Past Events
Tuesday, 9/23/2025, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Join the Institute for Middle East Studies to celebrate the launch of the Athena Initiative and explore the legacy of Mahsa Amini and the Iranian Women's Freedom Movement. All are welcome. Light lunch will be served. For those unable to attend in person, the event will also be broadcast live on Zoom.
Egypt’s New Authoritarian Republic
Thursday, 9/18/2025, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
The Institute for Middle East Studies welcomes editors and contributors to the new book, "Egypt's New Authoritarian Republic." This is an online only event. All are encouraged to attend.
The Middle East Policy Forum and the Atlantic Council Present: A Film Screening of "Waging Peace"
Tuesday, 9/9/2025, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Join the Middle East Policy Forum and the Atlantic Council for a screening and discussion of the documentary Waging Peace. This event is free and open to both the general public and media.
Friday, 6/13/2025, 11:00am - 12:00pm
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Transitional Justice in Syria: An Opportunity for Progress
Tuesday, 6/10/2025, 11:00am - 2:00pm
Join us for an engaging panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities for transitional justice in post-Assad Syria. June 10, 2025 | 11:00am | Elliott School Room 505
Friday, 5/2/2025, 9:00am - 5:00pm
This year’s theme is “Building Bridges in Arabic Language Education: Research, Practice, and Innovation”.
DC Arabic Teachers’ Council second annual Arabic Language Education Forum
Friday, 5/2/2025, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Join us for the DC Arabic Teachers’ Council second annual Arabic Language Education Forum (ALEF) at Virginia Commonwealth University, May 2, 2025 from 9 am to 5 pm.
2025 IMES Conference: Gravitating towards the Gulf
Friday, 4/25/2025, 8:30am - 4:30pm
This conference seeks to center the Gulf in our discussions of not only the region but also more broadly as the world moves toward a system of multipolarity.
2025 IMES Conference: Gravitating towards the Gulf
Friday, 4/25/2025, 8:30am - 4:30pm
The Institute for Middle East Studies is pleased to announce the 2025 Annual Conference: Gravitating toward the Gulf. The panels will address themes around authoritarianism, surveillance and resistance; technology, infrastructures and the built environment; and the rising geopolitical and diplomatic influence of the Gulf in the world.
Engaging America: Ambassadorial Perspectives on Public Diplomacy Series
Tuesday, 4/22/2025, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
The 6th of IPDGC's monthly series hosting international ambassadors to learn about their country's approach to public diplomacy.
Wednesday, 4/16/2025, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Join MERIP and the Institute of Middle East Studies for a discussion of the newly unfolding protest movement in Turkey and the intensified repression of its political opposition. The conversation will feature analysts Selim Koru (Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey), Cihan Tekay Liu (City College of New York) and Gönül Tol (Middle East Institute), moderated by James Ryan.
Planning Your Arabic Student DC Field Trip
Thursday, 3/27/2025, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Join the DC ATC for a webinar on planning exciting field trips for your Arabic language students on March 27th at 12pm eastern.
NGO Support For Education and Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa
Tuesday, 3/25/2025, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Join the Middle East Policy Forum for a panel discussion on NGO support for education and entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa. We will be joined by Ambassador (ret.) Greta Holtz, President and CEO of Amideast; Andrew Baird, President and CEO of the Education for Employment Network; and Mohamed Malouche, Founder and Board Chair of the Tunisian American Young Professionals Association. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Laura Engel, Professor of International Education and International Affairs at GW.
120 Years of Women's Activism in Afghanistan and Iran
Monday, 3/24/2025, 12:00pm - 1:30am
Join Dr. Shirley Graham, GEIA director, in celebrating women's history month.
Thursday, 3/20/2025, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Join us for this hands-on workshop on Arabic calligraphy led by master calligrapher Josh Berer. Calligraphy materials (pen, ink, paper) will be provided. Supplies are limited to the first 30 attendees. Please note that this event is only open to current GW students.
Afterlives of Revolution: Everyday Counterhistories in Southern Oman
Thursday, 3/20/2025, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Join the Institute for Middle East Studies for Afterlives of Revolution: Everyday Counterhistories in Southern Oman. Featuring Author Alice Wilson (University of Sussex) and Discussant Omar Al-Shehabi (University of Leeds).
Wednesday, 3/19/2025, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Dr. Malathe Ahmed will shed light on the traditional flood management system used by the community of Tuti Island in Khartoum, Sudan, known as the Taya system.
Changing Views of Israel in the United States: Revisiting Amy Kaplan's Our American Israel
Thursday, 3/6/2025, 12:30pm - 1:45pm
In this discussion, scholars who focus on the US relationship to Israel and Palestine will discuss the changing views of Israel in the US and globally.
Implications of Trump’s Ethnic Cleansing Plan for Gaza
Thursday, 3/6/2025, 10:00am - 11:30am
As the cease-fire and exchange deal near a crucial moment between a first and second phase, Arab Center Washington DC and the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University bring together a panel of experts to discuss the implications of the White House’s plan for Gaza and how it will affect the region.
Memory and Monuments Across the Contemporary Middle East: Empires, Nations, and Environments
Wednesday, 2/26/2025, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
his presentation answers that question through a survey of monuments and memory across the contemporary Middle East. Drawing on case studies from places including Turkey, Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Algeria, and Saudi Arabia, this talk describes the many forms that memory can take.