Middle East Studies Program - UW Madison

08/26/2026

We are excited to announce that MESP, in collaboration with the Project on the Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) at George Washington University, invites proposals for a workshop on the Iran war and its impact. This will be held on Friday, October 30, 2026 on the UW-Madison campus. Papers could address any dimension of the war’s effects — political, security, economic, social, environmental — and can focus on any part of the Middle East, broadly defined.

Papers are due by September 11, 2026.

Click here for more information and to apply:

The war with Iran has had a massive and still unfolding direct impact on global and regional security. The effects of the still ongoing war are likely to have unpredictable cascading effects across the region. POMEPS invites proposals for a workshop at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, to be hel...

08/24/2026

08/10/2026

08/10/2026

RESCHEDULED!!

The annual Meet Up has been rescheduled to Thursday, September 17th. Everything else stays the same, so come by for a great time. If you already applied and need to rescind your application due to the date change, please email [email protected].

07/16/2026

Karpat Center Grants Program for UW–Madison Graduate Students and Faculty now open! Click here for more information:

Applications for grants to support UW–Madison scholars working in any area of Turkish/Ottoman Studies, deadline: October 1, 2026

06/26/2026

All are invited to an exciting summer Institute for K-14 educators that contextualizes the current U.S.-Israel war on Iran. Attendance is free, and anyone is encouraged to register, even if they are unable to attend all sessions and days.

The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies Summer Teacher Institute 2026:

"Contextualizing the U.S.-Israel War on Iran in History and the SWANA Region"

Monday, July 20th to Wednesday, July 22nd | 10am to 3pm EST | Zoom

Thursday, July 23rd | 11am to 2pm EST | Hybrid

Click here to register by July 5th: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHrN6eaFvkAzUseQSvw06YjGUmTr_eHhpiyrkgd_wYneGUBQ/viewform?pli=1

Presentation topics include Iranian history and culture, women.& gender in Iran, contemporary and historical U.S. policy towards Iran, media literacy, the effect of the war on the broader SWANA region, and representations of Iran in K-12 curricula.

Speakers include:

Dr. Joel Beinin
Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History and Professor of Middle East History, Emeritus | Stanford University

Dr. Julie Ellison-Speight
Academic Autonomy Program Manager | Middle East Studies Association

Dr. Negar Razavi
Associate Research Scholar, Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies | Princeton University

Mobashra Tazamal
Associate Director, Bridge Initiative | Georgetown University

Dr. Niki Akhavan
Associate Professor, Department of Global Studies | Catholic University of America

Dr. Melani McAlister
Professor of American Studies and International Affairs | George Washington University

Dr. Shana Marshall
Assistant Research Professor of International Affairs & Associate Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies | George Washington University

Dr. Kamran Aghaie
Associate Professor, Department of Middle East Studies | University of Texas, Austin

Click the speakers' names for more information on their work.

The institute will be held on Zoom from July 20th to July 22nd, with a hybrid screening and discussion of an Iranian film held at Georgetown University (CCAS Boardroom, ICC 241) on July 23rd. A lunch will be served for in-person attendees at the screening. Attendees will receive 20 hours of professional development for institute participation and preparation. Material for preparation will be sent to registrants by July 1.

Contact Chloe Daikh ([email protected]) with any questions.

04/23/2026

Here's an article about our annual conference last week:

04/22/2026

Our annual Middle East Studies conference last Friday was a great success! Wonderful crowd, fascinating speaker presentations, and delicious food for both breakfast and lunch! Thanks so much for all who participated. For the full lineup of speakers: https://shorturl.at/yqUrK Stay tuned for our fall lecture series!

04/16/2026

04/14/2026

📣 Join us for a Teach-In: Roots and Realities of the War in the Middle East
🗓 Friday, April 24 | ⏰ 4:00–5:30 PM
📍 Rm 1125, DeLuca Biochem Bldg (420 Henry Mall)

Hear from expert scholars on Israel/Palestine, Iran, diaspora politics, human rights, and more.

🎤 Featuring: Lisa Bhungalia, Marwa Shalaby, Asef Bayat, Sara Ostad Rahimi, Ervand Abrahamian, Kathy Kelly & Alexandra Huneeus

🍪 Free cookies, coffee & lemonade!
🔗 RSVP: https://forms.gle/jP9MYx9DMvvk9MgN6

Co-sponsored by Havens-Wright Center, Middle East Studies Program & Human Rights Program