Patterned Image

Center for Middle Eastern Studies

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) coordinates and supports the study of the Middle East, extending from Morocco to Kazakhstan, at the University of Chicago. Established in 1965, CMES has been supported by the Divisions of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Chicago and by grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the Mellon Foundation for more than forty years. Hundreds of graduates from the CMES M.A. program have gone on to impact engagement with the Middle East through careers in academia, government, and beyond.
The Center, an interdepartmental, interdisciplinary unit, helps to plan degree programs for students who intend to use their knowledge of the Middle East in careers in university teaching and research; governmental and non-governmental organizations; business; journalism; and other personal or professional pursuits. Affiliated faculty teach across the University, enabling CMES to draw on diverse academic perspectives in its educational programs. The Center also brings to the University visiting scholars whose work strengthens and complements that of the regular faculty.
CMES also hosts the Middle East Education Initiative, our dedicated public out¬reach program designed to enhance public understanding of the Middle East and Islam, particularly in K-12 schools, public libraries, and other community centers. As a US Department of Education National Resource Center for the study of the Middle East, CMES offers public lectures, community forums, teacher training workshops, cultural programs, and other events that foster public engagement with this diverse region.

For more information, please contact Krishna S. Kulkarni, the CMES Outreach Coordinator, at kskulkarni@uchicago.edu

Institutes, Labs, and Centers
Cultures, Creeds, Arts, & Society
Public Policy, Politics, & Justice