DOHA: Eight Northwestern University in Qatar scholars lead a distinctive presence at the 2025 Middle East Studies Association (MESA) annual meeting, taking place from November 22 to 25, 2025, in Washington, DC, presenting original research across panels, roundtables, and sessions on subjects ranging from digital media and security to historiography, colonial legacies, and gender representation.
Every year, the MESA conference brings together scholars, educators, and practitioners from around the world to discuss pressing questions in Middle East studies.
This year, Northwestern Qatar scholars will contribute scholarship on both historical and contemporary issues, offering perspectives informed by rigorous research and engagement with the region.
In conjunction with MESA, the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South (#IAS_NUQ) will also host the inaugural meeting of the Society for Humanistic Arab Media Studies (SHAMS) following its launch in Beirut last May.
The meeting, organised by Northwestern Qatar Dean and CEO Marwan Kraidy and Marina Krikorian, assistant director at #IAS_NUQ, will feature a research roundtable with scholars of Arab media reflecting on humanistic methods in their work, alongside a planning session for the society’s next steps.
NU-Q Faculty present research on colonial histories, digital media, religious identity, Levant futures, academic precarity, and Islamic historiography across conference panels.
In addition to faculty contributions, the Institute will also host a booth at the MESA Book Exhibit throughout the three-day conference, showcasing #IAS_NUQ Press publications and sharing information about upcoming fellowship and research opportunities.
