Can geopolitical tensions reshape the future of the green transition in #Kuwait and the #GCC? Jean El Achkar and Francisco de Melo Viríssimo (@granthamlse.bsky.social) argue that Kuwait needs a resilience‑led green transition as global shocks reshape #energy security. https://ow.ly/MBbo50Z7ub2

How does current policy shape the future of education in #Kuwait? Join our #KuwaitProgramme panel discussion highlighting recent education policy issues and trajectories in Kuwait and beyond. www.lse.ac.uk/middleeastce...

How has the image of the Palestinian mother been repurposed to sell banking and telecommunications products in the West Bank? Read @leverhulme.ac.uk Early Career Fellow @polly-withers.bsky.social in Feminist Theory journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10....

Day 2 of the #LSEAlgeriaConference featured panels on arts & cultural heritage, Fanonian perspectives, economic histories, digital activism, and decolonising education. We ended with a panel on histories of Algerian women and a talk b/w Abderrahmane Hadj-Nacer & Francis Ghiles.

📢 New Event Series | Iran in Context Part I: Gender and Revolution Join BRISMES, MERIP & SeSaMO for a discussion on women, revolution, and the gendered politics of Iran from 1979 to the present. 🗓 18 June 2026 | ⏰ 15:00–16:30 (UK) 🔗 Register: bit.ly/OP_Iran

📚 Join us tomorrow for the book launch of Turkey and the Liberal International Order. We'll explore Turkey's evolving relationship with the liberal international order, from the end of the First World War to today. www.lse.ac.uk/middleeastce...

The US-Israeli war is the product of an imperialist dynamic which has characterised US-Middle East relations since at least the second half of the 20th century. Israel's existence has long been integral to maintaining that control, writes Mehdi Shakarchi blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2026/06/...

Such an inspiring conference @LSE on Historical Struggles & Imagined Utopias in Algeria this week - a huge thank you to all organisers! @britishacademy.bsky.social @lsemiddleeast.bsky.social @coventryuni A truly international and interdisciplinary event (even came across a giant Australia!)

Come join our team! 💼 Job title: Communications Manager 📍 London/Hybrid 📝 Full-time, Permanent ⌛ Apply by 7 June https://careers.chathamhouse.org/jobs/7781864-communications-manager

Day 1 of the #LSEAlgeriaConference began with a keynote by Professor Zahia Salhi on the anxiety of decolonisation through case studies of gender & language. Panels followed on collective memory, North African borders & solidarities, Hugh Roberts’ legacy, historical resistances, and more.

In March, we hosted a book launch for @kbclarke.bsky.social's 'Return of Tyranny', a global study of counterrevolutions since 1900 that offers new evidence on how Egypt’s 2011 revolution was reversed. 🎧 Listen to the event recording: soundcloud.com/lsemiddleeas...

📣 Book Launch | Sovereignty in Iran: Challenges to Eurocentrism from Ancient Iran to the Islamic Republic 🗓️ Wednesday 10 June ⏰ 6-7 pm BST 📍LSE Find out more and register: https://ow.ly/tkws50Z4eCk

It remains surprisingly difficult for Arab citizens to travel within their own region. In a piece for the MEC blog, Rend Beiruti unpacks how these barriers limit mobility and opportunity – and what greater freedom of movement could make possible. https://ow.ly/W7xF50Z48ir

📚 Upcoming book launch | Turkey and the Liberal International Order: Hegemony, Contestation and the Politics of Articulation since 1919 🗓️ Thursday 4 June ⏰ 6-7 pm BST 📍In-person or online Register here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/middleeastcentre/events/2026/turkey-and-the-liberal-international-order

We are looking forward to welcoming participants to the Algeria: Historical Struggles and Imagined Utopias Conference at LSE next week. Explore the final programme, read the abstracts, and register to attend here: https://ow.ly/ysi550Z2MVr

'Long positioned as a key diplomatic intermediary, Algiers built its regional influence on a strategy centred on political mediation & non-interference. Today, however, the very foundations of this approach are being challenged,' writes Sofiane Benmoussa for the MEC blog. https://ow.ly/LEyj50Z0eh6

How have drainage, oil extraction and militarised governance erased southern Iraq’s last wetland? A new study spotlights Al‑Hawizeh’s collapse through the experiences of the women of Al-Bu Khassaf village in Maysan. Read in English or Arabic: https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/130702/

