Middle East Studies Association (often referred to as MESA) is a

learned society A learned society ( ; also scholarly, intellectual, or academic society) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and sciences. Membership may be open to al ...

, and according to its website, "a non-profit association that fosters the study of the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, 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 the right of a teacher to instruct and the right of a student to learn in an academic setting unhampered by outside interference. It may also include the right of academics to engage in social and political criticism. Academic ...

". Some critics have accused MESA of politicization and being dominated by academics critical of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. In 2007, the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa was founded as an ideological counterweight to MESA.

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. In 2007, Bernard Lewis and Fouad Ajami started Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (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 (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.

Activities

The current president is Aslı Ü. Bâli,

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

Publications

'' The International Journal of Middle East Studies'' (IJMES) is a quarterly journal published by

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

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 the right of a teacher to instruct and the right of a student to learn in an academic setting unhampered by outside interference. It may also include the right of academics to engage in social and political criticism. Academic ...

(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.

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, "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. 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: * 2024-25 Aslı Ü. Bâli * 2022-23 Eve M. Troutt Powell * 2020-21 Dina Rizk Khoury * 2018-19 Judith E. Tucker * 2016–17 Beth Baron * 2014–15 Nathan Brown * 2013 Peter Sluglett * 2012

Fred Donner Fred McGraw Donner (born 1945) is a scholar of Islam and Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Near Eastern History at the University of Chicago.

* 2011 Suad Joseph * 2010 Roger M.A. Allen * 2009 Virginia Aksan * 2008 Mervat Hatem * 2007 Zachary Lockman * 2006 Juan Cole * 2005 Ali Banuazizi * 2004 Laurie Brand * 2003 Lisa Anderson * 2002 Joel Beinin * 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 * 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 ...

* 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 ...

* 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,

Edward Said Edward Wadie Said (1 November 1935 – 24 September 2003) was a Palestinian-American academic, literary critic, and political activist. As a professor of literature at Columbia University, he was among the founders of Postcolonialism, post-co ...

, Leon Wieseltier and

Christopher Hitchens Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was a British and American author and journalist. He was the author of Christopher Hitchens bibliography, 18 books on faith, religion, culture, politics, and literature. He was born ...

. The chairman: William H. McNeill {{authority control Middle East Middle Eastern studies in the United States Middle Eastern studies organizations Member organizations of the American Council of Learned Societies Organizations established in 1966 1966 establishments in the United States