About
AUC has been granting Bachelor of Arts in Middle East studies since 1974 and the Master of Arts since 1980 and you will find that many leading professors have taught at AUC sometime in the course of their careers. Former MESC directors have included professors Bahgat Korany and Joel Beinin.
MESC's Goals:
- Establish AUC as a recognized regional and international leader in Middle East Studies
- Establish AUC as a recognized hub for expert comment, debate and recommendations concerning contemporary Middle East peace and security issues
- Expand faculty, visiting scholar and student enrolment in Middle East Studies and meet the demand for appropriate resources for training in the field
- Establish and strengthen relations between the Middle East Studies Center and other leading Middle East Studies centers/universities through international exchange programs, joint research projects
- Strengthen relations between the Middle East Studies Center and the Cairo/Egyptian/international community with regards to creating internship and job opportunities for our students and graduates, cooperation and financial support
MESC projects have been funded in the past by the Ford Foundation and attracted various renowned scholars and diplomats to give talks such as Thomas Piketty, Lakhdar Brahimi, Alain Gresh, James Dorsey, Ambassador Luigi Narbonne, Salman Abu Sitta, Ambassador Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Ambassador Yoon Su-Gu, and Ambassador Helmy Fauzy. MESC’s ‘brown bag lunches’ and Film Series continue to be popular among students. MESC faculty give talks and participate in numerous workshops and conferences each year in Cairo and internationally, including MESA in the U.S. In 2018, MESC secured a grant from the European Commission for its project on Euro-Med Studies.