'Cabi reorients the analytical gaze toward the periphery, placing Kurdistan at the heart of inquiry.' - Mostafa Khalili reviews Marouf Cabi's book, Iranian Kurdistan Under the Islamic Republic: Change, Revolution and Resistance, for the MEC blog. https://ow.ly/ajxU50YZqvj

A few months ago, we co-hosted a lecture with LSE Health exploring recent health care reforms across the Middle East, with a particular focus on developments in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. You can listen to the event recording here: https://ow.ly/Kyks50YZ54o

What does new research reveal about gaps in Iraq's legal framework? Drawing on legal mapping and interviews across 10 provinces, this paper examines how gendered climate harm is overlooked within Iraq’s legal system. Available to read in English or Arabic: https://ow.ly/i00c50YY5Xo

Day 3 of the #LSEKurdishConference featured panels such as 'Kurdish representations in literature' & 'Lawmaking and governance in North & East Syria'. We wrapped up the conference with a screening of Night & Fog in Kurdistan and a discussion with Director Shilan Saadi and Producer Gulay Kilicaslan.

For Day 2 of the #LSEKurdishConference, we had panels on cultural preservation, statelessness and resilience in Rojava, Kurdish geopolitics, and more. We closed the day with a plenary session on developing Kurdish Studies as a scholarly field with Marlene Schäfers and Welat Zeydanlıoğlu.

Thank you to Abdurraouf Oueslati, our dedicated editor at De Gruyter Brill @degruyterbrill.bsky.social—and you can spot our special issue on Homemaking and Homelessness on their book stand! 📚

Our Managing Editor Marlene Schäfers joined a panel on "Kurdish Studies: The Development of a Scholarly Field" alongside journal founder and former Managing Editor Welat Zeydanlıoğlu, moderated by Veli Yadırgı. They reflected on the history of the Kurdish Studies Journal and the growth of the field.

Upcoming paper launch event | Sudan’s Current War: A Longer View on Peacemaking and Prospects 🗓️ Thursday 7 May ⏰ 6-7 pm BST 📍In-person or online Register here: https://ow.ly/xtrJ50YT5KN Read the paper: https://ow.ly/hz0G50YT5KM

We kicked off Day 1 of the #LSEKurdishConference with panels on politics from the margins in Iran, agency & belonging in Europe & beyond, culture & migration in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, conflict in Turkey, and fugitive epistemologies of worldmaking in Kurdistan.

Only 1 month to go until the Algeria: Historical Struggles and Imagined Utopias conference❗ Join us from 28-29 May at LSE for a rich programme covering 'economics and global perspectives', 'digital activism, identity and belonging', and more. Explore the programme and register: ow.ly/i96K50YRLHv

What challenges do middle powers face when navigating rivalries among great powers? Islam Alhalawany writes for the LSE Middle East Centre blog, offering a cautionary lesson from the Suez Crisis for middle powers leveraging great-power rivalries. Read the blog: https://ow.ly/MhOc50YQZ3w

The 2026 Kurdish Studies Conference kicks off at LSE next week! We've got a packed 3-day programme including a roundtable on decolonial epistemic infrastructures and a film screening and of 'Night and Fog in Kurdistan' with a post-film Q&A. Last chance to register 👉 https://ow.ly/eCvn50YP27x

How do Britain's 'modern slavery' laws deepen racial inequalities? This panel discussion marks the launch of the new book by Insa Lee Koch, bringing together ethnographic insights, leading anti-racism campaigners and lived experience. Tickets now available ⬇️ buff.ly/Hvsg8Xg

📣 Professor Fawaz Gerges has written a new opinion piece for @theguardian.com titled “Trump’s war has backfired spectacularly: Iran is now more influential than ever.” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... #Iran #AcademicSky #PoliSKy @lsemiddleeast.bsky.social

Upcoming Event | Sudan’s Current War: A Longer View on Peacemaking and Prospects Join us in-person or online on Thursday 7 May for the launch of MEC Visiting Senior Fellow Richard Barltrop’s paper, featuring discussants Raga Makawi and Abdel Salam Sidahmed. https://ow.ly/OJXh50YO6bJ

All 5 episodes of our new season of Instant Coffee are out now! For this season, we teamed up with @afsee-lse.bsky.social to hear from AFSEE Fellows from the Middle East on topics ranging from archiving, education, urban inequality, activism and women's economic empowerment. ow.ly/gyH450YNokO

