Research Dialogue 1: Endangered and underrepresented languages

Research dialogue between Prof. Geoffrey Khan, Faculty of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge and Fridah Katushemererwe, Makerere University, Uganda, chaired by Ioanna Sitaridou, Professor of Spanish and Historical Linguistics, University of Cambridge.

Waiting for IR Godot? In search of transformative encounters between Middle Eastern Studies and International Relations

Within the Special Issue ‘Reaching for allies? The dialectics and overlaps between International Relations and Area Studies in the study of politics, security, and conflicts’, this article investigates the post-2011 changing relationship between International Relations (IR) and Middle Eastern Studies (MES). The article departs from the assumption that the reading and writing of security in, on and from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has historically been trapped between the projection of security from abroad and endogenous security narratives. We argue that within the post-Arab uprisings renewed scholarly attention, with studies on security in, on and from the MENA region expressing an all-time methodological pluralism and the increasing and original application of bottom-up and non-military security understandings to regional security, societal and human security are among the most promising notions for transformative dialogue between IR and MES. In broader theoretical terms, we show how the ongoing debate on post-Weberian notions of statehood and post-Westphalian sovereignty point to an already transformative dialogue between IR and MES. The article illustrates this trend with two case studies – on Tunisia and on Iraq – pointing to changing security concepts reflecting changing security practices.

University of Cambridge Asian, Middle Eastern and Persian studies during the pandemic

This case study will focus on the COVID-19 lecturers’ experience in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (FAMES) at the University of Cambridge. After a brief background about how the academic year works in the University of Cambridge and an introduction about the situation after the outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK, the author will discuss about the measures taken by the faculty and the way the teaching was conducted in the FAMES in general and Persian language courses in particular. Then, the challenges and problems regarding online teaching in Department of Middle Eastern Studies (DMES) will be highlighted. Finally, a short explanation about the way the examination and assessment were handled in the faculty will be provided. The findings show excellent management and steady leadership turned the classic classroom-based teaching to remote and online teaching. Also, professional collaboration and performance of lecturers along with the ongoing technical and training support were the main factors to go through the critical phase of the pandemic’s impact successfully. It seems that the language teachers have gained valuable experience and skills in teaching languages differently, which can be deployed in future post pandemic situations.

Dr. Aziz Suryal Atiya and the Establishment of the Middle East Center and the Aziz S. Atiya Library for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Utah

Aziz Suryal Atiya was an Egyptian Coptic Studies expert, historian and orientalist specializing in the study of the Crusades era. He published several important books, including primarily The Crusades in the Later Middle Ages (1938). He contributed to the creation of the Institute of Coptic Studies in Cairo in the 1950s. He was also the originator and founder of the Middle East Center at the University of Utah, which today is one of the most important centers of wide science research on the Middle East. This article discusses the background and circumstances of the establishment of the Middle East Center and the Aziz S. Atiya Library for Middle Eastern Studies, both at the Univer­sity of Utah, which is the fifth largest institution of its kind in North America.