Events
Upcoming events
There are currently no upcoming events.
Past events
October 7, 2024
The conference will tackle a diverse range of topics, including the socio-economic impact of the conflict, the humanitarian crisis, the role of regional and global powers, prospects for governance and democratization, and the complexities of cultural heritage and identity.
August 5, 2024
A/Prof Costas Laoutides, Dr Allan Hassaniyan, Dr William Gourlay
This workshop will explore how these states leverage the global attention on the Israel-Hamas conflict to intensify their repression of Kurds.
May 27, 2024
Maliheh Rezaei
This study focuses on the role of peace education, as one of the most frequently disregarded tools available to us, in promoting enduring peace in the Middle East ā a region beset by ongoing geopolitical, religious, and cultural conflicts.
April 22, 2024
Azadeh Zamirirad, Hamidreza Azizi, Mehran Kamrava, Shahram Akbarzadeh (Moderator)
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council), in partnership with the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), will host a webinar convening a panel of experts
April 5, 2024
Dr. Andrew Thomas
Andrew Thomas is a lecturer in Middle East studies and International Relations at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. Join us at the official launch of his book āIran and the West: A Non-Western Approach to Foreign Policy.ā
March 14, 2024
Nathan Thrall
Join Thrall in a conversation led by Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh to discuss the latest book "A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy"
November 16, 2023
Professor Ihsan Yilmaz, Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh
Please join us on for a two day hybrid event on November 16-17. In an era marked by the strategic manipulation of digital media by state and non-state actors, this workshop aims to shed light on the multifaceted tactics, implications, and consequences of these operations on democratic processes, social cohesion, and the complex interplay between digital technologies, information operations, sharp power, and democracy.
October 25, 2023
Dr. Hadeel Abdelhameed, Dr. Ghyath Manhal Alkinani
Please join us on Wednesday 25 October for a seminar with Dr. Hadeel Abdelhameed. This seminar will be based on feminist security theory, politics of grief, and communication theory to analyse a case study of an Iraqi bereaved mother, Um Muhanned who lost her son during Tishreen 2020.
September 7, 2023
Mr Alastair Roff, Prof Shahram Akbarzadeh, Professor Sally Totman, Mr Roland Jabbour OAM, Dr Rodger Shanahan, Mr James Bryan
Please join us on Thursday 7 September, as part of Social Sciences Week, for a co-hosted MESF and AIIA panel discussion on Australiaās Relations with the Middle East.
August 28, 2023
Dr. Mariam Farida
Please join us on Monday 28 August for a MESF seminar by Dr Mariam Farida: āThe Weaponization of Religious Myths: An Ethnography Shiāite Gendered Narrativesā.
May 30, 2023
Digital Activism in Authoritarian Contexts
May 11, 2023
Dr Niamatullah Ibrahimi
March 27, 2023
Prof Ellen Lust
December 5, 2022
With the rapid global changes that have occurred since the start of the COVID pandemic, are established understandings of Middle East politics and society still relevant?
June 2, 2022
Dr Jessie Moritz (Australian National University)
Please click Read More and Register via the āRegister Nowā link at the bottom of the page by 30th May 2022
May 2, 2022
Prof. Sadegh Zibakalam (University of Tehran), A/Prof Nikolay Kozhanov (the Gulf Studies Center of Qatar University), A/Prof AnicƩe Van Engeland (Cranfield University) in conversation with Prof Shahram Akbarzadeh
Please click Read More and Register via the āRegister Nowā link at the bottom of the page by 30th April 2022
November 10, 2021
Dr Ali Fathollah-Nejad (Free University of Berlin)
MESF invites you to this webinar with Dr Ali Fathollah-Nejad who will discuss his ideas built upon in his book, 'Iran in an Emerging New World Order: From Ahmadinejad to Rouhani'.
October 28, 2021
Dr Yasmin Chilmeran (Swedish Institute of International Affairs)
MESF invites you to this webinar with guest speaker Dr Yasmin Chilmeran of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.
October 20, 2021
A/Prof Ahmed Hashim (Deakin University)
MESF invites you to this webinar with A/Prof Ahmed Hashim about his forthcoming book, Iranian Ways of War.
June 28, 2021
Professor Mehran Kamrava (Georgetown University), Dr Sanam Vakil (Chatham House),, Dr Nikolay Kozhanov (Qatar University) and Dr Luciano Zaccara (Qatar University)
The Gulf Studies Center at the College of Arts and Sciences at Qatar University and The Middle East Studies forum at Deakin University are pleased to invite you to attend a joint webinar
June 17, 2021
Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch
The widely held assumption that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is a temporary situation and that the āpeace processā will soon bring an end to Israeli abuses has obscured the reality of Israelās entrenched discriminatory rule over Palestinians. A single authority, the Israeli government, rules primarily over the area between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, populated by two groups of roughly equal size. It systematically privileges Jewish Israelis and represses Palestinians. This discrimination is more severe in Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), made-up of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.
