Middle Eastern Studies at The University of Texas

07/13/2026

Dr. Nahid Siamdoust just published her collection Iran Amplified: One Hundred Years of Music and Society, co-edited with H. E. Chehabi (Harvard, 2026). This is the first edited volume on music in modern Iran, presenting a cross-genre collection of compelling scholarship, musician narratives, and primary sources. The volume offers historiography and critical examination of music’s significant role in social and political mediation in Iran spanning the past 100 years.

On July 11, Dr. Siamdoust published an article in The New York Review of Books, "Spreading Static." The article discusses the manipulation of Iran’s information space toward war.

Click the link in our bio to access the news article on our website with more information on these publications.

05/08/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 Middle Eastern Studies graduates! On Wednesday, we celebrated graduates from the Department with a lively celebration that included music from Bereket, UT's Middle Eastern music ensemble, and a spontaneous dabke. Best wishes to the students for a wonderful graduation weekend!

04/24/2026

04/21/2026

Congratulations to Zaniel Moreno, Audrey Chambers, and Julia James Elmer, who were recently awarded Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships by the UT Center for European Studies to support their participation in the American Councils’ 2026 Intensive Turkish Summer Program (ITSP) in Ankara, Türkiye! All three students are studying Turkish with Dr. Jeannette Okur and will soon successfully complete the Intensive Turkish I-II course sequence offered by the Department of Middle Eastern Studies. Zaniel, who is interested in foreign language teaching as a future career path, is pursuing a B.A. degree in Middle Eastern Studies and Linguistics. Audrey, whose grandfather hails from Türkiye, is pursuing a B.A. in Anthropology with a focus on archaeology. Julia, who will complete her Master of Science in Global Policy Studies with an emphasis in Security, Law, and Diplomacy in May 2026, has been preparing for a career in the U.S. Foreign Service and broader national security community. All three students are excited to continue learning Turkish in an immersive environment and deepen their understanding of Türkiye’s history, culture, and evolving geopolitical role.

04/15/2026

Later this month, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies presents a mini film festival: Palestine and Israel on Film. Visit the link in our bio to learn more about these films. These events are free & open to the public.

Mon Apr 27 | 7:00pm | UNB 2.228
The Voice of Hind Rajab

Weds Apr 29 | 7:00pm | UNB 2.228
The Sea

04/02/2026

Thurs Apr 16 | 5:00pm | RLP 1.302D

Dr. Krista Dalton is an Associate Professor of Religious and Jewish Studies at Kenyon College. She will present a lecture that explores how the practice of eating together functioned as a critical social institution for the development of rabbinic culture.

04/01/2026

On March 25, 2026, the graduate students in the Department of and Center for Middle Eastern Studies invited student scholars from UT and around the country to present at the 15th annual New Generations Conference. Dr. Sara Omar, Assistant Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, was invited as the keynote speaker. Read more about the event on our website - linked in our bio!

04/01/2026

Fri Apr 10 | 2-4:30pm | CAL 516
[Hybrid option available - visit the event page for details]

Graduating MA students and undergraduate students in the Middle Eastern Studies major capstone course will present their research projects at the annual showcase in April. Visit the link in our bio to learn more about the presenters and their work.

03/31/2026

Thurs Apr 9 | 4:00pm | RLP 2.206

Join us to hear Barnard College's Dr. Matthew Keegan discuss his new book: Before World Literature: The Trickster Tales of al-Ḥarīrī in an Age of Commentary.