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:
MENA content courses in 7 departments:
5 research centers with MENA programming and projects:
January 3-17, 2026
Immerse yourself in Morocco with OU faculty and students while exploring the country's rich history and vibrant culture. Through a blend of classroom learning, site visits, and hands-on experiences, you'll engage with local communities and discover Morocco's cultural and historical highlights.
Morocco: Rabat, Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen
MLLL 3323: Language, Culture, and Identity in the Middle East and North Africa (World Culture Gen Ed)
Dr. Amel Khalfaoui, Associate Professor of Arabic Language and Linguistics, CIS and MLLL; Middle East Studies Academic Coordinator, CIS
November 1, 2025
“The Dawn is Too Far” Film Screening and Q&A
Wednesday, November 13th, 4 p.m.
Gould Hall 155
Join the Center for Middle East Studies for a film screening and Q&A of “The Dawn is Too Far” directed by Persis Karim.
Persis Karim is the director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University where she also teaches in the Department of Humanities and Comparative and World Literature. “The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life,” is her first film and reflects her interest in documenting and sharing the larger history and personal stories of those who are part of the global Iranian diaspora.
In April 2023, the Center for Middle East Studies hosted Stacey Philbrick Yadav, Associate Professor of International Relations at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and author of Yemen in the Shadow of Transition: Pursuing Justice Amid War. Here, you can watch her conversation with Waleed Mahdi, Associate Professor in the OU Department of International & Area Studies.
April 3, 2023: The Center for the Study of Nationalism and the Schusterman Center for Judaic and Israel Studies presented "Kriesky, Israel and Jewish Identity," a talk with Daniel Aschheim, Deputy Consul General of Israel to the Midwest. Moderator was Dr. Carsten Schapkow, L.R. Brammer, Jr. Presidential Associate Professor in History and Director of the Center for the Study of Nationalism.
February 8. 2023: The OU Center for Peace and Development and Security in Context presented a talk with Yeşim Arat, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Bogazici University, Istanbul.
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.
Top photo: Moussa Idrissi from Pexels
