Middle Eastern Studies Program
From the Program Director, Dr. Dina Le Gall
Drawing on faculty from a number of departments, the Interdisciplinary Program in Middle Eastern Studies seeks to provide students with an introduction to an area of the world that is as historically and culturally rich as it is critical to today’s geopolitics. The double purpose is to introduce students to a variety of topics and issues in the history, politics, languages, societies, and cultures of the Middle East and to give them the opportunity to study the Middle East using the tools of diverse disciplines. We define the Middle East broadly to include the whole area from North Africa to Afghanistan.
The program is offered as a minor field that complements a wide array of majors. It is particularly valuable for students who wish to combine an interest in the Middle East with majors such as History, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, or Languages and Literatures in preparation for graduate work in Middle Eastern Studies or for professional careers in education, business, media, government, human rights, diplomacy, and law, among others.
Learning Goals and Objectives
Field Competency: Students will gain an introduction to the Middle East and develop a grasp of central issues in the history, politics, literatures and/or societies of the region. They will approach the Middle East from at least two disciplinary perspectives, including anthropology, history, literature, or political science.
Analytical Skills: Students will hone their reading and analytical skills, and will know how to access information and how to summarize and evaluate scholarly arguments and media opinions based on evidence.
Writing Skills: Students will be able to produce well-argued and carefully supported written assignments in which they synthesize information from different sources, advance and sustain arguments, use citations according to accepted academic standards, and avoid plagiarism.
Cultural/Political Awareness: Students will be aware of the diversity of Middle Eastern societies, will learn to approach these societies with empathy, and will be able to participate productively and dispassionately in discussions of complex and contested issues.
Upcoming Events
April 6, 2025
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM
Faculty Recital - Donna Elaine, flute
Flutist Donna Elaine gives a faculty recital accompanied by pianist Rie Matsumoto, featuring works by Bach, Rutter, Poulenc, Borne, and Bizet.
April 8, 2025
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Miryam Juarez Senior Recital Lecture-Performance of Mariachi Music
Miryam Juarez, a student in the Music Program, will present her senior capstone project through a lecture performance of Mariachi music with her group.
April 8, 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Women in the Mix: Hop Hop's Voices, Beats & Breakthroughs
Join us for an event that brings together Angela Piva, a groundbreaking audio/mix engineer and producer (who has worked with legends like Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige!) in conversation with Audry Funk, a Mexican Bronx-based hip hop artist on her way to stardom! Come learn from these inspiring women and stay for a live performance with Audry and DJ KayKay 47.
April 9, 2025
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Spring Dance Concert An evening of original choreography by majors and guest artists.
An evening of original choreography by majors and guest artists.
April 10, 2025
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Spring 2025 Queer Theater and Performance Speaker series
Sage Ni’Ja Whitson (they/them) is an international award-winning multihyphenate Queer and Transgender artist noted by Brooklyn Magazine as a culture influencer and the Park Avenue Amory as a “trailblazing XR artist to know”.
April 22, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Reading with Naomi Zack: Multiplicity, Belonging, and Free Speech in U.S. Higher
New realities in U.S. higher education present a multifaceted crisis for students, faculty, administrators, and society at large. This book provides incisive diagnoses of pressing problems and prescriptions to reinstate and support U.S. higher education as an intellectually and ethically valuable institution. Among problems addressed are: Supreme Court ban of affirmative action; falling enrollment and low retention; defunded humanities; unjust situation of adjunct instructors; college firsts c
