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 wrote: “I take on the hi

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/pkk-leaders-call-disarm-fuels-hope-end-kurdish-conflict-peace-not-imminent - 2025-09-13

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 the latest political d

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/full-house-lund-city-library-cmes-lecture-cecilia-udden - 2025-09-13

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 NewsUpcoming EventsRecent Publicat

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/read-latest-cmes-newsletter-49 - 2025-09-13

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 Expert at CMES. This initiati

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/regional-outlook-series-now-available-arabic - 2025-09-13

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 Islamic Studies at the

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-research-seminar-reimagining-history-rethinking-sudan - 2025-09-13

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, nature, and the ethical sel

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/creation-nature-and-ethical-self-comparative-analysis-ikhwan-al-safa-al-raghib-al-isfahani-and-abu - 2025-09-13

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 about the significance of No

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/traditional-nowruz-celebrations-cmes - 2025-09-13

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 university degree for alleged irregularities. The next morning he was detained at his ho

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-regional-outlook-rising-tide-dissent-turkey-call-democracy-and-justice - 2025-09-13

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 of research calls and ex

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-research-retreat-art-writing-successful-research-applications - 2025-09-13

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 sources near a chromite m

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/assessment-drinking-water-quality-and-identifying-pollution-sources-chromite-mining-region - 2025-09-13

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 History has three divisions:

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/job-opening-associate-senior-lecturer-history-specialisation-middle-eastern-history - 2025-09-13

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 from various backgrounds t

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-workshop-explores-regionalisation-crisis-response-gulf-states - 2025-09-13

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 EventsRecent Publication

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/read-latest-cmes-newsletter-50 - 2025-09-13

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 the London School of Econ

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/republic-turkey-and-its-unresolved-issues-100-years-and-beyond - 2025-09-13

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 production. Therefore, deve

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/improving-drought-forecasting-irans-arid-regions-using-machine-learning-and-soft-computing - 2025-09-13

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 data. This year, the awa

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/lina-eklund-wins-european-space-agencys-earth-observation-excellence-award - 2025-09-13

Professor Kristin Soraya Batmanghelichi (University of Oslo) visited CMES for a research seminar on Iran's mothers of "martyrs". What does mothering and grieving mean to those who mother not just on the margins but to those who are pressured, forced and/or assumed to speak and embrace the language of martyrdom in times of sorrow? On March 10, during a CMES Research Seminar, Professor Kristin Soray

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-research-seminar-irans-mothers-martyrs-public-dissent-times-sorrow - 2025-09-13

CMES researchers took part in a leadership program within Lund University’s Strategic Research Areas. CMES researchers Pinar Dinc and Hossein Hashemi, representing The Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW), took part in the Strategic Research Area (SRA) Leadership Development program at Lund University during the 2024–2025 academic year.Running from August 2024 to March 2025, the program ai

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-researchers-participated-sra-leadership-development-program - 2025-09-13

Applications are now open for the CMES Travel Grant of Autumn 2025. Application deadline is 30 May 2025. The Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) supports research with high scientific potential through the Strategic Research Area Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW). CMES provides travel grants for conducting field work in the Middle East and conference/workshop participation

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/call-cmes-travel-grant-autumn-2025 - 2025-09-13

A recent CMES Research Seminar with Professor Christie S. Warren offered a look into the complex journey of rebuilding Syria after years of devastating conflict. How do you rebuild a nation that has been torn apart by more than a decade of war? This was the central question when Fulbright Professor Christie S. Warren visited CMES for a research seminar titled Reconstructing Syria.In her talk, Chri

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-research-seminar-christie-s-warren-reconstructing-syria - 2025-09-13