The Project on Middle East Political Science, POMEPS, is a collaborative network designed to enhance the field of the political science of the Middle East and to enhance its engagement with the broader academic discipline, public policy, and the public sphere. POMEPS seeks to shape innovative new approaches to the political science of the region, support the field's publication in leading academic journals, and ultimately build the number of tenured political scientists specializing on the Middle East. It also aims to increase their contribution to the public foreign policy debate and to the policy-making process, in order to allow their expertise to have more of an impact on vital decisions about the Middle East.

POMEPS is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation. It is directed by Marc Lynch, and guided by an Executive Committee, which includes 10 leading tenured political scientists from major research universities. Visit the POMEPS page at http://pomeps.org/

 

---

Call for Proposals
The Project on Middle East Political Science regularly accepts proposals for POMEPS Research Grants. The competition is open to academic political scientists at any career stage, from graduate students to senior faculty. Awards will support travel to the Middle East for the purpose of research, with the only requirement being that the research be used to produce at least one article for Foreign Policy's Middle East Channel.

Interested candidates should submit their proposals at any time to Mary Casey. Applications should include a research proposal indicating where and when the proposed research will take place, a description of the broader research project, and a CV. Grantees will consult with POMEPS Director Marc Lynch about the articles which they will produce for the Middle East Channel based on their travel.

Applications for this grant will be accepted on a rolling basis: Summer proposals will begin being reviewed on June 1; Fall proposals on September 1; Spring proposals on March 1.

 

---

The Middle East Channel, co-sponsored by POMEPS and the NAF Middle East Task Force publishes a daily news brief. This news brief is co-written by our own M.A. Student, Maria Kornalian. Sign up for the MEC daily news brief here.

 

---

Past Events – Spring 2012

POMEPS Event Series
"Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience"

A Conversation with Dr. Bassam Haddad

Dr. Bassam Haddad, is Director of the Middle East Studies Program and teaches in the Department of Public and International Affairs at George Mason University.

He will be discussing his new book, Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience.



April 24
12:00 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
"The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East"

A Conversation with Dr. Marc Lynch

Dr. Marc Lynch, is associate professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, where he is the director of the Institute for Middle East Studies. He is also the director of the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

He will be discussing his new book, The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East.



April 12
5:30 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A wine reception and book signing will follow. A limited number of books will be available to GW students.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
Violence, Nonviolence, and the Palestinian National Movement

A Conversation with Dr. Wendy Pearlman

Dr. Wendy Pearlman, is the Crown Junior Chair in Middle East Studies and Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University.

She will be discussing her new book, Violence, Nonviolence, and the Palestinian National Movement.



March 20
5:30 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A wine reception and book signing will follow. A limited number of books will be available to GW students.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
When Victory is Not an Option: Islamist Movements in Arab Politics

A Conversation with Dr. Nathan J. Brown

Dr. Nathan J. Brown, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, is a distinguished scholar and author who specializes in Islamist movements, Palestinian politics, and Arab law and constitutionalism.

He will be talking about his new book, When Victory Is Not an Option: Islamist Movements in Arab Politics.



March 7
5:30 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A wine reception and book signing will follow. A limited number of books will be available to GW students.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
Syria's Uprising

A Panel Discussion

Bassam Haddad, George Mason University
Salwa Ismail, Univeristy of London
Steven Heydemann, United States Institute of Peace

Moderated by Dr. Marc Lynch, George Washington University

Three leading political scientists discuss the uprisings and prospects for Syria.

February 21
12:30 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A light lunch will be served.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
Liberation Square: Inside the Egyptian Revolution and the Rebirth of a Nation

A Conversation with Ashraf Khalil

Mr. Ashraf Khalil is a Cairo-based independent journalist who has covered the Middle East for a variety of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Chicagoo Tribune, and The Economist. He will be presenting remarks on his latest book, Liberation Square: Inside the Egyptian Revolution and the Rebirth of a Nation.



February 10
5:00 PM
Room 602
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A wine reception will follow.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
Carbon Democracy: Political Power in the Age of Oil

A Conversation with Dr. Timothy Mitchell

Dr. Timothy Mitchell is a political theorist and historian at Columbia University. His areas of research include the place of colonialism in the making of modernity, the material and technical politics of the Middle East, and the role of economics and other forms of expert knowledge in the government of collective life. Much of his current work is concerned with ways of thinking about politics that allow material and technical things more weight than they are given in conventional political theory. Dr. Mitchell brings together the fields of science and technology studies and postcolonial theory in his new book Carbon Democracy.



February 8
5:30 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A wine reception and book signing will follow.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
Yemen's Stalemate

A Panel Discussion

Stacey Philbrick Yadav, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Sheila Carapico, Univeristy of Richmond
Laurent Bonnefy, Institut de Recherches et d'Etudes sur le Monde Arabe et Musulman, France centre francais d'archeologie et de sciences sociales de Sanaa, Yemen

Moderated by Dr. Marc Lynch, Geogre Washington University

Three leading political scientists discuss political dynamics and prospects for Yemen.

January 25
12:30 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A light lunch will be served.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

Past Events – Fall 2011

POMEPS Event Series
"Proxy Warriors: The Rise and Fall of State-Sponsored Militias"

A Conversation with Ariel I. Ahram

Ariel I. Ahram is assistant professor in the Department of International and Area Studies and the Department of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma. His research interests include the politics of the Middle East, state formation and state failure, and multi-method research techniques. He earned a Ph.D. in Government and M.A. in Arab Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Brandeis University.