May 27, 2021
Farkhondeh Akbari (The Australian National University), Dr Niamatullah Ibrahimi (La Trobe University), Prof William Maley (The Australian National University) and moderated by Prof Shahram Akbarzadeh (Deakin University)
May 18, 2021
Prof John Keane (University of Sydney) Dr Sanam Vakil (Chatham House) Dr Mahmoud Pargoo (Deakin University) and moderated by Prof Shahram Akbarzadeh (Deakin University)
May 12, 2021
Dr Naser Ghobadzadeh, Australian Catholic University
The first few decades of Islamic history witnessed the convergence of religious and political authority in one person. This convergence only lasted for a short period for the majority of Muslims, the SunnÄ«s, but was conceptualised as an integral component of the Twelver ShÄ«ŹæÄ« belief system.
April 15, 2021
Dr Andreas Krieg (Kingās College London), A/Prof AnicĆ©e Van Engeland (Cranfield University) and A/Prof Mahjoob Zweiri (Qatar University)
March 11, 2021
Safiullah Taye, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University
From 2002 to 2018, nearly USD 90 billion of aid had been pledged by over three scores of countries and international organisations for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Despite the noticeable progresses achieved during this time, Afghanistanās security and economic indexes remain amongst the lowest in the world. Whilst foreign assistance continues to flow into the country, donors and the Afghan government have also been loggerheaded over disbursement modalities, conditionalities, and transparency issues.
February 4, 2021
Alia Ibrahim (Daraj Media), Asma Khalifa(Tamazight Womenās Movement) and Lama Fakih (Human Rights Watch ā TBC)
November 26, 2020
Professor Salwa Ismail (SOAS)
Drawing on Professor Ismailās book The Rule of Violence (CUP 2018), this talk will focus on violence as a modality of government under the Asad regime in Syria (1970 to present). Long before the 2011 Uprising, governing through violence in Syria took spectacular forms as exemplified by the detention camp and the massacre.
November 4, 2020
Dareen Khalifa (International Crisis Group), Jasmine Gani (University of St Andrews), Christopher Phillips (Queen Mary University of London) and Rime Allaf (Middle East Institute)
October 15, 2020
Noha Alkamcha (Syrian development consultant), Nick Grinstead (Middle East Institute), Malik al-Abdeh (conflict resolution practitioner) and Bente Scheller (Heinrich Boell Foundation)
September 30, 2020
Mr Rahmatullah Nabil (Afghan politician), Mr Shoaib Rahim (Senior advisor to the Minister of Peace in Afghanistan), Mr. Shakti Sinha (MS University) and Ambassador Rakesh Sood (Observer Research Foundation)
September 17, 2020
Dr Vladimir Rauta (University of Reading)
Proxy wars research has been growing exponentially over the last decade in reference to the phenomenonās empirical spread. From the Middle East to the Horn of Africa, and overlapping with a range of conflict scenarios such as great power competition and the āby-with-throughā COIN paradigm, proxy wars are āall the rageā.
September 10, 2020
Professor Rifaat Hussain (National University of Sciences and Technology), Senator Sehar Kamran (Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies), General (retired) Naeem Khalid Lodhi and Dimitri Trenin (Carnegie Moscow Centre)
September 3, 2020
Professor Andrew Mumford (University of Nottingham)
The mantra of āmy enemyās enemy is my friendā is the cornerstone of strategic planning for the proxy war against both the regime of Bashar al-Assad and ISIS. In this webinar, Andrew will offer a conceptual explanation of proxy warfare, evaluate the rise of ISIS and the opportunities for proxy war that it created, and then assess the ways in which proxy war has manifest itself on top of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq between 2011 and 2016.
August 19, 2020
Professor Michelle Pace (Roskilde Universit) and Professor Haim Yacobi (UCL)
The Middle East Studies Forum invites you to the webinar āSettler Colonialism (without Settlers) & Slow Violence in the Gaza Stripā presented by Professor Michelle Pace from Roskilde University, Denmark and Professor Haim Yacobi from University College, London.
July 16, 2020
Assistant Professor Dana el-Kurd (Doha Institute of Graduate Studies)
The Middle East Studies Forum invites you to the webinar āPolarized & Demobilized: Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestineā presented by Assistant Professor Dana El Kurd from the Doha Institute of Graduate Studies.
