Published 25 February 2025 Photo: Sveriges Radio/Mattias Ahlm Welcome to a public lecture with Middle East correspondent Cecilia Uddén (Swedish Radio) on the dramatic developments in the Middle East. How do today’s turbulent events affect the Middle East and its people? Join us for a lecture with Cecilia Uddén, the renowned Middle East correspondent for Swedish Radio, who was recently awarded the

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/upcoming-cmes-public-lecture-award-winning-middle-east-correspondent-cecilia-udden - 2025-07-09

Published 27 February 2025 CMES researcher Lina Eklund has co-authored an article about war-induced damage to agricultural land in the Gaza Strip, published in Science of Remote Sensing. "Evaluating War-Induced Damage to Agricultural Land in the Gaza Strip Since October 2023 Using PlanetScope and SkySat Imagery"IntroductionThe ongoing 2023 Israel-Hamas War has severe and far-reaching consequences

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/evaluating-war-induced-damage-agricultural-land-gaza-strip-october-2023 - 2025-07-09

Published 28 February 2025 Application deadline: 2 May 2025. The Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is now accepting applications for new research projects under the multi- and transdisciplinary Strategic Research Area Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW) - comprising staff from five different faculties at Lund University.This call provides funding for a three year project e

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-call-project-proposals-2025 - 2025-07-09

Published 3 March 2025 Last week, CMES hosted an interactive event where Arabic language students explored food traditions while expanding their vocabulary and cultural knowledge. On 27 February, CMES organized a cultural and educational event for students enrolled in the Arabic language courses, offering a hands-on experience with Arabic food and dining traditions.During the gathering, students p

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/exploring-arabic-culture-through-food-cmes - 2025-07-09

Published 6 March 2025 CMES Researcher Pinar Dinc has written an article for The Conversation about the recent developments in the conflict between Turkey and PKK. AbstractAbdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), has called on the group to disarm and dissolve itself. In a letter read out by his political allies in Istanbul, Turkey, on February 27, he w

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/pkk-leaders-call-disarm-fuels-hope-end-kurdish-conflict-peace-not-imminent - 2025-07-09

Published 7 March 2025 625 people gathered at Lund City Library for a highly anticipated CMES lecture by Cecilia Uddén, Middle East correspondent for Swedish Radio. On 6 March, CMES, in collaboration with Lund City Library, hosted a public lecture with award-winning journalist Cecilia Uddén, Middle East Correspondent for Swedish Radio. Part of the CMES Research Seminar Series, the event focused on

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/full-house-lund-city-library-cmes-lecture-cecilia-udden - 2025-07-09

Published 10 March 2025 Read the February CMES Newsletter about upcoming events, recent research activities, and new publications. The CMES Newsletter offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of Middle Eastern research. It is distributed regularly to a diverse audience of scholars, both within Lund University and beyond. Each issue features:Message From the DirectorLatest Research NewsUpcomi

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/read-latest-cmes-newsletter-49 - 2025-07-09

Published 12 March 2025 Photo: Raya Sharbain (CC BY-SA 4.0). CMES has now launched the Regional Outlook Series in Arabic, making expert analyses on the MENA region more accessible to a wider audience. The Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is delighted to announce that our Regional Outlook Series is now available in Arabic, with translations by Rafah Barhoum, Language Training Exper

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/regional-outlook-series-now-available-arabic - 2025-07-09

Published 21 March 2025 Noah Salomon (University of Virginia) visited CMES for a research seminar on Sudan. On Thursday 20 March, CMES welcomed Noah Salomon (University of Virginia) for the research seminar "Reimagining History, Rethinking Sudan". The seminar focused on Sudan and how the ancient history of the country was used in Sudan's 2018-2019 revolution. Noah Salomon is Associate professor in

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-research-seminar-reimagining-history-rethinking-sudan - 2025-07-09

Published 24 March 2025 CMES Researcher Sami Al-Daghistani has written an article for Brill’s Studies in Islamic Ethics on creation, nature, and the ethical self. On Creation, Nature, and the Ethical Self: A Comparative Analysis of Ikhwān al-Ṣafā, al-Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, and Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, Brill’s Studies in Islamic Ethics, February 2025AbstractIn this paper, I examine ideas on creation, nat

