Spring is slowly transforming the lawns across Lund into brilliant shades of blue as early flowers come into bloom, also around the Forsman Villa, home to researchers at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies.
Another clear sign of the season was the traditional celebration of Nowruz on March 20 at CMES. Meaning “new day” in Persian, Nowruz is a 3,000-year-old festival marking the Iranian New Year and the spring equinox, celebrated by around 300 million people across the Middle East and Central Asia.
As has often been the case, developments in the Middle East continue to resonate in everyday life in Sweden. The region is currently experiencing significant turmoil, particularly in Iran and Lebanon, where escalating conflict, political tensions, and regional spillovers are contributing to instability, displacement, and humanitarian concerns. These crises underscore the continued relevance of CMES research and expert analysis, which help inform public debate through media engagement as well as topical seminars and workshops.
Recent activities include the 2–3 March workshop on agonistic diplomacy launching the UNPEACE project led by Isabel Bramsen, with researchers Katarzyna Jezierska and Lisa Strömbom. On 12 March, Zenia Henriksen (University of Southern Denmark) presented her research on Muslim environmentalism, focusing on the Qur’anic Botanic Garden in Doha, Qatar. CMES also had the pleasure of hearing Sinem Kavak present The Making of Migrant Labour: Politics of Land, Displacement and Social Reproduction in Turkey on 26 March.
Looking ahead, the 9 April CMES seminar Challenges and Strategies for Fieldwork in Repressive and Illiberal Countries, presented by Merouan Mekouar (York University, Canada), will focus on the specific challenges faced by scholars conducting research in countries under repressive conditions, and the strategies developed to address them.
Ronny Berndtsson
CMES Director and MECW Coordinator