Middle East Studies Association of North America
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Middle East Studies Association (often referred to as MESA) is a
learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership m ...
, and according to its website, "a non-profit association that fosters the study of 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 ...
, promotes high standards of scholarship and teaching, and encourages public understanding of the region and its peoples through programs, publications and services that enhance education, further intellectual exchange, recognize professional distinction, and defend
academic freedom Academic freedom is a moral and legal concept expressing the conviction that the freedom of inquiry by faculty members is essential to the mission of the academy as well as the principles of academia, and that scholars should have freedom to teac ...
.".


History

MESA was founded in 1966 with 51 original members. Its current membership exceeds 2,700 and it "serves as an umbrella organization for more than fifty institutional members and thirty-six affiliated organizations". It is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies and the National Council of Area Studies Associations, and a member of the National Humanities Alliance. Regions of interest to MESA members include Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Israel, Pakistan, and the countries of the Arab world from the seventh century to modern times. Spain, Southeastern Europe, the Soviet Union and other regions also are included for the periods in which their territories were part of the Middle Eastern empires or were under the influence of Middle Eastern civilization. Historians comprise the largest group of disciplinary specialists in MESA followed by political science/international relations, anthropology, and language and literature.


Activities

The current president is Eve Troutt Powell,
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
.


Publications

'' The International Journal of Middle East Studies'' (IJMES) is a quarterly journal published by
Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pre ...
under the auspices of MESA. The editor is Joel Gordon of University of Arkansas. The ''Review of Middle East Studies'' (RoMES) is MESA’s journal of review. MESA policy has established the focus of RoMES as the state of the craft in all fields of Middle East studies. The Editor is Heather Ferguson and the journal is based at Claremont McKenna College. MESA has a very active Committee on
Academic Freedom Academic freedom is a moral and legal concept expressing the conviction that the freedom of inquiry by faculty members is essential to the mission of the academy as well as the principles of academia, and that scholars should have freedom to teac ...
(CAF) that has two wings: CAFMENA (Middle East and North Africa, established in 1990) and CAFNA (North America, established in 2005). Through CAF, MESA monitors infringements on academic freedom on the Middle East and North Africa worldwide. Each year CAF nominates candidates for MESA’s Academic Freedom Award. The winners are confirmed by the Board of Directors.


Controversies

In 2007,
Bernard Lewis Bernard Lewis, (31 May 1916 – 19 May 2018) was a British American historian specialized in Oriental studies. He was also known as a public intellectual and political commentator. Lewis was the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near ...
and
Fouad Ajami Fouad A. Ajami ( ar, فؤاد عجمي; September 18, 1945 – June 22, 2014) was a MacArthur Fellowship winning, Lebanese-born American university professor and writer on Middle Eastern issues. He was a senior fellow at Stanford University's Ho ...
started
Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa The Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) is an American learned society, dedicated to promoting research and teaching in Middle Eastern and African studies, and related fields. It was founded on October 24, 2007 by Bernar ...
(ASMEA) as a rival to MESA, as they saw MESA as "dominated by academics who have been critical of Israel and of America's role in the Middle East." In mid-March 2022, MESA voted by a margin of 787 to 167 to join the
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Its objective is to pressure Israel to meet what the BDS movement describes as Israel's obligations ...
(BDS) movement to hold Israel to account for alleged human rights abuses against the Palestinians. MESA's decision was criticised by the Academic Engagement Network, the AMCHA Initiative, and ASMEA.


Awards

Albert Hourani Book Award Since 1991 MESA has awarded the Albert Hourani Book Award to recognize "the very best in Middle East studies scholarship". The prize is named after
Albert Hourani Albert Habib Hourani ( ar, ألبرت حبيب حوراني ''Albart Ḥabīb Ḥūrānī''; 31 March 1915 – 17 January 1993) was a Lebanese British historian, specialising in the history of the Middle East and Middle Eastern studies. Bac ...
, "to recognize his long and distinguished career as teacher and mentor". Malcolm Kerr Award The MESA Dissertation Awards were established in 1982 to recognize exceptional achievement in research and writing for/of dissertations in Middle East studies. In 1984 the award was named for Malcolm H. Kerr to honor his significant contributions to Middle East studies. Awards are given in two categories: Social Sciences and Humanities. MESA Mentoring Award Since 1996 the MESA Mentoring Award has recognized exceptional contributions retired faculty have made to the education and training of others. Jere L. Bacharach Service Award Since 1997 Jere L. Bacharach Service Award has recognized the contributions of individuals through their outstanding service to MESA or the profession. Service is defined broadly to include work in diverse areas, including but not limited to outreach, librarianship, and film.


