This is a newsletter from Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), Lund University |
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CMESNewsletter #59April 2026 | | | | Second sign of spring
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Common hepatica, (Hepatica nobilis). Photo: Linus Edlund
| Message from the DirectorSpring is slowly transforming the lawns across Lund into brilliant shades of blue as early flowers come into bloom, also around the Forsman Villa, home to researchers at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies.
Another clear sign of the season was the traditional celebration of Nowruz on March 20 at CMES. Meaning “new day” in Persian, Nowruz is a 3,000-year-old festival marking the Iranian New Year and the spring equinox, celebrated by around 300 million people across the Middle East and Central Asia. As has often been the case, developments in the Middle East continue to resonate in everyday life in Sweden. The region is currently experiencing significant turmoil, particularly in Iran and Lebanon, where escalating conflict, political tensions, and regional spillovers are contributing to instability, displacement, and humanitarian concerns. These crises underscore the continued relevance of CMES research and expert analysis, which help inform public debate through media engagement as well as topical seminars and workshops.
Recent activities include the 2–3 March workshop on agonistic diplomacy launching the UNPEACE project led by Isabel Bramsen, with researchers Katarzyna Jezierska and Lisa Strömbom. On 12 March, Zenia Henriksen (University of Southern Denmark) presented her research on Muslim environmentalism, focusing on the Qur’anic Botanic Garden in Doha, Qatar. CMES
also had the pleasure of hearing Sinem Kavak present The Making of Migrant
Labour: Politics of Land, Displacement and Social Reproduction in Turkey on 26
March. Looking
ahead, the 9 April
CMES seminar Challenges and Strategies for Fieldwork in Repressive and
Illiberal Countries, presented by Merouan Mekouar (York University,
Canada), will focus on the specific challenges faced by scholars conducting
research in countries under repressive conditions, and the strategies developed
to address them. Follow CMES on social media and visit our website to stay updated on research, events, and expert insights.
| Ronny BerndtssonCMES Director and MECW Coordinator
| | | | Nowruz Celebration at CMES.
Nowruz, meaning "new day" in Persian, is an ancient, 3,000-year-old festival marking the Iranian New Year and the spring equinox (March 20/21). Read more.
| | | | Qur’anic Gardens: Where Faith Meets Environmental Action.
On 12 March 2026, Zenia Henriksen (University of Southern Denmark) presented her research on Muslim environmentalism at Lund University’s CMES seminar, focusing on the Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG) in Doha, Qatar.
Read more.
| | | | Workshop on Agonistic diplomacy.
On 2–3 March, CMES hosted a workshop on agonistic diplomacy to kick off the newly launched UNPEACE project led by Isabel Bramsen with researchers Katarzyna Jezierska and Lisa Strömbom.
Read more.
| | | | Scholarly Paper Prize Winner: Dr. Rami Zalfou and Prof. Martin Dribe.
Former CMES researcher Dr Rami Zalfou and CMES board member Prof Martin Dribe have been awarded the 2025 Alixa Naff Prize for Best Scholarly Paper in Migration Studies.
Read more.
| | | |
Call for project proposals.
CMES will fund 1-2 new research projects during 2026-2029 and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from different disciplines within Lund University. Read more here.
| | | | Media Interviews and Articles on the Latest Developments in the Middle East.
CMES Researchers are regularly interviewed in newspapers, radio, and podcasts on the situation in the Middle East. Explore their analyses here.
| | | | 9 April - CMES Seminar: Challenges and Strategies for Fieldwork in Repressive and Illiberal Countries.
Presentation by Merouan Mekouar, York University, Canada. Read more here.
| | | | 14
April - A sustainable Middle East in a turbulent world?
The Centre for Advanced Middle East Studies invites you to a panel discussion exploring the prospects for sustainability and peace in the Middle East amid increasing geopolitical tensions and environmental pressures.
Read more here.
| | | | 16 April - CMES Seminar: Worlds of Waymaking: Viability, Orientation, and the Recalibration of Syrian Lives.
Presentation by Andreas Bandak, University of Copenhagen.
Read more here.
| | | | 7-8 May - Critical Approaches to Middle East and Islamic Studies.