June 18, 2020
Dr Jonathan Fulton (Zayed University)
The Middle East Studies Forum invite you to the webinar āChina between Iran and the Gulf Monarchiesā presented by Dr. Jonathan Fulton from Zayed University, UAE.
May 13, 2020
Dr Raihan Ismail (Australian National University)
The Middle East Studies Forum invite you to the upcoming webinar āMobilizing Salafism against Jihadismā presented by Dr Raihan Ismail (Australian National University).
April 23, 2020
Professor Abdullah Baabood (National University of Singapore)
The Middle East Studies Forum invite you to the webinar āCOVID-19 and Regional Relationsā presented by Professor Abdullah Baabood from the National University of Singapore.
March 11, 2020
Dr Yasmin Chilmeran, Dr Hadeel Abdelhameed, Dr Aslihan McCarthy, Scheherazade Bloul and Azadeh Davachi
February 24, 2020
Dr Kamilia Al-Eriani (University of Melbourne)
February 3, 2020
Professor William Maley (ANU), Dr Timor Sharan (ANU) and Dr Niamatullah Ibrahimi (Deakin University)
Events in previous years
28 November 2019
Book launch: Armenian Christians in Iran
Dr James Barry (Deakin University)
31 October 2019
Book launch: The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria
Dr Dara Conduit (Deakin University)
16 October 2019
Not Dead but Sleeping, the Diverse Ramifications of Ceasefires in Civil Wars: Evidence from Syria
Marika Sosnowski (University of Melbourne)
09 September 2019
The Hobbesian Social Contract and the Middle East
Maher Mughrabi (The Age)
25 June 2019
Political Leaders and Turkey's failure to consolidate democracy
Dr Tezcan GĆ¼mĆ¼Å (University of Melbourne)
06 April 2019
Regional impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Dr Zahid Ahmed (Deakin), Muhammad Amir Rana (PIPS), Moeen Cheema (ANU), Hamza Orakzai (ANU) and Sonia Qadir (UNSW)
12 July 2018
Christians in the Middle East and Beyond: Identity, Representation and Security
Dr Fiona McCallum (University of St Andrews)
14 June 2018
The Cost of the Syrian Conflict: The economics of war and reconstruction
Zaki Mehchy (Syrian Centre for Policy Research)
01 June 2018
Accountability for Syria? The Role of International Criminal Justice During and After the Conflict
Dr Michelle Burgis-Kasthala (ANU)
23 May 2018
The Demise of the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh, Dr James Barry and Dr Dara Conduit
14 November 2017
Responsibility sharing and large refugee movements: Impacts of the Syrian refugee crisis
Associate Professor Ben Macqueen (Monash University)
27 September 2017
Picturing Pasargadae: Visual Representation and Ambiguities of Heritage in Iran
Dr Ali Mozaffari (Deakin University)
16 August 2017
Pakistanās relations with the Arab states and Iran
Dr M. Zafar Iqbal Cheema (Strategic Vision Institute)
11 July 2017
Turkey: Research in a precarious political environment
Iain MacGillivray (University of Melbourne) and Tezcan Gumus (Deakin University)
23 May 2017
Iran votes 2017
Dr Rebecca Barlow (Deakin University), Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh, Dr James Barry and Ms Azadeh Davachi
15 May 2017
Can President Rouhani Win Re-election?
Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh (Deakin University)
03 May 2017
Turkish referendum 2017: Where to now?
Dr David Tittensor (Deakin University), Professor Ihsan Yilmaz (Deakin University), Dr Ozlem Susler (La Trobe University) and Tezcan Gumus (Deakin University)
04 April 2017
States, Violence and the West: What al-Qaāida means for Yemen
Dr Sarah Phillips (University of Sydney)
30 January 2017
The Securitisation of ānon-traditional religious movementsā in Azerbaijan
Galib Bashirov (Florida International University)
22 August 2016
What went wrong with the Arab Revolutions?
Dr Ibrahim Fraihat (Brookings Institution)
23 May 2016
Gulf Security and Regional Dynamics
Professor Abdullah Baabood (Qatar University)
02 May 2016
Is Winter Coming? The Future of Democracy in Turkey
Dr David Tittensor (Deakin University), William Gourlay (Deakin University) and Erdem KoƧ (La Trobe University)
12 March 2016
Human Rights Watch: Democracy in Tunisia
Dr Amna Guellali (Human Rights Watch)
22 February 2016
Overcoming sectarian faultlines after the Arab Uprisings: Sources, Symptoms and Solutions
Dr Mark Farha (Georgetown University)