Two days left to cast your votes for our next @apsamena.bsky.social Vice Chair and At-Large Member! Deadline is July 31. Ballots were sent via a Section email. And mark your calendars for our business meeting: Friday Sept 4 from 6:30-7:30 in Room 110 of the Convention Center. Reception to follow!

Final day (June 12) to submit your (self-)nominations for @apsamena.bsky.social Section officer elections! We are electing our next Vice Chair and Member-at-Large. apsamena.org/2026/05/29/u... And congrats again to all our Section award winners - we hope to see you to celebrate in Boston!

Many congrats Daniel!

Daniel Tavana@danieltavana.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Excited to share that my recent @ajpseditor.bsky.social paper, "Endogenous opposition: Identity and ideology in Kuwaiti electoral politics," received Best Article awards from @apsa.bsky.social's Democracy & Autocracy and @apsamena.bsky.social sections. A link to the article can be found below.

I am honored and thrilled to have received APSA MENA Section's Book Award for a junior scholar! It means a lot for this community to see fit to award Civilizing Contention, especially as there were some excellent books published last year. So many thanks to the committee and section 🙏

APSA MENA Politics Section@apsamena.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Announcing 2026 APSA MENA Book Awards! Best Junior Scholar Book: Rana Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social Civilizing Contention: International Aid in Syria's War (Cornell Press) Huge congrats!

Announcing awards for best articles on MENA politics published in 2025: Best Article, Special Recognition: Jannis Julien Grimm and Lilian Mauthofer "Multi-Perspectivity and Ethical Representation in the Context of Gaza and October 7: Addressing the Semantic Void" Many congrats Jannis and Lilian!

APSA MENA Politics Section@apsamena.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Announcing awards for best articles on MENA politics published in 2025: Best Article, Special Recognition: Daniel L. Tavana "Endogenous Opposition: Identity and Ideology in Kuwaiti Electoral Politics" Many congrats @danieltavana.bsky.social

Announcing awards for best articles on MENA politics published in 2025: Best Article, Special Recognition: Daniel L. Tavana "Endogenous Opposition: Identity and Ideology in Kuwaiti Electoral Politics" Many congrats @danieltavana.bsky.social

APSA MENA Politics Section@apsamena.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Announcing awards for best articles on MENA politics published in 2025: Best Article, Special Recognition: Lisel Hintz "Cooking Shows as Gender Edutainment in Authoritarian Regimes: Recipe for (New) Turkey" Many congrats @liselhintz.bsky.social!

Announcing awards for best articles on MENA politics published in 2025: Best Article, Special Recognition: Lisel Hintz "Cooking Shows as Gender Edutainment in Authoritarian Regimes: Recipe for (New) Turkey" Many congrats @liselhintz.bsky.social!

APSA MENA Politics Section@apsamena.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Announcing awards for best articles on MENA politics published in 2025: Best Article: Allison S. Hartnett and Mohamed Saleh "Precolonial Elites and Colonial Redistribution of Political Power." Many congrats @ashartnett.bsky.social and Mohamed!

Announcing awards for best articles on MENA politics published in 2025: Best Article: Allison S. Hartnett and Mohamed Saleh "Precolonial Elites and Colonial Redistribution of Political Power." Many congrats @ashartnett.bsky.social and Mohamed!

Announcing awards for best MENA papers presented at the 2025 APSA conference: Best Paper, Honorable Mention: Andrew O'Donohue "Law versus Democracy: Judicial Selection Institutions, Court Capture, and Democratic Backsliding” Many congrats Andrew!

APSA MENA Politics Section@apsamena.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Announcing awards for best papers presented at the 2025 APSA conference: Best Paper, Honorable Mention: Narmin Yousef-Butt and Raed Aldulaimi "Selective Reconstruction: Local Elected Politicians, Collaborators, and Public Goods in Post-Conflict Iraq” Many congrats @narminbutt.bsky.social + Raed!

Announcing awards for best papers presented at the 2025 APSA conference: Best Paper, Honorable Mention: Narmin Yousef-Butt and Raed Aldulaimi "Selective Reconstruction: Local Elected Politicians, Collaborators, and Public Goods in Post-Conflict Iraq” Many congrats @narminbutt.bsky.social + Raed!