What is the economic impact of the Iran War on global supply chains? Early assessments of the impact of the war underestimated its broader shock to the global supply chain, writes international economist Mina Toksöz for the LSE MEC blog. Read the full analysis: https://ow.ly/GXTU50YNmOw

Can training programmes shift labour‑market and civic engagement for climate‑displaced women? Read our new paper evaluating the effectiveness of a training programme on displaced women from southwestern Mosul in #Iraq. Available in English or Arabic: https://ow.ly/8QtH50YMrs3

Professor Fawaz Gerges appeared on Sky News Today with Gareth Barlow to discuss the prospects of a deal between #Iran and the #US. 🎥 Watch the full interview: bit.ly/4tpACp6 @lsemiddleeast.bsky.social

Who gets pushed out of the city, and what would it take to design spaces built for everyone? Tune into our final Instant Coffee podcast episode with @afsee-lse.bsky.social to hear about theories of urban planning and design through case studies of Jordan and Dubai. ow.ly/PMsF50YJVbS

Higher energy prices are expected to shave around 0.3 percentage points off global growth. The IMF has downgraded its global growth outlook, highlighting broader downside risks from elevated energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty. blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessrevi...

How does infrastructure shape belonging in cities? In the final episode of our podcast collaboration with @lsemiddleeast.bsky.social, AFSEE Fellow Ahmad Abu Hussien and colleagues explore infrastructure as a political & social system that shapes belonging. 🎧Listen to the episode: buff.ly/KbUPtp0

💧 How does water shape power, politics and cooperation across the Middle East and North Africa? Greg Shapland breaks down why transboundary water is becoming one of the region’s most strategic resources for the MEC blog. https://ow.ly/V8R850YJO2t

In February, we hosted a book launch for 'Governance of Resistance in North and East Syria: The Experience of Rojava', edited by Zeynep Kaya and Robert Lowe. The event recording is available to listen to here: https://soundcloud.com/lsemiddleeastcentre/governance-of-resistance-launch

The deadlines for LSE-Kuwait Academic Collaborations have been extended by one week. The new deadline for expressions of interest is 22 April, and the deadline for applications is 20 May. Find out more: www.lse.ac.uk/middle-east-...

Our MEC publication, The Yazidi Genocide: A Demographic Documentation of ISIL’s Attack on Tel Qasab and Tel Banat, is now available to read in both English and Arabic. It is the second publication of the Yazidi Victims Demographic Documentation Project (YVDDP). https://ow.ly/WAkM50YCnkw

🎧 New Instant Coffee episode: Creating Real Economic Empowerment for Women in MENA Yara Shawky Shahin (@afsee-lse.bsky.social) speaks to her colleague Yasmine D'Alessandro about how to create programmes of real economic empowerment for women in the MENA region. https://ow.ly/UawC50YCbY5

We were honoured to host award-winning novelist Elif Shafak as the speaker for our Keynote Lecture on 18 March! Elif delivered an inspiring talk exploring what literature, storytelling & arts can offer in our fractured world. 📺Watch the recording: buff.ly/ba0nEJk

📚 New research out now: When having a job is not enough: poor-quality employment in Egypt, 1988-2018 Proud to share that research we supported on the Egyptian labour market has been published in the Oxford Development Studies Journal. Read the full article: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Israel’s war with Iran reflects its new regional strategy on foreign and security policy. Following 7 October 2023, Israel has shifted from long‑standing containment strategies to an activist‑offensive posture. Amnon Aran for the @lsemiddleeast.bsky.social blog.

📣 2 months to go until the Algeria: Historical Struggles and Imagined Utopias Conference! The conference brings together scholars working on #Algeria to share their research across Algerian political, social, cultural and economic fields. 📍28-29 May | LSE Find out more: https://ow.ly/pXTJ50YB991

📢The deadline for applications to join us as the next Editor of the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies (BJMES) has been extended! 🗓️New deadline: 17:00 on 15 April 2026 More info: bit.ly/bjmes #AcademicPublishing #Editor #Journal #MiddleEastStudies

Last week, we hosted a public event on the Israel-US-Iran war, examining the geopolitical dynamics shaping the conflict and its potential consequences at both regional and international levels. A recording of the event is available to listen to here: https://ow.ly/3FgG50Yyk17