From Al-Fanar Media "Fewer Arab Students Head for the United States
2018 MESA Academic Freedom Award given to Saudi scholar, writer, and women's rights advocate, Dr. Hatoon Ajwad Al Fassi
MESA awarded 12 individuals for excellence in scholarship, mentoring, service, and defending academic freedom on November 16, 2018.
At its 52nd annual meeting in San Antonio, MESA's Board of Directors issued a statement affirming commitment to fight Antisemitism as a form of racism.
At its 52nd annual meeting, MESA's Board of Directors issued a statement of concern on the deteriorating security conditions for researchers in the United Arab Emirates.
Letter protesting joint SUNY-YOK discussion.
Letter to the University of Michigan Defending Graduate Student Threatened for Refusing to Write Recommendation Letter