Duke University Asian & Middle Eastern Studies

Our Mission

The Duke University Middle East Studies Center (DUMESC) is a hub for research, education, and outreach that serves as a forum at the local, national and international levels. We prepare tomorrow's leaders by equipping them with knowledge about Middle Eastern languages, cultures, and societies. 

Our Approach

Our center is distinguished by its transregional approach to the Middle East. We approach the Middle East as a unit extending from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean. Our approach emphasizes interdisciplinarity, comparativity, and connectivity.

Our Partners

DUMESC is part of the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies. The Consortium combines the strengths of our center with those of the Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations.

The Consortium for Middle East Studies has recently been awarded a Title VI Middle East Studies grant, establishing the Consortium as a National Resource Center for Middle East Studies. Among the things this grant will enable us to:

• Strengthen language instruction in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish at Duke & UNC

• Provide Academic Year and Summer FLAS Fellowships

• Offer programs and events about the Middle East on both the Duke and UNC campuses

• Strengthen our offerings for graduate students, which include a new Graduate Certificate in Middle East Studies, a Graduate Speakers Bureau, and an annual graduate research conference.

• Educate teachers, professionals and other community members about the Middle East

• Provide funds for course development, research, and travel support to our faculty.

We are proud of Duke's accomplishments and excited about the future of Middle East studies at Duke. We hope you'll be a part of it.