Season's greetings from the team at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies!
CMES organised several major events during the latter part of the autumn semester. A topical public seminar was co-organised with Peace and Conflict Studies, focusing on the challenging theme of envisioning the future of Palestine/Israel. Two PhD vivas have also recently taken place. Rami Zalfou successfully defended his thesis in economic history on Syrian economic development and migrant integration, and Joel Abdelmoez successfully defended his thesis in political science on feminist activism and solidarities in Egypt and Tunisia.
As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect on a productive year that included CMES seminars covering a wide range of topics, several international workshops, symposia, and public events, as well as strategic development and recruitment of new staff for the Strategic Research Area MECW. The latest CMES Yearbook 2025 is now also published, highlighting the diverse research activities the Centre engaged in over the past year.
As I conclude my term as Director and Scientific Coordinator after more than five years, I do so with sincere gratitude. Working with the CMES team has been a genuine privilege, and together we have built something that is both intellectually vibrant and highly relevant. I am confident that CMES now rests on strong scientific foundations. As the Centre enters a new year, I warmly wish the incoming Director, Ronny Berntsson, and Deputy Director, Lisa Strömbom, all the best.
Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and a happy new year!
/ Karin Aggestam, CMES Director and MECW Coordinator