APSA MENA Politics Section@apsamena.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Announcing awards for best MENA papers presented at the 2025 APSA conference: Best Paper: Aslı Cansunar, Arzu Kbrıs, and Efe Tokdemir "Ethnic Cues and Conflict-Triggered Harassment: Evidence from Soccer Fields" Many congrats @aslicansunar.bsky.social, Arzu, and @efetokdemir.bsky.social!

Announcing awards for best MENA papers presented at the 2025 APSA conference: Best Paper: Aslı Cansunar, Arzu Kbrıs, and Efe Tokdemir "Ethnic Cues and Conflict-Triggered Harassment: Evidence from Soccer Fields" Many congrats @aslicansunar.bsky.social, Arzu, and @efetokdemir.bsky.social!

Announcing 2026 APSA MENA Book Awards! Best Senior Scholar Book: Utku Balaban Industrial Islamism: How Authoritarian Movements Mobilize Workers (University of California Press) Huge congrats @utkubalaban.bsky.social !

APSA MENA Politics Section@apsamena.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Announcing 2026 APSA MENA Book Awards! Best Junior Scholar Book, Honorable Mention: Killian Clarke Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed (Cambridge Press) Huge congrats @kbclarke.bsky.social!

Announcing 2026 APSA MENA Book Awards! Best Junior Scholar Book: Rana Khoury @rbkhoury.bsky.social Civilizing Contention: International Aid in Syria's War (Cornell Press) Huge congrats!

Announcing 2026 APSA MENA Dissertation Awards! Best Dissertation Award: Ronay Bakan "Counterinsurgent Urbanism: Weaponizing Land and Heritage in the Kurdish Region of Turkey" Best Dissertation, Honorable Mention Award: Narmin Yousef-Butt "Rebuilding After Conflict: Legacies of Collaboration."

New @pomeps.bsky.social Studies collection out! Examines both structural challenges for "weak" states in the Middle East and the agency they display in confronting them: "Weak States in a Turbulent Middle East" pomeps.org/pomeps-studi...

POMEPS Studies 60: Weak States in a Turbulent Middle East - Project on Middle East Political Science

In the context of the current US and Israeli wars on Iran (and Lebanon) and during what appears to be the eclipse of US primacy, we brought together a group of scholars with expertise on the “weak” st...

pomeps.org

Abu Aardvark@abuaardvark.bsky.social · 2mo ago

How do weak states in the Middle East adapt when order breaks down and the powerful act with impunity? Plus, how self-styled Realists misunderstand Thucydides. My new essay with Waleed Hazbun introduces a new POMEPS Studies collection. abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io/weak-states-...

One week left to submit (self-)nominations for APSA MENA Section Officer positions! We will elect a Vice Chair and a Member-at-Large. If you'd like to be involved in shaping our Section's activities, or know someone who should, nominate by Friday June 12. apsamena.org/2026/05/29/u...

Call for Nominations for APSA MENA Section Officers! Deadline June 12. Seeking nominations - including self-nominations! - for the positions of Vice Chair and Member at Large. For details and submission instructions see: apsamena.org/2026/05/29/u....

I'm catching up on last week, which includes my most recent article for @apsamena.bsky.social on AI in the Gulf and its effort to offer a "Third Option" between the US and China. It was mostly written before the Iran war, so some of the ambitions may face tempering. zenodo.org/records/2019...

Check out our Spring 2026 newsletter's roundtable on AI and Middle East political science. The roundtable is led by @cbarns.bsky.social in conversation with six scholars across professional levels. @abuaardvark.bsky.social called the exchange "pathbreaking" in his blog. zenodo.org/records/2019...

Carolyn Barnett@cbarns.bsky.social · 3mo ago

In the most recent issue of the APSA MENA Section's newsletter, I curated a roundtable on the implications of AI for research on Middle East politics. zenodo.org/records/2019...

