The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) Global Academy is an interdisciplinary initiative that sustains essential research collaborations and knowledge production among scholars in the humanities and social sciences from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and their counterparts outside the region.
The Global Academy supports scholars working in two broad thematic areas: governance, accountability, and the rule of law; and fairness and economic equality. The Global Academy conceives of these two areas in interdisciplinary terms, and invites scholars to apply from the humanities and social sciences, from comparative literature, history, and Islamic studies to political science, anthropology, economics, and beyond.
Scholarships have been awarded for the 2023-2024 academic year. Please check back in the spring of 2024 for the next funding cycle. The Global Academy awards scholars in the field of Middle East Studies $5,000 grants to further their research and collaboration with MENA-focused scholars in North America.
Competitive fellowships are available for displaced scholars from the MENA region, primarily those currently located in North America, whose work is broadly focused on Middle East Studies. Eligibility criteria are: 1) a PhD or equivalent in a field in the social sciences or humanities (graduate students will not be considered); 2) a primary institutional affiliation in the MENA region prior to displacement; and 3) a publication record indicating scholarly productivity (in English, French, a native MENA language, or principal research language of the field).
On June 6, 2023, the MESA Global Academy and the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University hosted a panel on the aftermath of the Turkish elections. Speakers were Dr. Evren Altinkas, University of Guelph; Dr. Utku Balaban, Xavier University; Dr. Nazan Bedirhanoglu, Xavier University; Dr. Nihat Celik, San Diego State University; Dr. Selin Bengi Gumrukcu, Rutgers University; and Dr. Halal Yenigun, University of Virginia. Dr. Asli Bali of Yale Law School moderated.
On May 25, 2023, the Global Academy and the Arab Studies Institute hosted an online panel on the Turkish parliamentary and presidential elections with Dr. Evren Altinkas of University of Guelph, Dr. Utku Balaban of Xavier University, Dr. Nazan Bedirhanoglu of Xavier University, Dr. Nihat Celik of San Diego State University, Dr. Bengi Gumrukcu of Rutgers University, and Dr. Halil Yenigun of the University of Virginia. Dr. Asli Bali of Yale Law School served as moderator.
The Afghan Diaspora, the Taliban, and Rule of Law: A Panel Discussion with Afghan Scholars
On April 11, 2023, the University of Washington South Asia Center, together with UW's Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, the Center for Global Studies, the Center for Human Rights, and the Middle East Center, hosted Dr. Sayed Akhlaq of Marymount University, Dr. Sharif Hozoori of Cornell University, and Dr. Haroun Rahimi of the American University of Afghanistan for this online event.
