Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU

06/01/2026

Congrats to graduating NYU Kevorkian Center and Palmer School of Library and Information Science dual-degree student Eric Deng for his outstanding thesis, “Cyrillic and the Persian Canon: A Study of Script and State in Modern Tajikistan.”

We are excited to see where your future leads!

05/29/2026

Meet DJ Djamaliddinov, our teacher spotlight from the 2026 Spring Institute, “Global Learning in Local Places: Teaching Mass Politics, Migration, and Partitions."

DJ teaches Social Studies and Computer Science at Liberty High School Academy for Newcomers, where he works primarily with newly arrived immigrant students. Supporting students as they develop language, academic confidence, and leadership skills is at the heart of his work. He is deeply passionate about STEM education and hands-on learning. He coaches an award-winning FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team and volunteers at robotics competitions throughout NYC. In his classroom, he combines technology, project-based learning, and culturally responsive teaching practices to create engaging and equitable learning experiences. He believes education should empower students to see their strengths, use their voices, and build real-world skills.

Welcome, DJ!

To learn more about our teachers, visit our Spring Institute website: https://buff.ly/mcBzkyr

05/28/2026

We’re so proud of our students who participated in the Threesis Academic Challenge on April 26, 2026!

Watch Kevorkian Center students Leen Amin (MA '27) and Jasmine Khelil (MA '26) reflect on taking on the challenge of presenting their master's thesis in just three minutes on our YouTube channel now.
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Faculty, graduate students, alumni, and friends gathered for the 2026 NYU GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge Final Round on April 26, 2026. This video highligh...

05/28/2026

Congrats to graduating NYU Kevorkian Center MA student Aryana Rostami for her outstanding thesis titled, "Iranian Revolution Solidarity Materials, Rewinding the Cassette: Sharare-haye Aftab (1978-79)."

We are excited to see where your future leads.

05/27/2026

Thank you to all who participated in and attended this engaging symposium, “Beyond Al-Qalam: Literary Rebellion and Visual Abstraction in Little Syria” on May 2, 2026.

A special thank you to our panelists and moderators, Sara Ouhaddou, Rémi Homs, Lila Nazemian, Hani Bawardi, Elizabeth Saylor, Edmund Ghareeb, Ghazouane Arslaneg, Abigail Balbale, and to our co-organizer, Washington Street Historical Society ().

Did you miss this event? Watch the recordings on our Youtube channel now!

“Beyond Al-Qalam: Literary Rebellion and Visual Abstraction in Little Syria:”
https://buff.ly/HzrtMfW

“Writers of al-Qalam: The Literary Heritage of New York’s Little Syria:”
https://buff.ly/S9iLhT0

05/26/2026

Congrats to graduating NYU Kevorkian Center MA student Kendall Dorland for her outstanding thesis titled, "Confronting Time, Writing Apocalypse: Khaḍramah poetics in the elegies of al-Khansāʾ."

We are excited to see where your future endeavors lead.

05/22/2026

Meet Nancy Lewandowski, our teacher spotlight from the 2026 Spring Institute, “Global Learning in Local Places: Teaching Mass Politics, Migration, and Partitions."

Nancy is a 9th/10th grade ENL and global studies teacher at the International High School at Lafayette. She has been teaching in the New York City Department of Education for eleven years. Nancy began her NYC teaching career as a fellow in the Internationals Network IStart program and then became a founding teacher at E.L.L.I.S. Academy in the Bronx, a high school for older immigrant youth. She has recently partnered with local arts organization City Lore, to bring visiting artists in theater, percussion, and music production to her global studies classroom. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, as well as appreciating the art and cultural offerings of New York.

Welcome, Nancy!

To learn more about our teachers, visit our Spring Institute website: https://buff.ly/mcBzkyr

05/21/2026

Thank you to our Spring 2026 Practitioner in Residence, Visualizing Palestine, and to all who attended the incredibly engaging “Data Storytelling in Practice” panel discussion and exhibition on April 30, 2026.

We hope the students who participated in the semester-long practitioner residency, along with everyone who joined us for the event, left with new insights into the power of research, design, and storytelling as tools for advocacy, public engagement, and collective learning.

A special thank you to our co-sponsors, Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Department of Art and Art Professions, Department of English, Department of Media, Culture, and Communication, Gallatin Human Rights Initiative, Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, Middle East and Islamic Studies Department, NYU Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, and Program in International Relations.

05/20/2026

Congratulations to graduating NYU Kevorkian Center MA student Samee Ahmad for his outstanding thesis titled, "The Death and Decay of Jain Mandir: Urban Ruin, Bureaucracy, and the Archive in Lahore, Pakistan, 1947-2022."

We are incredibly proud of this achievement and excited to see where your work, research, and future endeavors lead.

05/19/2026

Thank you to our panelists, Zahra Hankir, Afeef Nessouli, and Mohamad Bazzi, and to all who attended this enlightening conversation, “Lebanon in Focus: A Panel Discussion” on April 23, 2026.

A special thank you to our co-organizer, Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association. We look forward to continuing and expanding this collaboration in the next academic year.