Our Spring 2026 Newsletter is out from editors @dbgreenwald.bsky.social @sebnemgumuscu.bsky.social @samershehata.bsky.social! Featuring deep dives into the role of AI in MENA politics, and in MENA research. Plus career reflections from Nathan Brown. Check it out! zenodo.org/records/2019...

Excellent resource for MENA scholars! New set of articles on political movements in North Africa and the Sahel from @pomeps.bsky.social. Come for @abuaardvark.bsky.social's intro piece. Stay for deep expert insights on topics ranging from Amazigh to Gen Z mobilization. pomeps.org/political-mo...

Introduction: Political Movements in North Africa and the Sahel - Project on Middle East Political Science

Marc Lynch, George Washington University   North Africa and the Sahel have undergone quietly dramatic and interconnected political transformations over the last fifteen years.  Adam Branch and Zachari...

pomeps.org

Conference funding opportunity! Deadline May 10. APSA is offering up to $4000 in funding per panel for travel to an international conference of select political science associations. Full info here, including links to eligible conferences including ECPR and CEPSA: apsanet.org/PROGRAMS/Int...

Fantastic opportunity for MENA scholars of historical political economy! Deadline May 30. @ashartnett.bsky.social is hosting a pre-conference for MENA-focused papers at the annual HPE conference. Toward a methods-diverse MENA HPE! Indicate interest on the form: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Third Annual Historical Political Economy Conference: Call for Papers

Co-organized by Allison Hartnett, Assistant Professor of Political Science; and Jeffery A. Jenkins, Provost Professor of Public Policy, Political Science, and Law University of Southern California Oc...

docs.google.com

Allison Hartnett@ashartnett.bsky.social · 4mo ago

CfP for our 3rd Annual HPE Conference @uscprice.bsky.social @usc.edu sponsored by @usccis.bsky.social and PIPE. Submit by May 30. If you work on MENA, I am running a smaller pre-conference for HPE papers focused on the region. @polisky.bsky.social docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

March 1 deadline! Apply for our APSA MENA Research Development Group to workshop a paper toward journal submission, create mentorship networks, and build a cohort. PhD students and other early career scholars of MENA politics (including Turkey!) are welcome to apply. apsa.wufoo.com/forms/zsyzjz...

Just under 2 weeks to go for Research Development Group applications! Deadline is March 1. Early career scholars get detailed comments from senior scholars to help turn papers into journal submissions. Great feedback + mentorship opportunity! We meet Sept 2. Info: web.apsanet.org/mena/wp-cont...

Applications are now open for the 2026 APSA MENA Research Development Group! Who: Early career scholars of MENA in polisci/similar field When: Sept 2 Where: APSA conference in Boston Why: Feedback + mentorship from senior scholars, engage with a great cohort Apply: web.apsanet.org/mena/wp-cont...

Final day to submit (self-)nominations for APSA MENA awards. Nominations welcome for Best Book, Best Article, Best APSA Paper, Best Dissertation. apsamena.org/awards/apsa-...

Just a few days to get APSA MENA awards nominations in by February 1. Self-nominations welcome for Best Book, Best Article, Best APSA Paper. Students, ask advisers to nominate you for Best Dissertation. Advisers, nominate your students. Let's celebrate your work! apsamena.org/awards/apsa-...

🚨🚨 Junior scholars working on Middle East politics (broadly defined): Have your advisers / mentors nominate your dissertation for the 2026 @apsamena.bsky.social best dissertation award! Senior scholars: please nominate your students! Deadline is Sunday, Feb 1

APSA MENA Politics Section@apsamena.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Just under two weeks to go! Submit nominations for APSA MENA awards for Best Book, Best Article (awards open to Best Fieldwork + Best Dataset), Best Dissertation, and Best APSA Paper by February 1. Self-nominations are welcome - let's celebrate your work! Details: apsamena.org/awards/apsa-...

Just under two weeks to go! Submit nominations for APSA MENA awards for Best Book, Best Article (awards open to Best Fieldwork + Best Dataset), Best Dissertation, and Best APSA Paper by February 1. Self-nominations are welcome - let's celebrate your work! Details: apsamena.org/awards/apsa-...