TOMORROW: Understanding the New Syria: Between Domestic Contestation and Global Politics. Join the Crown Center and the Brandeis Politics Department for a lecture from Aaron Y. Zelin. Thursday, February 26th 2:30-3:45PM @ Mandel Atrium.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS The Crown Center for Middle East Studies invites applications from undergraduate and graduate students for grants to support research, study, or an internship related to the modern Middle East. The deadline for submission of applications is March 20, 2026.

NEW PUBLICATION: After the Earthquake: The Politics of Disaster Response in Turkey - A Crown Conversation with Zeynep Kadirbeyoglu Click here to read the full Crown Conversation: www.brandeis.edu/crown/public...

TOMORROW: Naghmeh Sohrabi will be speaking with political theorist Norma Claire Moruzzi about her new book "Tied Up in Tehran: Women, Social Change, and the Politics of Daily Life in Postrevolutionary Iran." This Crown Seminar will take place online from 11 am- 12:15 pm. Click below to register.

UPCOMING EVENT: Tied Up in Tehran: Women, Social Change, and the Politics of Daily Life in Postrevolutionary Iran Wednesday, February 11 11 am-12:15 pm Online Join us for a Crown Seminar with Norma Claire Moruzzi, in conversation with Naghmeh Sohrabi. Additional information and registration below.

NEW CROWN CONVERSATION: Iran After the Protests In late 2025, protests erupted across Iran and were met with unprecedented state violence. On January 29, we filmed a Crown Conversation with three Iran experts to assess how this unfolded, how it compares to earlier protests, and what may come next.

Iran After the Protests | Crown Center Conversation

YouTube video by Crown Center for Middle East Studies

youtube.com

WEDNESDAY: Beth Derderian,invites you to the Crown Center's upcoming event, "Museum Politics in the Gulf," celebrating the release of her new book, "Art Capital." She will be joined by Attiya Ahmad and Andrew McClellan, with Noora Lori moderating.

JOIN OUR TEAM: The Crown Center is seeking a Program Coordinator to join our staff. The Program Coordinator works with senior staff to support the Center’s research and public programming, including events, publications, and communications. Full details and application instructions are below.

Program Coordinator

The Crown Center is looking to hire a Program Coordinator in the Crown Center for Middle East Studies. If you are looking for an opportunity to work on beautiful suburban campus with lots of perks inc...

brandeis.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com

UPCOMING EVENT: Museum Politics in the Gulf: Celebrating the Publication of “Art Capital” Celebrating the publication of Art Capital with Beth Derderian, joined by Andrew McClellan and Attiya Ahmad, and moderated by Noora Lori. Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 4:30–6 PM Mandel Atrium

"The most important difference to me is that it's almost impossible to see what the off ramp is going to be for the regime." Naghmeh Sohrabi, discussed the ongoing protests in Iran and the possibility of a new regime with Brandeis Stories. Click here for the full Q&A:

Q&A: Naghmeh Sohrabi on the protests in Iran and the possibility of a new regime

brandeis.edu

This Thursday, Naghmeh Sohrabi, will take part in a Zoom seminar entitled "Rupture and Continuity in Iran: An Emergency Teach-In On the Historical and Political Context of the January 2026 Uprising." Click below for more information and to register for the event: www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-histor...

The Historical and Political Context of the January 2026 Uprising in Iran

Join CCMS for a discussion on the social, political, and historical forces behind the protests in Iran today.

eventbrite.ca

One hour until the Crown Center's Spring Kickoff Event, "The Arab Spring Fifteen Years On." Click here to register for virtual attendance: www.brandeis.edu/crown/events...

The Arab Spring Fifteen Years On

brandeis.edu

THIS THURSDAY- The Arab Spring Fifteen Years On. Join the Crown Center for Middle East Studies for our Spring Kickoff event in Rapaporte Treasure Hall, January 15, 4:30pm-6:00pm. Those unable to join in person can register for virtual attendance online.

LESS THAN ONE WEEK REMAINING TO APPLY Faculty Leave Fellowship applications are due by January 15. Click here to learn more about the fellowship: www.brandeis.edu/crown/grants...

Crown Center for Middle East Studies@mes-crown.bsky.social · 8mo ago

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS- Faculty Leave Fellowship The deadline to apply for the Crown Center’s Faculty Leave Fellowship is approaching—applications are due January 15, 2026. For more information visit: www.brandeis.edu/crown/grants...

During our last Crown Center Seminar. Andrea Wright, in conversation with Noora Lori, discussed the forgotten #history of labor activism by oil workers in #theGulf. Following the event, the two reflected on their conversation and their shared interest in labor, citizenship, and rights in the Gulf.

SAVE THE DATE! CROWN CENTER SPRING EVENTS! As we enter 2026, the Crown Center for Middle East Studies is excited to share our lineup of in-person and virtual events for the Spring 2026 semester. For more information, visit our website 🔗: www.brandeis.edu/crown/

NEW MIDDLE EAST BRIEF: DISAPPEARANCE OR RECONFIGURATION? THE FUTURE OF MIDDLE EASTERN CHRISTIANS @clukasik.bsky.social argues that focusing on population decline alone obscures how Christian communities are actively reconfiguring their presence and authority. Read Here: brandeis.edu/crown/public...

