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 2022-2023 academic year. Please check back in the spring of 2023 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 scholars from the MENA region who are currently displaced in North America and 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).
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.
Opposition Parties in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes: The Turkish Case
On March 31, 2023, the Keyman Modern Turkish Studies Program at Northwestern University hosted Dr. Nihat Celik of San Diego State University and Dr. Bengi Gumrukcu of Rutgers University for an online panel.
The Politics of Place and Memory: Exploring Human Rights with Homeira Qaderi and Asif Majid
On March 27, 2023, the Georgetown Humanities Initiative hosted Dr. Homeira Qaderi of Harvard University and Dr. Asif Majid of the University of Connecticut for a conversation on human rights, literature, and performing arts.