Institute for Middle East Studies at GWU

09/03/2026

Join GW and the Muslim Counterpublics Lab for this 2-day conference featuring scholars and organizers working at the intersection of US foreign policy and civil rights.https://waronterror25.org/schedule/

09/02/2026

On September 15, the Middle East Policy Forum is pleased to host Michael Omer-Man and Sarah Leah Whitson, authors of "From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Israel-Palestine." A decisive break from the failed Oslo Accords, "From Apartheid to Democracy" outlines an innovative plan to create the foundations for peace and self-determination in Israel-Palestine. The research and advocacy organization DAWN is co-sponsoring the event.

The authors write that the illusion of a two-state solution under the auspices of the Oslo Accords has allowed Israel to maintain a one-state reality of permanent occupation and apartheid.

For more information about this event, please visit our website.

08/31/2026

On September 10, George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies, GW Veterans, and the Quincy Institute’s Veterans in Foreign Policy Initiative is pleased to host an interdisciplinary panel of scholars of the Middle East and military history to examine how the United States and the Middle East were transformed by 9/11 and the wars that followed.

For more information about this event and how to attend, please visit our website.

https://imes.elliott.gwu.edu/twenty-five-years-after-911

08/21/2026

The Middle East Policy Forum, in partnership with Foreign Affairs, is pleased to host F. Gregory Gause III, Marc Lynch and Suzanne Maloney, for a discussion about the future of the Middle East. Moderated by Foreign Affairs Executive Editor Justin Vogt, the panel goes beyond the headlines to ask: has the region really changed?

In recent essays for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Gause and Dr. Lynch offer competing visions of the future of the Middle East. Dr. Gause, Associate Fellow at the Middle East Institute, argues that despite realignment, regime change, and regional war, the Middle East remains fundamentally unchanged. Dr. Lynch, Professor of Political Science at the George Washington University, forecasts a dramatic end to the American-led regional order. Joining them is Dr. Maloney, the Brookings Institution’s leading voice on U.S. policy toward Iran and the broader Middle East. Dr. Maloney will share her own assessment of the prospects for long-term change.

All are welcome to attend this event hosted by the Middle East Policy Forum and co-sponsored by Foreign Affairs. This event is open to the general public and media. For more information, please visit our website.

https://imes.elliott.gwu.edu/has-middle-east-really-changed

08/19/2026

The Middle East Policy Forum is pleased to host Michael Omer-Man and Sarah Leah Whitson, authors of "From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Israel-Palestine." A decisive break from the failed Oslo Accords, From Apartheid to Democracy outlines an innovative plan to create the foundations for peace and self-determination in Israel-Palestine. The research and advocacy organization DAWN is co-sponsoring the event.

The authors write that the illusion of a two-state solution under the auspices of the Oslo Accords has allowed Israel to maintain a one-state reality of permanent occupation and apartheid.

Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Sarah Leah Whitson challenge this approach, presenting a road map to create a rights-respecting regime for everyone now living under Israeli control. Only once basic safety and legal equality are assured can Jewish Israelis and Palestinians determine their futures—in one, two, or more states if they choose—through an inclusive, democratic process. Breaking with the failures of the past, the plan presented here makes clear that ongoing violations of basic human rights must end before issues of governance can be equitably addressed.

All are invited to hear from authors Michael Omer-Man and Sarah Leah Whitson in this event moderated by Elliott School Professor Nathan Brown. This event is open to the general public and media. For those who are interested in purchasing "From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Israel-Palestine," copies will be available for sale at the event.

For more information about this event, please visit our website: https://imes.elliott.gwu.edu/from-apartheid-to-democracy

08/18/2026

Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, their consequences continue to shape United States foreign policy, military institutions, and public memory, as well as life across the Middle East and Central Asia.

George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies and the Quincy Institute’s Veterans in Foreign Policy Initiative is pleased to host an interdisciplinary panel of scholars of the Middle East and military history to examine how the United States and the Middle East were transformed by 9/11 and the wars that followed. The discussion will consider the evolution of the U.S. military and the “Global War on Terror,” the consequences of prolonged counterinsurgency and nation-building campaigns, the changing politics of the Middle East, and how 9/11 affected the lives of the people who live there, with attention to both state politics and the experiences of ordinary people.

Panelists will offer brief presentations followed by an extended moderated discussion and audience questions. For more information about this event and how to attend, please visit our website.

https://imes.elliott.gwu.edu/twenty-five-years-after-911

08/10/2026

05/28/2026

IMES and MESP faculty’s 2026 commencement picture.

05/16/2026

MESP faculty at the class of 2026 commencement. 💛💙

05/14/2026

TOMORROW: Reimagining Arabic Education in the United States: Innovation, Sustainability, and Access (K–16)

https://imes.elliott.gwu.edu/reimagining-arabic-education-united-states-innovation-sustainability-and-access-k16