In Proxy Warriors: The Rise and Fall of State-Sponsored Militias, Ariel Ahram offers a new perspective on a growing threat to international and human
security--the reliance of 'weak states' on quasi-official militias, paramilitaries, and warlords. Tracing the history of several "high profile" paramilitary organizations, including Indonesia's various militia factions, Iraq's tribal "awakening," and Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Basij corps, the book shows why and how states co-opt these groups, turning former rebels into state-sponsored militias. Building on an historical and comparative empirical approach that emphasizes decolonization, revolution, and international threat, the author offers a new set of policy prescriptions for addressing this escalating international crisis--with particular attention to strategies for mitigating the impact of this devolution of violence on the internal and international stability of states.

November 18th
7:00 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A wine reception and book signing will follow. A limited number of books will be available to GW students*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
After Tunisia's Election

A Panel Discussion

John P. Entelis, Fordham University
Chris Alexander, Davidson College
Melani Cammett, Brown University

Moderated by: Dr. Marc Lynch, George Washington University

Three political scientists will discuss the Tunisian election and possible outcomes, offering perspectives looking forward.

November 2nd
12:00 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A light lunch will be served.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
"The Struggle for Egypt: From Nassser to Tahrir Square"

A Conversation with Steven A. Cook

Steven A. Cook, Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, will be presenting remarks on his latest book, The Struggle For Egypt: From Nasser to Tahrir Square.

A limited number of copies of the book will be available for GW students to have signed by the author following the event.

October 24th
5:00 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A wine reception will follow.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
What Should the Palestinians Do Now?

A Panel Discussion

Wendy Pearlman, Northwestern University
Mouin Rabbani, Institute for Palestine Studies
Nathan Brown, George Washington University

Moderated by: Marc Lynch, George Washington University

Three leading political scientists discuss prospects for Palestinians after the United Nations statehood bid.

October 4th
12:30 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

*A light lunch will be served.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
State of the Egyptian Revolution

A Panel Discussion

Rabab El Mahdi, American University in Cairo
Joshua Stacher, Kent State University
Mona El-Ghobashy, Barnard College

Moderated by: Marc Lynch, George Washington University

Three leading political scientists discuss the state of the revolution in Egypt and offer perspectives looking forward.

September 21st
3:00 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

POMEPS Event Series
Tweeting the Arab Revolution: A Conversation with Sultan Al Qassemi

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi is a non-resident fellow at the Dubai School of Government and a UAE-based columnist. His columns have been published internationally including: The Gulf News, The National Newspaper, The Financial Times, The Independent, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Foreign Policy, and Open Democracy, amongst others. He has been recognized in Time magazine and is internationally renowned for his Twitter commentary (@SultanAlQassemi). He will discuss his experience monitoring the events of the Arab Spring.

September 15th
12:00 PM
Room 505
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor
*A light lunch will be provided.*

This event is sponsored by the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS).

---

IMES Lecture Series
The Missing Martyrs: Why There Are So Few Muslim Terrorists

Charles Kurzman

Professor Kurzman, Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, will be presenting remarks on his latest book, The Missing Martyrs. A limited number of books will be available for GW students. A book signing and reception will follow.

September 9th
7:00 PM
Lindner Commons
1957 E St., NW, 6th Floor

This event is sponsored by IMES and the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS). The IMES Lecture Series is supported by the U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant for National Resource Centers.

---

Past Events – Spring 2011

Project on Middle East Political Science
Awakening Islam: The Politics of Religious Dissent in Saudi Arabia
A Conversation with Stephane Lacroix

Featuring

Stephane Lacroix, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Sciences Po, will be presenting remarks on his latest book, "Awakening Islam: The Politics of Religious Dissent in Saudi Arabia." A limited number of copies of the book will be available for GW students to get signed by the author following the event.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Lindner Family Commons
Suite 602, 1957 E Street, NW

---

Project on Middle East Political Science
Evolving Nationalism: Homeland, Identity, and Religion in Israel
A Conversation with Nadav Shelef

Featuring

Nadav Shelef, the Harvey M. Meyerhoff Assistant Professor of Israel Studies and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, will be presenting remarks on his latest book, "Evolving Nationalism: Homeland, Identity, and Religion in Israel 1925-2005." A limited number of copies of the book will be available for GW students to get signed by the author following the event.

Thursday, April 28, 2011
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wine Reception 6:00 p.m. ��� 6:30 p.m.
Lindner Family Commons
Suite 602, 1957 E Street, NW

---

Project on Middle East Political Science
Democracy Promotion in the Middle East

Three leading political scientists discuss the future of democracy promotion and democratic reform prospects in the Middle East.

Featuring

Ellen Lust
Yale University

Eva Bellin
Hunter College

Steven Heydemann
United States Institute of Peace

Moderated by

Marc Lynch
George Washington University

Wednesday, April 27, 2011
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Lindner Family Commons
Suite 602, 1957 E Street, NW

---

Project on Middle East Political Science
Princes, Brokers, and Bureaucrats: Oil and the State in Saudi Arabia
A Conversation with Steffen Hertog

Featuring

Steffen Hertog, lecturer in comparative politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, will be presenting remarks on his latest book, "Princes, Brokers, and Bureaucrats: Oil and the State in Saudi Arabia." A limited number of copies of the book will be available for GW students to get signed by the author following the event.


Tuesday, March 29, 2011
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Lindner Family Commons
Suite 602, 1957 E Street, NW

---

Project on Middle East Political Science
Tunisia: Protests and Prospects for Change

Protests broke out in Tunisia on December 17 and have only continued to escalate. The demonstrations have captured the attention of the entire Arab world, and raised both fears of and hopes for political change. Why did the demonstrations erupt, and where will they lead? How will they affect the rest of the Arab world? What should the Obama administration do?

Featuring

Christopher Alexander
Davidson College

John P. Entelis
Fordham University

Moderated by

Marc Lynch
George Washington University

Tuesday, January 25, 2011
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Lindner Family Commons
Suite 602, 1957 E Street, NW

 

Events Archive