Affiliated Organizations
Organizations having a scholarly interest in the Middle East and whose membership includes a substantial number of members of MESA may apply for affiliation with MESA. Affiliated organizations may sponsor up to three panels at the MESA annual meeting. Affiliate sponsorship does not guarantee acceptance: all panels are read “blind” by the program committee without regard to the proposer’s identity or the nature of sponsorship. Affiliated organizations may hold their annual business meeting, board meeting, or other functions in conjunction with the MESA annual meeting. MESA charges $300 to organizations meeting in conjunction to help offset associated costs. For organizations who are not yet affiliated with MESA, but who are seeking such status, the fee is waived the first year.
Applying for MESA Affiliate Status
To apply for affiliated status, an organization should submit to the Secretariat a letter of interest, a copy of its bylaws, a membership list, a list of officers, and any other relevant supporting materials (i.e., brochures, sample publications, etc.). Applications are reviewed by MESA’s Board of Directors which meets twice a year, in the spring and in the fall at the association’s annual meeting. To be considered at the spring meeting, submit materials by March 1. To be considered at the fall meeting, submit materials by November 1.
Current Affiliates
The American Association of Teachers of Arabic is comprised of professionals, students, institutions, and other individuals interested in Arabic language teaching, Arabic literature and Arabic linguistics. AATA aims to facilitate communication and cooperation between teachers of Arabic and to promote study, criticism, research and instruction in the field of Arabic language pedagogy, Arabic linguistics and Arabic literature. Meetings and programs are held in conjunction with MESA. AATA publishes Al-‘Arabiyya, a journal containing articles by AATA members and others interested in Arabic language scholarship.
President: Ahmed Idrissi Alami
Executive Director: Mohammad T. Alhawary (734-647-0096)
General Email: [email protected] (205-822-6800)
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular (within North America): $50
Regular (outside North America): $65
Student (within & outside North America): $30
Supporting (within North America): $75
Supporting (outside North America): $90
Institutional (within North America): $200
Institutional (outside North America): $215
The American Association of Teachers of Persian is a non-profit, professional organization whose objective shall be to advance and improve the study and teaching of the Persian language and culture; to promote research in the field of Persian language, linguistics, and literature; to further the common interests of teachers in the field; and to facilitate communication and professional cooperation among its members.
President: Peyman Nojoumian
Executive Secretary: Sahba Shayani
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $50
Student: $30
Community School Teachers: $30
Institutional: $250
The American Association of Teachers of Turkic Languages is a private, non-profit, non-political organization of individuals interested in the languages and literatures of the Turks. The objective of the Association is to advance and improve the teaching of the Turkic languages; to promote study, criticism, and research in the field of the Turkic languages and literatures; and to further the common interests of teachers of these subjects. The Association publishes an annual newsletter. Since 2004, the Association has hosted a very successful graduate student pre-conference prior to the CESS and/or MESA conference. An AATT-listserv informs members of the latest news including open positions in the field, and study and scholarship opportunities.
President: Saadet Ebru Ergül
Executive Secretary: İlknur Lider
General Email: [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
Individual: $25
Student, Retired, International: $15
Institutional (starting/supporting/sustaining): $100/ $200/$ 500
The American Institute for Maghrib Studies is a private, non-profit educational organization that fosters research and the exchange of information among scholars and students from the United States and the Maghrib for the purpose of better understanding the region. AIMS was established in 1984 and serves as the principal professional organization for U.S.-based scholars interested in North Africa.
AIMS sponsors The Journal of North African Studies (published by Francis and Taylor), sponsors annual academic conferences and workshops in North Africa, administers a yearly dissertation workshop for students, offers prizes and travel awards to its members, provides funding support for students and scholars to undertake research in the region and supports overseas research centers in Tunis (CEMAT) and Oran (CEMA) and is represented by its affiliate partner TALIM in Tangier.
President: James Miller
U.S. Director: Terry Ryan Phone: 520-626-6498
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $100
Student: $50
Institutional: $500 (includes 3 individual memberships)
The American Institute for Yemeni Studies is a non-profit consortium of institutions of higher education whose purpose is to promote scholarly research on Yemen. The Institute provides essential resources for the support of research in Yemen and the development of academic ties between the Yemeni and American academic communities. Day-to-day oversight of AIYS activities is provided in the U.S. by the AIYS Executive Director at CAORC and AIYS President and in Sanaa by the AIYS Resident Director.
