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At a recent seminar at Lund University, CMES researcher Yahia Mahmoud traced the complex history and ongoing struggles of Western Sahara, a territory still shaped by colonial borders and resource exploitation. Moving from post-war decolonisation to modern extractivism, the talk highlighted how natural resources continue to define both politics and human rights in the region. After Spain’s withdraw

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/western-sahara-between-extraction-and-self-determination - 2026-04-17

On December 1, 2025, at 10.15 a.m, at EC2:101, Lund, CMES PhD student Rami Zalfou will defend the PhD thesis titled: Borders and Pathways. Essays on Syrian Economic Development and Migrant Integration. The faculty opponent is Associate Professor Mohamed Saleh, London School of Economics.AbstractOver the past century, Syria and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have undergone p

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/phd-viva-borders-and-pathways-essays-syrian-economic-development-and-migrant-integration - 2026-04-17

This CMES Regional Outlook (2025:3) by Karin Aggestam examines the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas. The recent ceasefire, described as the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s “peace plan” announced on 29 September 2025, represents an important yet fragile step towards ending the ongoing war in Gaza. While the agreement has facilitated the release of Israeli hostages and

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-regional-outlook-ceasefire-gaza-and-trumps-20-point-plan - 2026-04-17

CMES researcher Joel Abdelmoez will defend PhD thesis. On December 19, 2025, at 10.15 a.m, at Eden, Lund, Joel Abdelmoez  will defend the PhD thesis titled, Time, Difference, and the Transnational. Feminist Activism and Solidarities in Egypt and Tunisia.Opponent: Prof. Laleh Khalili, University of ExeterAbstract:This dissertation explores possibilities and challenges to the formation of transnatio

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/phd-viva-time-difference-and-transnational-feminist-activism-and-solidarities-egypt-and-tunisia - 2026-04-17

Read the director’s message, explore the latest research news, discover upcoming events, and browse our recent publications. Read full newsletter here!Now well into the autumn semester, several milestone activities have taken place, with additional events forthcoming. The first cohort of PhD students, recruited as part of the transition to CMES/MECW 2.0 in 2021, is now reaching the conclusion of t

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/read-latest-cmes-newsletter-55 - 2026-04-17

Read the ECO-Syria Workshop Report. The ECO-Syria research team at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), Lund University, held its second and final workshop on 15–16 September 2025.Titled “ECO-Syria: Exploring Conflict–Environment Interactions for Sustainable Development and Conservation,” the event was part of the ECO-Syria research project funded by the Strategic Research Area M

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/eco-syria-workshop-report - 2026-04-17

New article from CMES. Article written by: Alireza Motevalli, Hamid Reza Moradi, Hossein Hashemi, Saman Javadi, Ronny Berndtsson in the Journal of Contaminant Hydrology.Read the full article here: Link to external website. Highlights•    Coastal aquifer salinity risk assessed using a probabilistic approaches.•    26% of aquifer area identified as high-risk (salinity extensity).•    Risk intensity

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/managing-coastal-aquifer-salinity-risks-strategies-balance-recharge-and-crop-adaptation - 2026-04-17

This article presents a scoping and conceptual literature review on environmental politics in North and East Syria/Rojava. Publication written by Pinar Dinc, Maria Andrea Nardi, Mo Hamza.External link to publication.ABSTRACTThis article presents a scoping and conceptual literature review on environmental politics in North and East Syria/Rojava. The review aims to synthesize existing academic resea

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/environmental-politics-north-and-east-syriarojava-scoping-and-conceptual-literature-review - 2026-04-17

How citizen engagement and satellite data are helping researchers understand wildfires in the Middle East. Q&A with Lina Eklund, Researcher at CMES.Q: What is a Mapathon?A Mapathon is an event where participants gather to map a specific topic. Sometimes it’s used to chart disaster-hit areas, such as floods or earthquakes. In other cases, it helps generate data for research projects. Q: How did the

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/mapping-fires - 2026-04-17

CMES researcher Adam Almqvist, has recently published an article in The Journal of Comparative Politics. Read the full article here. External link.AbstractAutocracies have increasingly begun to clothe themselves in the guise of hybrid, semi-official institutions that exhibit a degree of autonomy from the state, such as Government-Organized NGOs (GONGOs), “zombie” election observers, regime-run thi

