2024 Impact Report

Five Years of Engagement: Middle East Studies at Ohio State University, 2019–2024
 

Overview

Over the past five years, Middle East Studies at Ohio State University has demonstrated robust growth and significant impact across academic programs, interdisciplinary course offerings, and co-curricular engagement. The Middle East Studies Center (MESC)  has become a hub for students and faculty interested in the Middle East, fostering language proficiency, cultural understanding, and career readiness. Our activities and events:

  • The Middle East Studies Forum is a vibrant community of scholars that highlights aspects of the academic profession and fosters professional networking.
  • MESC supports student organizations, film screenings, guest lectures, and cultural festivals, enriching campus life and promoting cross-cultural understanding.
  • The Center regularly hosts career events, connecting current students with graduates in fields such as academia, public service, media, and others.

Unique Strengths

  • The breadth of language instruction and interdisciplinary coursework focused on the Middle East distinguish OSU regionally and nationally.
  • The level of collaboration between units in multiple disciplines supports continuous improvement and innovation in programming.
  • The integration of ancient and modern studies, as well as a strong focus on diaspora and transnational issues, positions OSU as a leader in the field of Middle East Studies.

Academic Enrichment and Outreach

The Center has a long tradition of organizing events that connect the academic community with the general public, fostering an environment of learning and cultural exchange. The Middle East Studies Center organizes 1 to 2 signature events every year that we lead and collaborates with partners to co-host many more to extend our reach and impact.  The Middle East Studies Center (MESC) at Ohio State University organized a diverse range of events from Academic Year 2020 to AY24, targeting various audiences and reaching a total of 2697 people. The primary target audiences are: 

  • Higher Education (university students, faculty, researchers) 
  • Schools and Teachers (K-12) 
  • General Public 

Event planning and outreach strategies are tailored to maximize impact for each audience. We integrate input directly from students to ensure event topics appeal to their interests in addition to the research interests of our faculty. We acquire this input from our student interns, and the leaders of student organizations on campus, in addition to the feedback we collect at our events through surveys. 

Signature events in recent years have featured archeologists working in the Gulf region, Syria and Turkey. We partner with the Melton Center for Jewish Studies and the Mershon Center for International Security Studies to offer topics that respond to our community’s needs. Notable examples included:   

During Academic Year 2024 the events organized by the Middle East Studies Center attracted a total of 936 attendees. Our affiliated faculty are actively involved in public outreach, collaborating with schools and other community organizations to reach different audiences.  Many events are co-sponsored by various departments and organizations, such as University Libraries, the Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures, the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, the Department of History, the Department of Anthropology, and the Area Studies Centers of the Office of International Affairs.  Signature events in recent years have featured archeologists working in the Gulf region, Syria and Turkey. For example we co-hosted the Antiquities Smuggling in the Middle East panel on April 2nd with CIBER and the Risk Institute in the Fisher College of Business, then for our signature event, we screened the documentary "Artifact War" the following day, a film that featured one of the panelists, Amr Alazm. 

Middle East Studies at Ohio State University in Numbers

  • In Academic Year 2024, 2,040 students enrolled in courses with at least 25% Middle East content, reflecting strong and sustained interest across the university.
  • 443 students participated in language instruction courses for Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish, Uzbek, and Akkadian.
    • Arabic is the most widely taught Middle Eastern language at OSU, with courses at all proficiency levels and the largest enrollments.
    • Hebrew maintains steady enrollments, while Persian, Turkish, and Uzbek are offered regularly in smaller classes.
  • In 2023–2024, eight students completed majors in Middle East-related fields, and 39 completed minors-most commonly in Arabic, but also in Hebrew, Turkish, and Central Asian Studies.

Faculty, Professional Staff, and Specialized Library Resources

  • Students benefit from the expertise of 36 tenure-track faculty across 10 departments.
  • The Center’s professional staff and interns are highly qualified and engaged in interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Library resources are extensive, with notable holdings in Ottoman and Central Asian history and unique research assets such as the OCIANA epigraphy image database.

Courses Offered

The Middle East Studies curriculum at Ohio State University is highly interdisciplinary, integrating history, political science, anthropology, religious studies, and literature. Students gain historical knowledge, cultural awareness, and the ability to analyze contemporary issues such as international relations, social structures, gender dynamics, and religious diversity.

