The Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS), located in

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the count ...

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

, is a center for international and regional affairs. The center is a part of

Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) is a campus of Georgetown University ( Washington, D.C.) in Education City, outside of Doha, Qatar. It is one of Georgetown University's eleven undergraduate and graduate schools, and is supported by a partn ...

(SFS-Qatar). The center works closely with SFS-Qatar Faculty to create research and publications, organize events and manage outreach activities. Founded in 2005, the center works mainly in four areas: research, events and conferences, outreach and publications. Its inaugural director, Mehran Kamrava, still directs the center as of 2015. The center's main activities are concentrated on the political affairs of the Middle East region, with a lesser emphasis being placed on global affairs.

History

The Center for International and Regional Studies was established in 2005 as an initiative of the

. Since its inception, the center has been involved in comprehensive studies and events on international and regional studies with an emphasis on the Persian Gulf and Middle East region.

Mission

The Center for International and Regional Studies' (CIRS) mission revolves around five principal goals: * Providing a platform for scholarship and research on both, international, and regional affairs. * Promoting the comprehensive examination and interchange of ideas. * Fostering introspective dialogue among students, scholars and specialists of international affairs. * Facilitating the expansion of ideas and knowledge through publishing the results of its research, by financing and hosting conferences and seminars, and by hosting workshops. * Engaging in outreach activities with a broad array of local, regional and international partners.

Activities

The center engages in particular areas of academic endeavour, including: *Hosting conferences and events *Research and scholarship *Publications *Community outreach programs

Research projects

The following are some of the research initiatives currently undertaken by the center:

Healthcare Policy and Politics in the Gulf States

CIRS launched a research project on the topic of “Healthcare Policy and Politics in the Gulf States” in order to promote an academic investigation of how the health profile of the region has changed over the course of last few decades. The purpose of the CIRS research initiative was to determine the economic, political, and social implications of healthcare management in the region. This project examined existing conditions of healthcare systems in the GCC, identified the existing challenges and pressures on the countries and societies, and assessed how, through their policymaking apparatus, states have attempted to overcome these challenges.

Social Currents in the Maghreb

This research initiative was launched to explore the "variations in social movement mobilization" in countries such as

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, Mauritania,

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

, and

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

during the course of the

Arab Spring The Arab Spring ( ar, الربيع العربي) was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in Tunisia in response to corruption and econo ...

. The initiative also sought to examine the social and cultural inclinations evident throughout society.

The Evolution of Gulf Global Cities

This multi-disciplinary research project aimed to understand the city's importance as a cultural and social space by examining the urban setting and configurations of cities in the Gulf region (the GCC,

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, and

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

). By interacting with professionals from a variety of disciplines, the project sought to connect the macro-level understanding of urban projects with the micro-level comprehension of spaces of residence and social interactions.

Transitional Justice in the Middle East

Despite limited academic interest in the past, transitional justice in relation to the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

has become an increasingly relevant topic due to recent events in the region, such as the

. CIRS launched this research initiative to examine various experiences of transitional justice as they transpire across the region in the post-Arab Spring era.

Events and conferences

CIRS sponsors events and conferences throughout the year.

Model United Nations Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. At a MUN conference, students work as the representative of a count ...

and Monthly Dialogue Series are ongoing events that the center hosts.

Model United Nations

This CIRS-sponsored conference is an symposium for high school students to discuss global issues and increase awareness on international politics and policy-making. High school students from around the world come to Qatar's capital city to debate contemporary international politics. Following the 2007 annual conference, the Center hosted another one in January 2008.

Monthly Dialogue Series

This monthly event hosts scholars from SFS-Qatar and elsewhere in order to discuss their latest academic research. Some of the events in this series were “Living in the Past: Cairo Women of the darb” by Prof. Amira Sonbol, “The Ambassadors of Islamic spirituality and the Encounter of Religions” by Prof.

Patrick Laude Patrick Laude is a scholar, author and teacher. His works deal with the relationship between mysticism, symbolism and poetry, as well as focusing on contemporary spiritual figures such as Simone Weil, Louis Massignon and Frithjof Schuon. Biograph ...

and the “A Public Good? Palestinian Businessmen and the British Colonial State 1939-1946” by Dr. Sherene Seikaly.

Other conferences and lectures

CIRS also hosts other relevant events on international and regional studies:

2007

*''The

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

: A Dangerous but Contained Conflict'' delivered by Mehran Kamrava in September 2007 *''America and the

after the Bush Presidency: The View from the Outside'' in October 2007 *''US 2008 Elections'' delivered by Gary Wasserman in November 2007 *''A Short History of British Diplomacy'' delivered by Ambassador Stephen Day in November 2007 *''Environmental Degradation and Conservation: Challenges and Prospects'' in November 2007 *Lecture by Hany El Banna, president of Islamic Relief in December 2007

2008

*Lecture by Dr. John Esposito in February 2008 *''Innovation in Islam'' in April 2008

Publications

CIRS publishes a variety of research throughout the academic year, including Occasional Papers, Annual Reports, Newsletters, Books, Summary Reports, Briefs, as well as various Arabic language publications as well.

Occasional papers

CIRS has published Occasional Papers on a large variety of topics since its inception in 2007. Most of the papers are based on topics that are relevant to the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, and focus on a variety of disciplines. Some of the papers include ''Implications of the 2011-13 Syrian Uprising for the Middle Eastern Regional Security Complex'', authored by Fred H. Lawson, and ''Iran's Northern Exposure: Foreign Policy Challenges in Eurasia'', authored by Manochehr Dorraj.