Events

Past Event

APSA Conference: New Landscapes in MENA Politics Research

July 28, 2022 - July 30, 2022
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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In partnership with the American Political Science Association (APSA), Columbia Global Centers | Amman and the Special Commission on Social Science Research in the Middle East and North Africa held the APSA MENA Political Science Conference in Amman on July 29-30, 2022. The conference brought together an interdisciplinary network of scholars to explore the landscape of social science research conducted in the Arab world, and discuss some of the ethical, political, and economic challenges to conducting research responsibly. It was spearheaded by Professor Lisa Anderson, Dean Emerita of Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and Faculty Associate at the Middle East Institute.

This project aims to enhance “international quality” social science research on and in the Middle East and North Africa region by examining the particular context that shapes—and often distorts—decisions  about research in the Middle East and North Africa and to propose responses that will reflect the ethical responsibilities that researchers who work in and on the region have to each other and to the broader academic communities of which they are a part.

Building on the success of APSA’s MENA workshops program, this program brought together early-career scholars from across the Arab Middle East and North Africa for networking and research feedback. This gathering of 70 scholars was an opportunity to engage with colleagues working on research focusing on MENA politics who contributed to contemporary debates in the discipline. It involved sessions related to Lisa Anderson's REMENA President’s Global Innovation Fund research project linked to the Amman Center. An opening reception was held at the Global Center on July 28.