Academic Freedom for Civic Engagement

By protecting academic freedom and promoting critical analysis, we foster engaged citizenship, because open scholarly discourse enables individuals to think critically, participate in democratic debate, and act as informed public actors. This strategy centers academic freedom as a cornerstone of democratic society, emphasizing institutional support for open inquiry, debate, and protection from political or social coercion. Unlike strategies focused solely on research dissemination or professional development, it actively links scholarly autonomy to civic empowerment, positioning universities as vital spaces for cultivating critical thought and public responsibility.

orgs running it

activities of those orgs

clusters touched

who runs it

organizations running this strategy · 1

#01 MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF AZ · 30 activities

what it looks like in practice

activities of orgs running this strategy

A sample of programmatic activities from the orgs above. These are what the strategy looks like on the ground.

Address sexual harassment MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Established the Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee in 2018 to address sexual harassment at its annual meeting and in the field.
Address sexual harassment MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Established the Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee in 2018 to address sexual harassment at its annual meeting and within the field of Middle East studies.
Address sexual harassment in the field MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Established the Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee in 2018 to address sexual harassment at its annual meeting and in the broader field of Middle East studies.
Advocate for academic freedom and ethical practices MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
advocacy
Engages in advocacy by endorsing calls for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, affirming free speech rights for members to discuss academic boycotts, calling upon leaders of colleges and universities to defend academic freedom, and advocating for the separation of foreign area studies from military and intelligence organizations.
Advocate for academic freedom and ethical research practices MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
advocacy
Engages in advocacy by endorsing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, defending free speech, and calling upon colleges and universities to protect academic freedom. The organization also advocates for the separation of foreign area studies from military and intelligence organizations and urges members not to accept funding from the National Security Education Act (NSEA) until concerns are addressed.
Advocate for academic freedom and ethical research practices MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
advocacy
Engages in advocacy by passing resolutions and issuing calls to defend academic freedom, champion freedom of expression, and ensure the separation of foreign area studies from military and intelligence organizations. This includes affirming the right of members to discuss boycotts of Israeli academic institutions and urging members not to accept funding from NSEA until concerns are addressed.
Award fellowships to displaced scholars MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Awards competitive fellowships to displaced scholars from the MENA region to attend meetings, workshops, and conferences.
Committee-led professional initiatives MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Operates standing committees such as the Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee, established in 2018 to address harassment at the annual meeting and in the field, and supports graduate student and pedagogical activities.
Host an annual meeting MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Hosts an annual meeting that serves as an international forum for scholarship, intellectual exchange, and pedagogical innovation, with approximately 2,000 attendees and a printed program. The 60th meeting is scheduled for November 21-24, 2026.
Host annual meetings and workshops MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Hosts an annual meeting, with the 60th meeting scheduled for November 21-24, 2026, serving as an international forum for scholarship, intellectual exchange, and pedagogical innovation, and sponsors an annual Undergraduate Research Workshop.
Host annual meetings and workshops MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Hosts an annual meeting that serves as an international forum for scholarship, intellectual exchange, and pedagogical innovation, with the 60th meeting scheduled for November 21-24, 2026, and an estimated 2,000 attendees. Also organizes an annual Undergraduate Research Workshop and sponsors panels on teaching and learning at MESA conferences.
Hosting annual academic meeting MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Hosts an annual international meeting that serves as a forum for scholarship, intellectual exchange, and pedagogical innovation, with an expected attendance of around 2,000; includes distribution of a printed program and sponsorship of panels on teaching and learning.
Member and institutional support services MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
capacity building
Provides access to RoMES as a membership benefit, serves as an umbrella organization for institutional members and affiliated organizations, and offers online professional opportunity listings and member mailing list rentals for targeted outreach.
Provide professional development and networking opportunities MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
direct service
Organizes an annual Undergraduate Research Workshop, sponsors panels on teaching and learning at MESA conferences, offers online professional opportunity listings, and rents its member mailing list for one-time use to facilitate networking.
Publication of Issues in Middle East Studies (IMES) MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
research
publishes "Issues in Middle East Studies" (IMES) biannually, an e-newsletter with a circulation of approximately 2,500 that includes annual meeting highlights, committee reports, graduate student activities, updates from sister organizations, trends in the field, and pedagogical issues.
Publication of book and media reviews MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
research
publishes 20–30 book reviews per issue in RoMES and includes additional reviews of films, music, software, and exhibitions, contributing to critical discourse in Middle East studies.
Publication of peer-reviewed research journals MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
research
Produces and publishes original scholarly research through the International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES), covering politics, society, and culture in the Middle East from the seventh century to the present day.
Publication of the Review of Middle East Studies (RoMES) MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF
research
publishes the Review of Middle East Studies (RoMES) twice a year, featuring research articles, essays, reports, and approximately fifty reviews of books, films, music, software, and exhibitions relevant to Middle East studies; available to members and over 900 subscribing libraries.