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MENA at OU

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Morocco, Photo by Moussa Idrissi from Pexels

MENA at OU

This webpage is home to Middle East and North Africa studies, research, and programs at the University of Oklahoma.

Welcome to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) webpage at the University of Oklahoma. MENA covers peoples, cultures, and lands that relate to the Middle East, the Sahel and West Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and their diasporas.

The University of Oklahoma offers:

Why Study the Middle East and North Africa at OU?

  • Prepare for a career in international relations, diplomacy, security, nonprofits and NGOs, politics, journalism, government, and more
  • Develop in-demand critical language skills
  • Have access to unique study abroad opportunities
  • Pursue research with strong support and scholarship opportunities
  • Benefit from OU's MENA-related programming, such as regular high-profile guest speakers, events, and organizations

Events and Announcements

Announcing the African Studies Institute Study Abroad Scholarship!

The African Studies Institute is pleased to provide scholarships of $750 each for a limited number of students studying abroad with the Summer Faculty-Led program in Tanzania

DEADLINE: March 3, 2023

LEARN MORE AND APPLY

Women, Life, Freedom: Whither Iran?

March 29, 3-4 p.m.
Zarrow Hall 145

Kreisky, Israel and Jewish Identity

April 3, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Zoom

#YemenCan'tWait: Civil Actors and Justice Work in Yemen

April 3, 4:30-5:45 p.m.
Zarrow Hall 145 and Zoom

Farsi Friday

Every Friday, 2-3 p.m.
Kaufman Hall 230

Join us every Friday for conversation, tutoring and a taste of Persian culture. For more information, contact Marjan Seirafi-Pour at marjan@ou.edu.

Persian Tutoring Spring 2023

Spring 2023 Persian Tutoring

Every Wednesday, 1-2 p.m.
Farzaneh Hall 319

Take advantage of free tutoring sessions to improve you pronunciation, advance your reading and writing skills, and practice conversation with our student tutor Anahita Niknejad.

Anahita was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. One of her main interests since high school has been Persian literature and language. Anahita is studying Landscape Architecture at the University of Oklahoma's Gibbs College of Architecture. Her favorite subject in this field is the preservation of historical buildings and environments. 

For more information on Persian tutoring, contact Marjan Seirafi-Pour at marjan@ou.edu.

November 9, 2022: The Center for Middle East Studies, the Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies and the Institute for US-China Issues, co-sponsored a talk with Ambassador Chas Freeman, Visiting Scholar, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University.

Recent News

Iranian Studies cover of January 2023 Issue
Faculty News

February 14, 2023

IAS Professor Afshin Marashi Edits Special Issue of the journal Iranian Studies, "Parsis and Iranians in the Modern Period"

Vahid Davar
Center News

November 22, 2022

Vahid Davar Named Winner of the 2022 Jafar and Shokoh Farzaneh Prize for Best Article on Persian Literature

Afshin Marashi
Faculty News

October 26, 2022

IAS Professor Afshin Marashi publishes op-ed in The Oklahoman, "Iran's Struggle for Democracy Has a Long History"

Waleed Mahdi
Faculty News

October 26, 2022

IAS Associate Professor Waleed Mahdi elected as President of the Arab American Studies Association for 2023-2025.

Top photo: Moussa Idrissi from Pexels