Institute of Middle East, Central Asia and Caucasus Studies
About the Institute
The Institute of Middle East, Central Asia and Caucasus Studies promotes cross-disciplinary education and research through the provision of fora and venues to academics and practitioners of History, International Relations, Social Anthropology and Film Studies. The Institute is a means through which to promote a wider knowledge of these locales and to understand their importance to their respective disciplines.
Originally a joint initiative between the Schools of History and International Relations, the Institute now also includes Social Anthropology and Film Studies.
MECACS encourages and organizes:
- Cross-disciplinary postgraduate teaching and supervision among the participating members;
- Cooperation between different institutes, including the Centre for Syrian Studies (CSS), the Institute for Iranian Studies and the Centre for Film Studies;
- An informal monthly intra-MECACS faculty research cluster in which faculty present work-in-progress;
- A formal, usually weekly, MECACS seminar series;
- Student-run events and presentations series
- Annual, larger events such as workshops and conferences, often leading to joint publications (e.g. Sally N. Cummings and Ray Hinnebusch (eds), Sovereignty After Empire: Comparing the Middle East and Central Asia, Edinburgh/Columbia University Press, forthcoming).
- Collaboration with the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) network on 'domination, liberation and expression’ in the Middle East.