Recent and Upcoming Courses Include:

  • Islamic Studies:
    • The Quran in Translation
    • Introduction to Islam
    • The Early Islamic Conquests
    • Islam, Politics, and Society in History
    • Muslims in America and Europe
  • Jewish Studies:
    • Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
    • Culture of Contemporary Israel
    • Introduction to Jewish Culture, Thought, and Practice
    • Women in the Bible and Beyond
    • History of Zionism and Modern Israel
    • Israel/Palestine: History of the Present
    • Israeli Film & Society
  • Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures:
    • Introduction to the Modern Middle East
    • Ancient Empires
    • Citizenship and Diaspora
    • Messages from Beyond (divination, prophecy, occult)
    • Lost Languages, Lost Cultures
    • Stories of Belonging and Difference
    • Oligarchs, Penthouses, and Yachts (Eurasian elites)
    • The Middle East Close-Up
    • Films of the Middle East
    • Mythology of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
    • Words Across the World
  • South Asian Studies:
    • Understanding Bollywood, Knowing India
    • Citizenship and Diaspora (India/Pakistan & Israel/Palestine)
    • Citizenship in South Asia
    • Desi Diaspora
    • Living Everyday Lives (caste in South Asia and race in the US)
  • Language Courses: Regular offerings in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish, Uzbek, Akkadian, and, most recently, Syriac.

Major Project: Digital Arabia

The Middle East Studies Center collaborated with Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures (NESA) to organize and host the launch workshop of OCIANA 2 on September 12th and 13th: ociana.osu.edu. OCIANA 2 will serve as the main international database for the epigraphy of Arabia, extending from Najrān to the Syrian frontier. The project currently comprises over 50,000 records and updates can be expected weekly in the near future. There are over 30,000 unpublished ancient inscriptions that await entry. 

Over a hundred scholars, online and in-person, joined us on the occasion to inaugurate the new asset and learn about how it might support their research. Thanks so much to our co-sponsors who made the workshop possible. We are greatly appreciative of the following units and programs:

  • Digital Laboratory for the Study of Ancient Textual Documents
  • The Translational Data Analytics Institute (TDAI)
  • Start-up funding from OSU Global Arts and Humanities Larger Grants

Internationally recognized experts spoke on topics ranging from the keynote on Arabia’s written history to “Digital Approaches to Research on the Thamudic D” script(s) by Jérôme Norris, University of Lorraine. Keynote speaker Michael C.A. MacDonald is a Research Associate of the Khalili Research Centre, and an Honorary Fellow, Wolfson College, Oxford. Ali al-Manaser, University of Jordan, gave a presentation in Arabic on the state of fieldwork in Jordan. Other renowned scholars such as Laïla Nehmé joined us in addition to our own James Moore and Ahmad Al-Jallad. James Moore presented OSU’s new Digital Lab for Ancient Textual Objects (DLATO). Check out Al-Jallad's TEDx Talk about research connected to OCIANA, as well as this recent publicizing article on Live Science For more on the team managing OCIANA 2, see ociana.osu.edu/staff. The MESC team showcased OSU's Anthropology Department’s Near Eastern Archaeobotany Laboratory as part of a tour for our esteemed guests.

K-12 Educators and Students 

Several events specifically targeted K-12 educators and students every year, providing them with professional development opportunities and educational resources related to the Middle East. These events were designed to enhance the educators' understanding and expertise, enabling them to bring new knowledge and perspectives into their classrooms. Additionally, events for middle and high school students aimed to engage younger audiences in learning about the Middle East. 

  • Trainings for Middle and High School Teachers: Trainings focused on skill development and educational workshops for K-12 educators, offer, theoretical and practical learning experiences while also offering teachers materials they can immediately use in their classrooms.
  • Engaging Students Directly: An example of an in-person presentation is the Cultural Ambassador program of the Columbus Council on World Affairs. On October 6, 2023, at Franklin University in Columbus,  60 middle and high school students gathered to listen to graduate student Zari Mahmoudi about Iranian history and culture. 

Conclusion

The Middle East Studies Center at Ohio State University has established itself as a vibrant, interdisciplinary hub for education, research, and engagement on Middle Eastern topics. Its broad curriculum, strong enrollments, diverse language offerings, and dynamic extracurricular programming have made a measurable impact on students and the broader university community. See more about what we're doing in our newsletters.