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/gongos-zombies-and-astroturfers-rethinking-hybrid-institutions-autocracies-through-case-jordanian - 2026-04-17

Yesterday afternoon, CMES researcher PhD candidate Joel W. Abdelmoez marked a major milestone in his academic journey by performing the traditional ritual known as "spikning"—the nailing of a dissertation. The ceremony takes place on the ground floor of Eden, and colleagues and friends gathered to witness the event. Following the ceremony, guests enjoy refreshments in the Political Science departm

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/joel-abdelmoez-nails-his-phd-dissertation-feminist-activism-and-solidarities-egypt-and-tunisia - 2026-04-17

On November 20, the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at Lund University hosted a highly topical seminar titled “It’s Time to Think About the Future of Palestine-Israel.” The event brought together over 50 participants and featured two distinguished speakers: Professor Haim Yacobi and Dr Rami Nasrallah, from University College London. “We are living in very challenging times, but t

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-seminar-explores-shared-homeland-paradigm-palestine-israel - 2026-04-17

CMES is proud to announce that CMES researcher, Rami Zalfou, PhD Candidate in Economic History, has successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at Lund University. The defense took place on December 1, 2025.Rami’s dissertation, titled:Borders and Pathways. Essays on Syrian Economic Development and Migrant Integration, explores economic development patterns, conflict, and demographic changes in

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/rami-zalfou-successfully-defends-his-phd-thesis-syrian-economic-development-and-migrant-integration - 2026-04-17

The ECO-Syria research team at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), Lund University, held its second and final workshop on 15–16 September 2025.Titled “ECO-Syria: Exploring Conflict–Environment Interactions for Sustainable Development and Conservation,” the event was part of the ECO-Syria research project funded by the Strategic Research Area Middle East in the Contemporary World

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/eco-syria-workshop-report-now-available-arabic-and-kurdish - 2026-04-17

New article from CMES. Title: Improving the performance of daily pan evaporation (Evp) prediction using the ensemble empirical mode decomposition combined with deep learning modelsRead the article here (external link)AbstractThis study presents a novel approach for the prediction of daily pan evaporation (Evp) based on identifying an optimal combination of model inputs. The Kardeh Dam catchment ar

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/improving-performance-daily-pan-evaporation-evp-prediction - 2026-04-17

Harvesting wind, stirring sands: the expansion of renewable energy frontiers, local resistance, and the European academic gaze on green extractivism in West Asia and North Africa (WANA) 11-12 December 2025, LundThe rapid expansion of wind and solar infrastructure in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA), framed as part of sustainability and green energy transitions, raises urgent questions about l

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/international-workshop-green-extractivism - 2026-04-17

Read full article here. (External link)ABSTRACTThe 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza brought the humanitarian response into the spotlight, alongside the international community’s inability to deal with political obstacles in the humanitarian response. However, humanitarian interventions in the Gaza Strip and their effectiveness have long been debated by scholars and practitio

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/humanitarian-exceptionalism-and-fluctuating-solidarity-gulf-states-aid-gaza - 2026-04-17

CMES director, Karin Aggestam has edited the book Israel: Democratic Backsliding and Elusive Peace. Bringing together scholars in the field, the book offers original analyses organised around three intersecting themes: contestation over Israel’s national identity, patterns of democratic backsliding, and the enduring impact of the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which renders peace elusive

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/new-book-democratic-backsliding-israeli-politics-and-protracted-conflict - 2026-04-17

Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is proud to announce that researcher, Joel W. Abdelmoez, PhD Candidate in Political Science, has successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at Lund University. The defense took place on December 19, 2025, at the Department of Political Science.Joel Abdelmoez investigates the conditions and tensions inherent in forging transnational feminist so

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/joel-w-abdelmoez-successfully-defends-his-phd-thesis-feminist-activism-and-solidarities-egypt-and - 2026-04-17

The CMES Yearbooks summarize the Centre's activities during the year. Read about:Research projectsResearch seminarsPublic lectures and eventsPolicy-dialogues, workshops, and conferencesCMES Regional OutlookTeaching and Arabic studies at CMESCMES in media and on digital platformsThe ConversationSelected publicationsRead and download the 2024 CMES Yearbook here.

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-yearbook-2025-now-available-read-and-download - 2026-04-17