Center for Contemporary Arab Studies

Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Name	Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Established	1975
Parent	School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
Location	Washington, D.C., United States
Director	Nasser Rabbat

Center for Contemporary Arab Studies The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies is an academic institute based at Georgetown University focused on contemporary political, social, and cultural issues in the Arab world. The center engages students, scholars, and policymakers through graduate degrees, research programs, and public events that connect Washington, D.C. think tanks, diplomatic missions, and international organizations. It maintains ties with universities, foundations, and government agencies across the Middle East and North Africa and Europe.

History

The center was founded in 1975 amid global developments such as the Yom Kippur War, the Oil crisis, and the rise of United Nations diplomacy, with early support from donors including the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Its institutional maturation paralleled the expansion of area studies programs at institutions like Harvard University, Columbia University, and University of Chicago, while responding to events such as the Iranian Revolution and the Camp David Accords. Over subsequent decades the center adapted curricula in response to crises including the Gulf War (1990–1991), the Iraq War, and the Arab Spring, and it developed graduate concentrations alongside comparable centers at American University Cairo, University of Oxford, and Sciences Po. The center’s archival acquisitions and visiting fellowships reflect links to scholars and policymakers associated with Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Wilson Center.

Academic Programs and Curriculum

The center administers a Master of Arts program integrated with Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and offers concentrations in contemporary Arab politics, international relations, and regional studies, drawing pedagogical models from programs at SOAS University of London and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Coursework includes language instruction in Arabic language, area-specific seminars comparable to those at Princeton University and Yale University, and methodological training reflecting standards at London School of Economics and Stanford University. Students engage in internships with institutions such as the United States Department of State, United Nations Development Programme, and nongovernmental organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Dual-degree arrangements mirror collaborations with professional schools at Georgetown Law and Georgetown Business School.

Research and Publications

Faculty and affiliates publish monographs, edited volumes, and policy briefs in venues including Middle East Journal, Journal of Palestine Studies, Foreign Affairs, International Affairs, and working papers circulated through networks such as SSRN and JSTOR. Research themes encompass political Islam studies related to actors like the Muslim Brotherhood, conflict analysis tied to the Syrian Civil War, and economic research linked to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and regional trade agreements. The center hosts lecture series and symposia that produce proceedings resonant with scholarship from Council on Foreign Relations, International Crisis Group, and Chatham House. Collaborative grants have been awarded by entities such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Faculty and Leadership

Faculty include scholars trained at institutions like University of Cambridge, University of California, Berkeley, and École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, with expertise spanning political science, history, anthropology, and urban studies. Leadership has included directors and visiting chairs drawn from backgrounds associated with the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations, and international research institutes such as RAND Corporation and The Brookings Institution. The center has hosted visiting scholars from universities including American University, Lebanese American University, Ain Shams University, and University of Jordan, and works with practitioners from ministries and diplomatic missions such as the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington, D.C. and the Embassy of Egypt, Washington, D.C..

Center Activities and Outreach

Regular programming includes public lectures, conferences, and workshops featuring speakers from institutions such as International Monetary Fund, World Bank, European Union External Action Service, and regional think tanks like the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies and the Al Jazeera Center for Studies. Student-led initiatives collaborate with organizations like Arab-American Institute, Arab Center Washington DC, and cultural partners including the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress. The center organizes study tours and exchange programs to locations including Cairo, Beirut, Amman, Rabat, and Istanbul, and facilitates policy briefings for audiences at the U.S. Congress and multilateral fora such as the United Nations General Assembly.

Partnerships and Funding

The center’s partnerships span academic, governmental, and philanthropic sectors, including memoranda of understanding with regional universities and collaborative projects funded by the Japan Foundation, the European Commission, and private donors including foundations linked to Gulf states and U.S. benefactors. Funding sources have included endowed chairs, alumni contributions, and competitive grants from agencies such as the United States Institute of Peace and the Humanities Council. These partnerships support language scholarships, visiting fellowships, and joint research initiatives with partners such as Aga Khan University, Zayed University, and Qatar University.

Category:Georgetown University Category:Middle Eastern studies