AIYS conducts annual pre- and post-doctoral fellowship competitions for students and under normal conditions, fellows may opt to do research, intensive Arabic, or a combination of the two. Additionally, fellowship programs are available for Yemeni scholars to do research in Yemen. AIYS also publishes an annual bulletin, Yemen Update, as well as occasional monographs. Annual board and business meetings are held at MESA.
President: Flagg Miller
Secretary: Najam Haidar
General Email: [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $35 (or $90 for 3 years)
Student/Retired Professors: $10
Associate Institutional Membership: $75
Institutional: $150
Patrons: $250
Yemeni Scholars, Profesors, and Students in Yemen: Free
The American Institute of Afghanistan Studies is private, non-profit organization run by scholars with the aim of promoting and encouraging the systematic study of the culture, society, land, languages, health, peoples and history of Afghanistan and to further scholarly ties between Afghanistan and the United States. AIAS is especially concerned with increasing the numbers of scholars in the United States who have expertise in, and understanding of Afghanistan, and to assist in the rebuilding of academic institutions and the advanced study of Afghanistan by Afghan scholars. Since 2008, the Institute has been a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers and AIAS continues to maintain a research center in Kabul, Afghanistan, offers fellowships, and sponsors panels and conferences.
President: Thomas Barfield
Administrative Director U.S.: Andrea Kokkinos
Country Director: Omar Sharifi
General Emails: [email protected], [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $50
Student/Retiree: $25
Institutional: $500
The American Institute of Iranian Studies is a non-profit consortium of American universities and museums created to promote academic and cultural exchange between the US and Iran. The specific objectives of AIIrS are to represent American institutions of higher education and research in the field of Iranian Studies, and to expose new generations of students and scholars to Iran and the wider Persianate world. Its purview comprises the historical Iranian world of Central Asia, the Middle East and South Asia as well as the modern political state of Iran. In the belief that person-to-person connections are essential for fostering mutual understanding, AIIrS serves as the main conduit for academic and cultural exchange between the U.S. and Iran. It is the only organization in the country dedicated to funding research in Iranian Studies. The Institute's fellowships and programs aim to create and maintain expertise on an important geographical region and interest in bi-national cooperation. Opportunities for direct contact invigorate the academic resource base and increase the depth of knowledge in the field. AIIrS is a founding member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) in Washington, D.C.
President: Dr. Anne Betteridge
Executive Director: Dr. Erica Ehrenberg
Secretary: Dr. Kathryn Babayan
The American Institute of Pakistan Studies, established in 1973, is a bi-national research and education organization with a mission to promote academic study of Pakistan in the US and to encourage scholarly exchange between the US and Pakistan. To fulfill this mission, AIPS provides research fellowships to American researchers, administers lectureships, and sponsors academic conferences. AIPS maintains research centers in Islamabad and Lahore and is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers.
President: Dr. Matthew A. Cook
U.S. Director: Laura Hammond
Pakistan Director: Nadeem Akbar
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $25
Institutional: $250
The American Numismatic Society is dedicated to the study and public appreciation of coins, currencies, medals, and other related objects. Since its founding in 1858, the ANS has assembled a permanent collection with over 800,000 objects dating from 650 BCE to the present and numismatic library, which houses approximately 100,000 books, documents, and artifacts. These resources are used to support publications of books and periodicals, lectures, academic seminars, and exhibitions. The mission of the American Numismatic Society shall be to promote and advance the study, research, and appreciation of numismatics.
President: Ute Wartenberg Kagan
Executive Director: Gilles Bransbourg
General Email: [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
Associate Membership: $100
Fellow: $120
Library Associate: $200
*Students receive 40% off membership, email [email protected] with a copy of your student ID to get a discounted link.
Founded in 1948, the American Research Center in Egypt is a private, nonprofit organization composed of educational and cultural institutions, professional scholars, and private individuals. ARCE's mission is to support research on all aspects of Egyptian history and culture, foster a broader knowledge about Egypt among the general public, and strengthen American-Egyptian cultural ties. ARCE provides a permanent archaeological and research base in Cairo for American scholars.
