The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) is a non-profit association that fosters the study of the Middle East, 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 in accordance with its status as a 501(c)(3) scientific, educational, literary, and charitable organization.
The Middle East Studies Association’s 59th annual meeting will be held in Washington DC from November 22-25, 2025.
The MESA 2025 Call for Papers is now closed. Decisions will be announced by May 1. The hotel room block is now open for reservations.
The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) advocates on behalf of its members on issues that are central to its mission.
This includes statements and letters from MESA's Board of Directors, MESA's Committee on Academic Freedom, the Task Force on Civil and Human Rights, and the MESA Global Academy.
Be a part of a community of scholars who are passionate about the pursuit of academic knowledge on the MENA region. Help MESA defend academic freedoms. Share your research at the annual meeting. Access the best, cutting-edge scholarship in person at the conference or online in our journals.
Join or renew today!
MESA's Board of Directors and Task Force on Civil and Human Rights have issued a new advisory regarding the latest travel restrictions enacted by the Trump Administration.
To book your room, please see here.
To access, select the Publications tab in your myMESA account then click the publication image. 
There are two active security alerts issued by MESA’s Board of Directors for those embarking on research in Egypt and UAE.
New report from MESA and AAUP: “Discriminating Against Dissent: The Weaponization of Civil Rights Law to Repress Campus Speech on Palestine,” which is the first systematic empirical study of government investigations and private lawsuits against US colleges and universities alleging antisemitism under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
MESA's Task Force has created a new advocacy resource center for our members to consult in response to the repression of rights on campuses across North America and beyond.
The History Department invites applications for a nine-month tenure-system appointment expected to start on September 1, 2026, at the rank of Assistant Professor in the History of the Modern Middle East.
MESA has issued a statement expressing deep concern over the detention of Dr. Abedini, a MESA member.
Our letter to vehemently protest the harassment of the eminent international legal scholar and emeritus professor at Princeton University, Richard Falk by the Canadian border security agency at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on 13 November 2025 as he was on his way to participate in the “Gaza Tribunal” and Canada's Responsibility” in Ottawa, Ontario (14-15 November).
The NYU Abu Dhabi Humanities Research Fellowship for the Study of the Arab World (HRF) invites applications for a residential postdoctoral fellowship with a research specialization in the Arab World.
he Department of Comparative Literature invites applications for a SUNY PRODiG+ Postdoctoral Fellowship with a research specialization in Diaspora Studies.
The 2026 edition of the KFLC invites submissions of abstracts and panels.
The Committee on Academic Freedom received a response from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Chancellor in response to our letter regarding Professor Tamar Shirinian
The Arabic Section of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures invites applications for a full-time position as Lecturer of Arabic.
The Department of History invites applications for the USS Midway Chair in Modern U.S. Military History, an open-rank, endowed position.
The Institute for the Transregional Study of the Contemporary Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia (TRI) invites applications for Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) positions in the study of modern Palestine and Israel.
Our letter jointly issued by BRISMES, DAVO, SeSaMO and MESA regarding the cancellation of the symposium “Palestine and Europe” organized by the Chair of Contemporary History of the Arab World at the Collège de France and the CAREP (Arab Center for Research and Political Studies)
The Department of Political Science invites applicants for an assistant professor position in Political Science with an emphasis on the Middle East.
The Department of Middle Eastern Studies invites applications for a position as an Instructional Professor (open rank) in modern Hebrew.
The conference invites abstract submissions.
Our letter protesting the very recent arrests and summons of five independent scholars accused by the regime of threatening national security, and calling upon the government to desist from its punitive practices and the ongoing violations of citizens’ rights.
The Center for Middle East Studies seeks to appoint a scholar of Iranian Studies to a one-year post-doctoral research associate position, with a possibility of renewal for a second year.
RoMES invites contributions to a special issue on "Digital Humanities in Middle East Studies."
The Department of Political Science invites applications for a tenure-track position at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor in International Relations.
SoFCB invits applications for the 2026 cohort of Junior Fellows.
The Halbuki Linguist Cooperative now offers Zazaki languages classes (beginner-advanced levels).
Our letter expressing concern about the capricious and hasty suspension of Assistant Professor Tamar Shirinian of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and your decision to terminate her for remarks she made on social media regarding Charlie Kirk
The Comparative Literature Program invites applications for a position at the level of Assistant or Associate or Full Professor in Comparative Literature.
Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship for a one-year appointment, focusing on any period within the field of Turkish Studies.