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/creation-nature-and-ethical-self-comparative-analysis-ikhwan-al-safa-al-raghib-al-isfahani-and-abu - 2025-07-09

Published 25 March 2025 On 19 March, CMES staff and students came together to celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. Celebrating Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, has become a cherished annual tradition at CMES. On March 19, CMES staff and students gathered at Finngatan to mark the arrival of spring with delicious Iranian cuisine and cultural celebration.Participants had the opportunity to learn abou

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/traditional-nowruz-celebrations-cmes - 2025-07-09

By pinar [dot] dinc [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se (Pinar Dinc) - published 27 March 2025 This CMES Regional Outlook by Pinar Dinc focuses on the recent political developments in Turkey. Recent events over the past week have dramatically shaken the political landscape in Turkey. The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was stripped of his u

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-regional-outlook-rising-tide-dissent-turkey-call-democracy-and-justice - 2025-07-09

Published 28 March 2025 CMES scholars gathered for a productive and insightful research retreat on writing research applications. Eighteen CMES scholars gathered at the MaryHill Estate, just outside Glumslöv, for a two-day research retreat focused on fostering collaboration and sharing valuable lessons in writing research applications.Throughout the retreat, participants discussed different types

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-research-retreat-art-writing-successful-research-applications - 2025-07-09

Published 31 March 2025 CMES Researcher Ronny Berndtsson has co-authored an article for Journal of Hazardous Materials about drinking water quality and pollution sources near a mine in Iran. AbstractWater sources near mining regions are often susceptible to contamination from toxic elements. This study employs machine learning  techniques to evaluate drinking water quality and identify pollution s

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/assessment-drinking-water-quality-and-identifying-pollution-sources-chromite-mining-region - 2025-07-09

Published 31 March 2025 Application deadline: 19 May 2025. We are looking for a historian holding a doctoral degree and specialising in Middle Eastern history who is at the beginning of their career. This is a 4 year fixed-term position.The successful candidate will divide their time between The Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) and the Department of History. The Department of Hist

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/job-opening-associate-senior-lecturer-history-specialisation-middle-eastern-history - 2025-07-09

Published 1 April 2025 A recent CMES workshop aimed to explore how the Gulf States have been responding to regional crises. Last week, on March 25-26, CMES hosted an engaging workshop at The Old Bishop's House in Lund, Sweden. The theme of the event was “Regionalisation of Crisis Response: Political Shifts and Humanitarian Priorities of the Gulf States”, and it brought together 16 participants fro

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-workshop-explores-regionalisation-crisis-response-gulf-states - 2025-07-09

Published 2 April 2025 Read the March CMES Newsletter about upcoming events, recent research activities, and new publications. The CMES Newsletter offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of Middle Eastern research. It is distributed regularly to a diverse audience of scholars, both within Lund University and beyond. Each issue features:Message From the DirectorLatest Research NewsUpcoming E

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/read-latest-cmes-newsletter-50 - 2025-07-09

Published 3 April 2025 CMES Researcher Pinar Dinc has co-edited a new book about Turkey and its unresolved issues. The Republic of Turkey and its Unresolved Issues: 100 Years and BeyondEditors: Pinar Dinc and Olga Selin HünlerThe book is now available as an open access publication and can be read here.About Pinar DincPinar Dinc has a PhD in Political Science from the Department of Government at th

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/republic-turkey-and-its-unresolved-issues-100-years-and-beyond - 2025-07-09

Published 7 April 2025 CMES Researcher Ronny Berndtsson has co-authored an article for PLOS One. "Enhancement of standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index predictions by machine learning based on regression and soft computing for Iran’s arid and hyper–arid region"IntroductionDrought is a climate risk that affects access to safe water, crop development, ecological stability, and food prod

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/improving-drought-forecasting-irans-arid-regions-using-machine-learning-and-soft-computing - 2025-07-09

Published 9 April 2025 CMES Researcher Lina Eklund and the collaboration Decentralised Damage Mapping Group have been granted a prestigious award by the European Space Agency. The European Space Agency's Earth Observation Excellence Award is presented annually to early-career researchers, in recognition of outstanding contributions to scientific advancement and innovation using Earth observation d

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/lina-eklund-wins-european-space-agencys-earth-observation-excellence-award - 2025-07-09