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Middle East, Southwest Asia & North Africa

Near Eastern Studies

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Near Eastern Studies News

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Humanities students take D.C. trip to advocate for funding

Cornell University Humanities Scholars traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for increased National Endowment for the Humanities and National Archives funding, meeting with congressional offices to highlight the impact of humanities programs on education. Their two‑day trip underscored how federal support strengthens community partnerships, language programs, and public humanities initiatives benefiting campuses and local organizations nationwide.

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Cornell's Alma Mater in Urdu

The Language Resource Center's eighth annual Lingua Mater competition just wrapped up, and they have announced the top three student entries.

Ibrahim Gemeah

Alum spotlight: Ibrahim Gemeah, Ph.D. ’23

Ibrahim Gemeah, Ph.D. ’23, is an alumnus of the Near Eastern studies doctoral program with a focus on the history of the modern Middle East. He is now an assistant professor of modern Middle East and North African history in the department of Middle Eastern languages and cultures at Indiana University.

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Near Eastern Studies Events

Apr 23
Thursday 04:45 PM

Hakem Al-Rustom - Armenian Genocide Commemoration Lecture

Goldwin Smith Hall 142
Apr 30
Thursday 04:45 PM

After Revelation: The Rabbinic Past in the Medieval Islamic World

Uris Hall G08
See all events
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Major in Near Eastern studies

Interested in exploring the languages, literatures, cultures, religions, and history of the Middle East from antiquity to the modern day? Consider pursuing a major in Near Eastern studies.

Study a Middle Eastern language

Take Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, or Persian to fulfill the College of Arts & Sciences language requirement!

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Map of the "Near East" extends from Morocco (and medieval Spain) across North Africa, through Egypt, the Levant (Israel and Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan), Turkey and South-West Asia

What is the "Near East"?

The Near East is an older term for the Middle East. As defined by the department, the “Near East” extends from Morocco (and medieval Spain), through Egypt, the Levant (Israel and Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan), Turkey, Southwest Asia and North Africa.

Faculty specializing in the earliest millennia of the region’s history bring a range of disciplines, methods and theoretical orientations to bear on the study of what is conventionally called the ancient Near East. Geographically, our vision is wide, extending from the shores of the eastern Mediterranean to the lowlands of Mesopotamia, from the highlands of Anatolia and the Caucasus to the plains of southwestern Iran.

Senior Spotlight

The study of the Middle East and North Africa at Cornell includes the full geographic and temporal sweep from ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to modern Turkey and Morocco. Our interdisciplinary faculty are committed to research that explores the rich history of the region, the diversity of languages and literatures, and religious, social, political, and cultural dimensions across time and place.

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