British Society for Middle Eastern Studies

British Society for Middle Eastern Studies
Name	British Society for Middle Eastern Studies
Abbreviation	BRISMES
Formation	1973
Type	Learned society
Location	United Kingdom
Fields	Middle East studies

Contents

British Society for Middle Eastern Studies is a learned society founded in 1973 that promotes scholarly research on the modern and pre-modern Middle East and North Africa. It serves as a forum linking academics from institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, SOAS University of London, University of Edinburgh, and King's College London with practitioners from British Museum, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, BBC World Service, and international organizations like United Nations and European Union. Its membership spans scholars associated with Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, American University of Beirut, Ain Shams University, Tel Aviv University, and University of Tehran.

History

The society was established amid postwar interest in regional studies alongside organizations such as Royal Asiatic Society, Middle East Institute, Council for British Research in the Levant, Institut français du Proche-Orient, and Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft. Early figures involved scholars connected to School of Oriental and African Studies, departments that traced intellectual lineages to historians of the Ottoman Empire, specialists in Safavid Iran, and researchers of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Suez Crisis. Over time the society developed links with research centers at Princeton University, Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and Yale University, reflecting growing transatlantic networks. Institutional milestones included annual conferences patterned after those of the Middle East Studies Association and collaborative projects with bodies such as British Academy and Academy of Social Sciences.

The society advances scholarly exchange about topics ranging from the histories of the Ottoman Empire, Mamluk Sultanate, and Safavid dynasty to contemporary studies of states like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, and Syria. It encourages research on urban centers such as Cairo, Istanbul, Beirut, Aleppo, Baghdad, and Damascus as well as on diasporas tied to Palestine, Armenia, and Lebanon. Activities include fostering interdisciplinary dialogue among specialists of Islamic studies, Arabic literature, Persianate history, and scholars focused on legal histories like the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca and economic matters linked to events such as the Suez Crisis and the Oil embargo of 1973. The society issues policy briefings used by institutions like Chatham House and offers commentary picked up by media outlets including The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, The Independent, and The Telegraph.

Membership comprises academics, postgraduate researchers, independent scholars, and professionals affiliated with institutions such as British Library, National Archives (UK), Bodleian Library, Wellcome Trust, Royal Geographical Society, and museums including the Victoria and Albert Museum. Governance is through an elected council and officers mirroring structures seen in organizations like Royal Historical Society and Royal Anthropological Institute, with roles such as president, secretary, and treasurer. Elections often feature candidates from universities including University of Manchester, University of Birmingham, University of Leeds, Queen Mary University of London, and University of Exeter. Honorary fellows have included researchers associated with Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.

The society sponsors an annual conference that attracts panels modeled on formats used by the Middle East Studies Association and the International Congress of Asian and North African Studies. It collaborates with publishers and journals such as Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Routledge, Brill Publishers, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, and specialized periodicals like Middle East Report, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, and Iranian Studies. Conference topics have ranged from historiographies of the Crusades and the Safavid–Ottoman Wars to contemporary analyses of the Arab Spring, the Syrian Civil War, the Iraq War, and diplomatic agreements like the Treaty of Lausanne. Proceedings and edited volumes have brought together contributors from National University of Singapore, Australian National University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Toronto.

The society awards prizes and grants to support early-career scholars and research projects, similar in purpose to grants from British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and ERC Starter Grants. Awards have recognized monographs on figures such as Suleiman the Magnificent and Nader Shah and studies of events like the Iranian Revolution and the Young Turk Revolution. Travel bursaries and dissertation prizes enable fieldwork in locations including Mosul, Kirkuk, Basra, Isfahan, Qom, Aden, and Tripoli. Funding panels often consult peers from organizations like Arts and Humanities Research Council and Economic and Social Research Council.

The society maintains partnerships with academic bodies and think tanks such as Chatham House, International Crisis Group, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Royal United Services Institute, European Council on Foreign Relations, and university centers including London School of Economics Middle East Centre, Carleton University's Institute of Middle Eastern Studies, and University of Oxford Middle East Center. It liaises with heritage institutions like UNESCO, archaeological missions directed by teams from Dumbarton Oaks, and libraries coordinating with Bibliothèque nationale de France and Library of Congress. Collaborative networks extend to regional academic associations including Arab Studies Association, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, American University in Cairo, and research councils across Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Morocco.