Through grants, fieldwork and field schools, ARCE’s partnership with Egyptians contributes to the shared goal of cultural heritage preservation. Over the years, ARCE’s strong relationship with the Ministry of Antiquities (MOA) (formerly the Supreme Council of Antiquities) has ensured the success of our work together. ARCE also publishes a yearly journal and conservation report and holds an annual conference.
President: Denise Doxey
Executive Director: Louise Bertini
General Email: [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $85
Student: $55
Retired: $70
Egyptian membership is also available in EGP
Founded in 2012, the Arab American Studies Association is a private, non-profit, nonpolitical organization of scholars and other people interested in the study of Arab American history, ethnicity, culture, literature, art and music, politics, religion, sociology and other aspects of Arab American experience. The objectives of the Association are to advance the study of Arabs in diaspora, including in North America.
The AASA facilitates communication among scholars through meetings; promotes cooperation among members of the Association and persons or organizations concerned with Arab American Studies; stimulates academic research in Arab American Studies; and explores intersections and comparative approaches among Arab American, Arab, and diasporic Arab experiences.
President: Pauline Homsi Vinson
Secretary: Danielle Haque
General Email: [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $50
Student: $25
Institutional: $500
The Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies is a scholarly association. Our objectives are to promote high standards of scholarship and instruction, to facilitate collaboration among scholars and academic institutions, to encourage fieldwork and to mentor graduate students. AGAPS is multi-disciplinary and defines its area of study broadly to include the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, inclusive of the transnational flow of people, material and ideas across the Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
AGAPS is dedicated to innovative research agendas, high standards of scholarship and instruction, new networks of collaboration, the promotion of fieldwork in the GAP, the integration of promising graduate students and diverse membership in gender, discipline, age, location and area expertise. AGAPS hopes to encourage research agendas that are fresh and nuanced, both in theory and empiricism.
President: Crystal Ennis
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $30
Graduate Student: $30
Institutional: $500
The Association for Iranian Studies is a private, not-for-profit, non-political organization of persons interested in Iranian Studies in the broadest sense. An elected council and an executive council run the affairs of the organization. The objectives of the Society are to promote high standards of scholarship in the field, to encourage the teaching of Iranian studies at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and to encourage and facilitate scholarly exchange amongst its international membership. The Association for Iranian Studies publishes Iranian Studies, a journal that continues to serve as the principal journal in the field.
As an independent, non-partisan, non-political, multi-disciplinary international community of over 500 scholars, students, academic and non-academic researchers, and aficionados of Iranian studies, AIS is committed to promoting the free exchange of ideas, freedom of expression in all forms and all media, and unrestricted pursuit of (academic and non-academic) research, instruction, publication, and presentation (in Iran and internationally) without fear of intimidation and persecution.
President: Naghmeh Sohrabi
Executive Director: Rivanne Sandler
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular 2-Year: $150
Student 2-Year: $80
Institutional 2-Year: $699
The Association for Middle East Women's Studies is an organization of scholars and individuals with an interest in women and gender studies in the context of the Middle East / North Africa and beyond, including transnational and diasporic communities in Europe as well as North and South America. Its triennial publication, the Journal of Middle East Women's Studies (JMEWS), published by Duke University Press, advances the fields of women's and gender studies through contributions across disciplines in the social sciences, humanities and other fields. JMEWS encourages research that is theoretically, epistemologically, and methodologically innovative.
President: Sherine Hafez
Secretary: Transitional team - Yara AbdelAziz and Zeina Zaatari
Membership - Annual Dues & Subscription Costs (Price with online subscription only / Price with print & online subscription)
Individual/Professor: $55 / $75
Student/Activist: $15 / $35
Retiree/Independent Scholar/Individual in Low-Income Nations: $30 / $50
The Association for Modern and Contemporary Art of the Arab world, Iran, and Turkey is a private, non-profit, non-political, international organization. AMCA aims to advance the study of this emerging field through the creation of a network of interested scholars and organizations. We will facilitate communication and cooperation among those in the field by sponsoring conferences, holding meetings, and exchanging information via a newsletter and website. AMCA is a member-based, professional organization.