Former presidents

The following persons have been presidents of the association:Previous Boards
/ref> * 2020-21 Dina Rizk Khoury * 2018-19 Judith E. Tucker * 2016–17 Beth Baron * 2014–15 Nathan Brown * 2013 Peter Sluglett * 2012 Fred Donner * 2011 Suad Joseph * 2010 Roger M.A. Allen * 2009 Virginia Aksan * 2008 Mervat Hatem * 2007 Zachary Lockman * 2006
Juan Cole John Ricardo Irfan "Juan" Cole (born October 23, 1952) is an American academic and commentator on the modern Middle East and South Asia. Dead link; no archive located. He is Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University ...
* 2005 Ali Banuazizi * 2004
Laurie Brand Laurie Ann Brand (born February 25, 1956) is a professor of international relations at the University of Southern California School of International Relations. Professor Brand specializes in the international relations of the Middle East, includ ...
* 2003
Lisa Anderson Lisa Anderson (born October 16, 1950) is an American political scientist and the former President of the American University in Cairo (AUC). Research and career A specialist on Middle Eastern and North African politics, Anderson served as the P ...
* 2002
Joel Beinin Joel Beinin (born 1948) is Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History and professor of Middle East history at Stanford University. From 2006 to 2008 he served as director of Middle East studies and professor of history at the American Universit ...
* 2001 R. Stephen Humphreys * 2000 Jere L. Bacharach * 1999 Barbara Stowasser * 1998 Philip S. Khoury * 1997 Leila Fawaz * 1996 Farhad Kazemi * 1995 Ann M. Lesch * 1994 Rashid I. Khalidi * 1993 John O. Voll * 1992 Barbara Aswad * 1991 Dale F. Eickelman * 1990 Yvonne Y. Haddad * 1989 John L. Esposito * 1988 William B. Quandt * 1987 Michael C. Hudson * 1986 Elizabeth W. Fernea * 1985
Kemal Karpat Kemal Haşim Karpat (15 February 1924, Babadag Tulcea, Romania – 20 February 2019, Manchester, New Hampshire, United States) was a Romanian- Turkish naturalised American historian and professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Earl ...
* 1984 Ira M. Lapidus * 1983 Richard T. Antoun * 1982 I. William Zartman * 1981 Nikki R. Keddie * 1980 Farhat Ziadeh * 1979 Afaf Lutfi al‐Sayyid Marsot * 1978
Wilfred Cantwell Smith Wilfred Cantwell Smith (July 21, 1916 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian Islamicist, comparative religion scholar, and Presbyterian minister. He was the founder of the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University in Quebec and later th ...
* 1977
George Makdisi George Abraham Makdisi was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 15, 1920. He died in Media, Pennsylvania, on September 6, 2002. He was a professor of oriental studies. He studied first in the United States, and later in Lebanon. He then graduated in 1 ...
* 1976 L. Carl Brown * 1975 Roderic H. Davison * 1974 Leonard Binder * 1973 Charles Issawi * 1972 Malcolm H. Kerr * 1971 John S. Badeau * 1970 William M. Brinner * 1969 R. Bayly Winder * 1968 George Hourani * 1967 Morroe Berger * 1966 G.E. von Grunebaum (Honorary)


References


External links

*
The MESA Debate: The Scholars, the Media, and the Middle East
video from the debate 22 November 1986, Boston MA. Participants:
Bernard Lewis Bernard Lewis, (31 May 1916 – 19 May 2018) was a British American historian specialized in Oriental studies. He was also known as a public intellectual and political commentator. Lewis was the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near ...
,
Edward Said Edward Wadie Said (; , ; 1 November 1935 – 24 September 2003) was a Palestinian-American professor of literature at Columbia University, a public intellectual, and a founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies.Robert Young, ''Whit ...
, Leon Wieseltier and
Christopher Hitchens Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was a British-American author and journalist who wrote or edited over 30 books (including five essay collections) on culture, politics, and literature. Born and educated in England, ...
. The chairman: William H. McNeill {{authority control Middle East Learned societies of the United States Middle Eastern studies in the United States Member organizations of the American Council of Learned Societies Organizations established in 1966 1966 establishments in the United States