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| NEWSLETTER | #61 | 18/06/2026 |
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| Summer garden at Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies |
As the spring semester comes to a close and the summer holidays approach, we are wrapping up an exceptionally busy and productive period of research activities at CMES.
The semester included several well-attended events, such as a seminar with journalist Cecilia Uddén on Gaza and a book talk by Dalia Dassa Kaye on the enduring dynamics of US - Iran policy.
Our Spring 2026 CMES Seminar Series concluded on 5 June with a presentation by the ECO-Syria research team. The team shared findings from their three-year interdisciplinary project examining how conflict and cross-border hostilities shape environmental change and development in North and East Syria.
We are also pleased to announce that two new three-year CMES flagship research projects have been awarded funding. Elite Mobility is a timely, original, and intellectually ambitious project that explores the growing phenomenon of investment migration programmes in the Middle East and their implications for citizenship, statehood, and global inequality. Utopian Desert: Investigating Smart Cities in the Gulf Region addresses pressing questions at the intersection of urban studies, sustainability, technology, and Middle East studies. The project offers an innovative and theoretically sophisticated examination of emerging urban futures in the Gulf.
In a recent Regional Outlook, CMES researchers Hebatalla Taha and Dina Tawfik provide a timely analysis of Iran’s nuclear posture beyond conventional assumptions of weaponisation. Their study highlights Iran’s pursuit of nuclear latency and examines the implications for diplomacy and regional dynamics.
CMES has also launched two new funding calls: Research Initiation Grants and Workshop Grants. These schemes provide seed funding for the development of research projects, the preparation of applications for national and international funding opportunities, and the organisation of workshops and seminars with strong scientific potential. The application deadline is 31 August 2026.
We also warmly invite you to our Open House on 14 September, where you can meet our staff, learn more about our research activities, and explore our Arabic language courses.
Looking ahead, we have an exciting autumn seminar programme featuring both international scholars and researchers from Lund University. The series will begin with a book launch by CMES researchers Maria Småberg and Svante Lundgren on 9 September, and conclude on 17 December with a seminar on nature-based solutions by Masoumeh Mirsafah.
We wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable summer break and look forward to welcoming you back in the autumn with renewed energy and fresh inspiration.
Happy summer from all of us at CMES!
For the latest updates, stay connected through the CMES website, social media channels, and by subscribing to the newsletter.
Ronny Berndtsson
CMES Director,
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| This CMES Regional Outlook (2026:1) by Hebatalla Taha and Dina Tawfik examines Iran’s nuclear posture beyond assumptions of weaponisation, highlighting its pursuit of nuclear latency and the implications for diplomacy and regional dynamics. |
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| The Eco-Syria team preparing for their seminar presentation. Photo: Linus Edlund |
| At a CMES seminar, the ECO‑Syria research team presented findings from a three-year interdisciplinary project examining how conflict and cross-border hostilities shape environmental change and development in North and East Syria. |
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| Cecilia Uddén. Photo: Linus Edlund |
| At a time when developments in Gaza remain central to global politics and public debate, the future of the territory is marked by uncertainty. During a CMES seminar this semester, Swedish journalist and long-time Middle East correspondent Cecilia Uddén reflected on the current situation and possible trajectories ahead. |
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| The workshop team. Photo: Linus Edlund |
| ECO-Syria Project held their final two day Workshop on June 1 and 2, bringing together an interdisciplinary group of scholars to reflect on the politics and ethics of global solidarity in times of crisis. |
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Dalia Dassa Kaye. Photo: Linus Edlund
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| How has one of the most enduring rivalries in international politics persisted for more than four decades and why has it proven so difficult to change? |
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| Lina Eklund. Photo: Global land programme |
| CMES researcher Lina Eklund has been elected as a new member of the Young Academy of Sweden, a multidisciplinary academy bringing together outstanding early-career researchers. |
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| Workshop participants under the CMES Japanese cherry tree. Photo: Linus Edlund |
| The Center for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) organized an interdisciplinary workshop “Critical Approaches to Middle East and Islamic Studies: Power, Politics, and Decoloniality” with international scholars to analyze and evaluate major paradigms and methods used to study the Middle East and Islam. |
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| Pelle Valentin Olsen. Photo: Linus Edlund |
| The CMES seminar room was filled with researchers, students and interested attendees as Pelle Valentin Olsen presented his ongoing research on leisure and everyday life in modern Iraq. The seminar, based on a forthcoming book project, offered a shift away from traditional political narratives, instead focusing on how ordinary people experienced and shaped modern Iraqi society. |
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Photo: Rafah Barhoum
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| Arabic cultural event organized by Rafah Barhoum Language training expert at Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University: |
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| The CMES Yearbooks summarize the Centre's activities during the year. |
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| CMES Researchers are regularly interviewed in newspapers, radio, and podcasts on the situation in the Middle East. |
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| The Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) provides seed money for research initiation and preparation of applications for national and international research calls. Deadline: 31 August. |
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| The Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) funds 1-2 new workshops per year and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from different disciplines within Lund University. Deadline: 31 August. |
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| CMES researcher Filippo Verre has published the book chapter in the Scopus-index book "Smart Healthcare: Leveraging AI and Cloud Technologies for Enhanced Medical Solutions". |
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| Special issue stemming from workshop held at CMES. Cowritten by CMES Board Member Sarah Anne Rennick and CMES researcher Rola El-Husseini |
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