Looking for a book to gift or read in the new year? The Crown Center has you covered. Scroll for recommendations from our faculty and fellows. Recommendations continue in the comments. What books would you recommend? Let us know below.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS- Faculty Leave Fellowship The deadline to apply for the Crown Center’s Faculty Leave Fellowship is approaching—applications are due January 15, 2026. For more information visit: www.brandeis.edu/crown/grants...

OUT NOW: The recording of our most recent Crown Seminar, "Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea," with Profs. Andrea Wright & Noora Lori, is available to watch on our YouTube channel: youtu.be/uAX4eqEQoy4

Unruly Labor A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea | A Crown Seminar with Andrea Wright

YouTube video by Crown Center for Middle East Studies

youtu.be

THIS WEEK: Oil workers once staged strikes and reshaped politics across the Arabian Sea. So what changed? Join us online as Profs. Andrea Wright & Noora Lori explore a forgotten history of labor activism in the oilfields of the Arabian Peninsula, 12/3 at 11 AM.

OUT NOW: Watch the recording of our most recent Crown Seminar! Profs. Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary discussed recent elections in #Iraq & how ordinary Iraqi citizens negotiate with state officials, militias, & political parties to survive & assert their rights. youtu.be/7nlxDQE-_HA

Survival Politics: Baghdad’s Citizens from Saddam Hussein to the 2025 Elections

YouTube video by Crown Center for Middle East Studies

youtu.be

UPCOMING CROWN SEMINAR | "Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea" with Prof. Andrea Wright of the College of William & Mary, in conversation with Prof. Noora Lori of @bupardeeschool.bsky.social. 12/3, 11 AM | Online | Register now: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea | A Crown Seminar with Andrea Wright. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joini...

Most Gulf oil workers today are migrants, enduring some of the world’s harshest conditions with little ability to protest or organize. But it wasn’t always this way. In this Crown Seminar, Andrea Wrig...

brandeis.zoom.us

Nader Habibi, Henry J. Leir Professor of the Economics of the #MiddleEast, traces how the governments of the region have shifted priorities in light of #China's trade & investment. For deeper analysis, read our latest Middle East Brief: brandeis.edu/crown/public...

Most experts believed that the #Israel - #Hamas ceasefire would collapse. With the deal for the most part in place, what did pessimists get wrong? Read the latest by Shai Feldman, Raymond Frankel Prof. in Israeli Politics & Society, in The National Interest: nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-...

The Peace Deal No One Saw Coming

Only a small few predicted that President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the Israel-Gaza war would succeed.

nationalinterest.org

NEW MIDDLE EAST BRIEF: Why have Arab governments been so restrained in their response to the #Gaza War? Crown faculty Nader Habibi argues that #China 's rise in the #MiddleEast has led to a logic of development & stability over confrontation: www.brandeis.edu/crown/public...

China and the Geoeconomic Transformation of the Middle East

brandeis.edu

TOMORROW: Don't miss out on our day-after conversation as we look at #Iraq 's 2025 elections & situate them in Iraq's modern history with Profs. Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary! Join us online, 11/12, 11 AM: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Survival Politics: Baghdad’s Citizens from Saddam Hussein to the 2025 Elections | A Crown Seminar with Alissa Walter. After registering, you will receive a ...

As Iraqis head to the polls in November 2025, what do the elections reveal about the country’s struggles over power, governance, and survival? In Contested City: Citizen Advocacy and Survival in Moder...

brandeis.zoom.us

Crown Center for Middle East Studies@mes-crown.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Crown Junior Research Fellow Kerem Uşşaklı reflects on why #Iraq ’s 2025 elections matter. Join us 11/12 at 11 AM for our next Crown Seminar with Profs. Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary. Register now: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Crown Junior Research Fellow Kerem Uşşaklı reflects on why #Iraq ’s 2025 elections matter. Join us 11/12 at 11 AM for our next Crown Seminar with Profs. Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary. Register now: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

NEXT WEEK: Join us online on 11/12, 11 AM, the day after parliamentary elections in #Iraq, for a conversation with Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary on how ordinary Iraqis negotiate with state officials, militias, & political parties to survive & assert their rights. Register now:

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Survival Politics: Baghdad’s Citizens from Saddam Hussein to the 2025 Elections | A Crown Seminar with Alissa Walter. After registering, you will receive a ...

As Iraqis head to the polls in November 2025, what do the elections reveal about the country’s struggles over power, governance, and survival? In Contested City: Citizen Advocacy and Survival in Moder...

brandeis.zoom.us

What are the #Trump Plan's prospects for achieving a long-term resolution in #Gaza? Crown founding senior fellow Khalil Shikaki considers Palestinian public opinion & outlines what's needed to make the plan sustainable in his latest piece: pcpsr.org/en/node/1002 | #Israel #Palestine #Hamas