President: Nada Shabout
President-Elect: Sarah Rogers
Secretary: Jessica Gerschultz
General Email: [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
Professionals: $50
Professionals living in the Middle East: $40
Students: $30
Students living in the Middle East: $20
Institutional: $75
The Association for the Study of Persianate Societies is a non-governmental, non-political, not-for-profit professional organization for researchers and scholars interested in the culture and civilization of the Persian-speaking societies and related areas in the Iranian civilizational area. It publishes the Journal of Persianate Studies, a collection of scholarly articles, book reviews and conference reports, and the semi-annual ASPS Newsletter. The Association’s biennial conferences have been held in Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Pakistan, Georgia and Armenia since its inauguration in Tajikistan in 2002. Twelve regional branches give ASPS an international presence.
President (on leave of absence): Sussan Babaie
Vice President and Acting President: Kazuo Morimoto
Secretary: Robert Haug
Membership - Annual Dues (1 year / 2 years / 3 years)
Individual: $80 / $150 / $200
Institutional: $200 / $375 / $550
The Association of Middle East Anthropology is a private, non-profit organization of scholars and individuals with a professional interest in Anthropology in the context of the Middle East / North Africa (MENA) and beyond, including transnational and diasporic MENA communities in Europe, North and South America, and elsewhere. AMEA’s main objective is to advance the study of Anthropology in the Middle East. In order to do this, we work to promote and stimulate scientific research in Anthropology in MENA, facilitate communication among scholars through various meetings, and promote cooperation among members of AMEA and individuals, organizations, and the public concerned with Anthropology in MENA and beyond. AMEA also connects and collaborates with the Middle East Section of the American Anthropological Association (AAA).
President: Sa'ed Atshan
General Email: [email protected]
The Association of Middle East Children and Youth Studies is a private, non-profit, international association for scholars with an interest in the study of children and youth in the Middle East, North Africa and their diasporic communities. Through interdisciplinary programs, publications, and services, AMECYS promotes innovative scholarship, facilitates global academic exchange, and enhances public understanding about and by Middle Eastern and North African children and youth in diverse times and places from any disciplinary and methodological approach.
President: Yael Warshel
General Email: [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $20
Student: $10
Launched in 2019, the Assyrian Studies Association promotes the academic study of the Assyrian heritage through supporting research, teaching, and intellectual collaboration among scholars in fields that include history, archaeology, cultural heritage, religion, language, literary studies, social sciences, arts and architecture, law among others. Thus, bridging fields that have traditionally dabbled with Assyrian subjects from the ancient to the modern world. ASA aims to highlight work on Assyrians in these fields and beyond, bringing them into concert with each other in order to illustrate a vibrant, robust, and authentic experience of Assyro-Mesopotamian heritage. ASA builds connections between academic institutions and scholars to strengthen the academic study of this venerable culture throughout North America and the world.
President: Helen Malko
Executive Director: Alexandra Lazar
Secretary: Sargon Donabed
General Email: [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $100
Student: $50
Institutional: $2,000
The Center for Arabic Study Abroad was established in 1967 to offer advanced Arabic language and culture training to members of the academic community-at-large who represent various disciplines in the area of Middle Eastern studies. CASA represents a consortium of thirty-four universities in the US in addition to the American University in Cairo (AUC) and Qasid Arabic Institute in Amman, Jordan where CASA’s training sites are located.
CASA is represented by a Consortium of American universities and colleges who serve a vital role in directing various academic, financial and administrative aspects of the CASA programs. CASA receives its primary funding from the United States Department of Education, under the Fulbright-Hays--Group Projects Abroad Program. In addition, CASA is supported by two endowments from the Ford and Mellon foundations when the program is able to send students to Cairo.
Director (U.S.): Sonia Shiri
Program Coordinator (U.S.): Sarah Stoll
General Email: [email protected]
Founded in 1981, the Council of American Overseas Research Centers is a private nonprofit federation of independent overseas research centers (ORCs) that promote advanced research, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, with a focus on the conservation and recording of cultural heritage and the understanding and interpretation of modern societies. CAORC fosters research projects across national boundaries, encourages collaborative research and programmatic and administrative coherence among member centers, and works to expand their resource base and service capacity. CAORC member centers maintain a permanent presence in the host countries where they operate—in Europe, Latin America, the Near and Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, and West Africa.