The Center for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is organizing 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.
Read more here.
| | | | 7 May - CMES Seminar: Jewish Settler Violence in Palestine as Israeli State Responsibility: From Attribution to Accountability under International Law.
Presentation by Alice Panepinto, School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast.
Read more here.
| | | | 8 May - CMES Seminar: What is going to happen in Gaza?
Cecilia Uddén, author the recent book, Allt har en smak av aska. Skräddaren i Gaza och Andra människor i en plågad region, Middle East Correspondent, Sveriges Radio. Read more here
| | | | 21 May - CMES Seminar: Idle Days and Nights: Leisure, Entertainment, and Everyday Life in Modern Iraq.
Presentation by Pelle Valentin Olsen, CMES and Department of History, Lund University. Read more here.
| | | | 26 May - Authoritarian Climates: (Im)mobility and the Green Transition in the Middle East.
The Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at Lund University invites you to explore the intersection of authoritarianism, climate policy, and displacement.
Read more here.
| | | | 29 May - Semitiska seminariet & CMES: The Publics of Syrian Prison Narratives After 2011.
Guest lecture by Anne-Marie McManus, Forum Transregionale Studien Berlin.
Read more here.
| | | | 4 June - CMES Seminar: Eco-Syria: Exploring Conflict-Environment Interactions for Sustainable Development and Conservation.
Presentation by Pinar Dinc, Lina Eklund, Maria Andrea Nardi, Mo Hamza, Hakim Abdi, CMES and Lund University.
Read more here.
| | | | The invisible labour behind “intelligent” machines
Cowritten by CMES researcher Mo Hamza, this article sheds light on the often-overlooked human work that makes so‑called intelligent machines function.
Read more.
| | | | Climate change is altering Saharan dust – and Europe is downwind
In a new article for The Conversation, CMES researcher Hossein Hashemi reveals how climate change is reshaping Saharan dust storms and their growing impact on Europe.
Read more.
| | | | Agri-labour mobility in a changing climate: A systems approach to vulnerability and precarity among migrant farmworkers.
New Study by CMES Researcher Sinem Kavak: How Climate Change Shapes the Lives of Migrant Farmworkers. Read more.[tom länk]
| | | | Agonistic Memory and Peace.
In her new book Agonistic Memory and Peace, Lisa Strömbom, Deputy Director of CMES, explores how contested memories in Colombia, Israel-Palestine, and Northern Ireland can become tools for dialogue and peace. Read more.[tom länk]
| | | | Drylands as frontlines of adaptation: A shift away from the climate-conflict narrative.
Drylands are often portrayed as hotspots for climate-driven conflict, but this narrative risks oversimplifying their complex realities. In a new article in Cambridge Prisms: Drylands, CMES researcher Lina Eklund critically examines the climate-conflict link in Syria. Read more.
| | | | Redefining water scarcity through the integrated water strategic resilience index amid climate and conflict pressures.
New article published in Scientific Reports by CMES researcher Filippo Verre, Ronny Berndtsson and Hossein Hashemi.
Read and download here.
| | | | Islamic Aid and Gulf States in Contemporary Crises.
Former researcher Altea Pericoli has published a new book with Edinburgh University Press, entitled Islamic Aid and Gulf States in Contemporary Crises
Read more.
| | | | Looking for an Expert on the Middle East and North Africa?CMES researchers conduct research on a range of themes related to countries in the MENA region: democratization, migration and sustainable socio-economic development; environment and sustainable development; religion, identity and culture; and security and sustainable peace. To find out more, please visit our website's list of experts. | Find Out More About Middle East Research at Lund UniversityLund University conducts Middle Eastern research of international quality and with a societal relevance across and between faculties. To find out more about the Middle East research being conducted at LU in Science, Medicine, Engineering, Humanities and Theology, and Social Sciences, please visit our website. | |
About This NewsletterThis is a newsletter from the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University. With the objective to provide an overview Middle Eastern studies undertaken at Lund University, this newsletter is intended to give updates on research, events, and other related news. It is also intended to form a window towards the society, showcasing important Middle Eastern research conducted at Lund University. Subscribe here Send the CMES Newsletter to a friend UNSUBSCRIBE |
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