The centers are the primary vehicle through which American scholars carry out research vital to our understanding of and intersection with other cultures. Some centers have existed for over a century while others were founded in the decades following World War II in response to American scholarly needs and host country invitations. Nearly four hundred American universities, colleges, and museums hold multiple memberships in the centers which serve their institutional members, individual fellows and members, and affiliated scholars through a broad range of research- and teaching-support services. Funding is awarded from sources including the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as from private foundations and individuals.
Executive Director: Richard Spees
Deputy Director: Heidi Wiederkehr
General Email: [email protected]
The Historians of Islamic Art Association is a private, non-profit, non-political organization whose purpose is to promote the study and teaching of the art, architecture and archaeology of Islamic cultures and to facilitate communication and cooperation among those engaged in scholarly and other professional activities related to these fields.
HIAA holds a periodic majlis or meeting of its members, in conjunction with meetings of the College Art Association (CAA) or MESA, as well as a biennial symposium. To encourage scholarly contributions to the fields of Islamic art, architecture and archaeology, particularly by our junior members, HIAA also awards various competitive prizes: the Margaret B. Ševčenko Prize in Islamic Art and Culture, for the best unpublished article written by a junior scholar; and the Grabar Grants and Fellowships, a new program, supported by the Oleg Grabar Memorial Fund, intended to further research and assist participation in scholarly meetings.
President: Kishwar Rizvi
Secretary: Emily Neumeier
General Email: [email protected]
Membership - Annual Dues
NEW-JOIN HIAA WITHOUT CHARGE FOR A YEAR!
In an effort to broaden our membership and mindful of the financial hardships faced by scholars and students of Islamic art, HIAA now offers free membership for a year. To start a free membership, please fill out this form.
Regular: $45
Student: $25
Institutional: $105
The Kurdish Studies Association is a non-profit organization composed of scholars and other individuals interested in Kurdish studies. It was founded in 2000 by a small group of faculty members to: (1) encourage scholarly research and writing on Kurdistan and Kurdish politics, culture, and society; (2) facilitate the exchange of information and ideas among scholars and others sharing interest in these issues; and (3) foster a wider and better-informed understanding of this important region and people of the Middle East. Currently, it has approximately 125 members, mostly faculty members, librarians, and doctoral students from more than 20 different countries. KSA is run by a committee of four officers (President, Vice President, Executive Secretary, and Treasurer) and an executive board. KSA organizes annual meetings (in conjunction with the larger Middle East Studies Association), attracting scholars and researchers from all over the world to present research papers on the Kurds and Kurdistan.
Membership - Annual Dues
Regular: $30
Student: $15
Middle East Critique promotes an academic and critical examination of the history and contemporary political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of Middle Eastern countries. The journal actively engages theoretical and empirical studies and by so doing promotes a critical understanding of the complex nature of ideas, values, social configurations, and material realities of Middle Eastern societies. Middle East Critique provides a forum for the interdisciplinary examination of diverse issues based on solid research and critical readings of developments in the Middle East.
For information regarding submission of manuscripts contact: Critique, MB 211, Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104-1284 (202-342-3927 fax; [email protected]).
Editor: Eric Hooglund
Subscription Rates
Individuals (Print Only): $266
Institutions (Online Only): $874
Institutions (Print & Online): $1,028
The Middle East Economic Association (MEEA) is a private, non-profit, non-political organization of scholars interested in the study of the economies and economics of the Middle East. The geographical term "Middle East" is used in its widest usage. Its objectives shall be:
- promotion of high standard scholarship,
- facilitation of communication among scholars through meetings and publications, and
- promotion of cooperation among persons and organizations committed to the objectives of MEEA.
President: Wassim Shahin
Executive Secretary: Rahel Schomaker
Membership - Annual Dues: Members should pay membership dues annually to maintain their membership. The membership dues are based on region of residence (not birth). There are two regions of residence as follows:
- Region A: Countries that are classified as “high income” by the World Bank. The list can be found here: http://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/site-content/CLASS.xls It includes North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
- Region B: All other countries (not included in Region A.)
- Those who reside in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen are exempted from paying membership dues.
Regular members residing in region A: $30
Student members residing in region A: $20
Regular members residing in region B: $15
Student members residing in region B: $10