Near East Studies

This course introduces the history of political thought and state-building in the Middle East from the end of the Ottoman empire (1923) to present days. From the creation of the “Middle East” area by British and French mandatory administrations, this course analyzes how various political ideologies (Kemalism, Zionism, Nasserism, Khomeynism, Ba'athism, and Islamism) have influenced state-building processes in Iran, Turkey, Israel, and in the Near East. By providing methodology and tools based on historical sources, this course addresses the spread of nationalism in the Middle East to encourage a reflection on a question raised by Henry Laurens in 2019: will the 21st century witness the “end of the Middle East?”

This is the second course of Persian language, following LENGUA PERSA I. It offers additional standard vocabulary and covers the following verbal conjugations: the preterite imperfect, the present perfect, the past perfect, the continuous present, the future imperfect, and the imperative, subjunctive, and conditional modes.

This course explores conflict and diplomacy in the contemporary Middle East through an in-depth examination and discussion of case studies from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Each week is devoted to a specific conflict. Additionally, the course serves as an introductory survey to the history, politics, and societies of the contemporary Middle East, as well as to the main dynamics driving conflict and conflict resolution in this region.

The Internship Program gives students hands-on experience with local, regional, or international organizations and businesses to place their work experience into the broader context of professional development and development in Jordan. Students are exposed to the complex developmental, social, political, and business fabric of Jordan and gain valuable work experience. The main part of the course is the practicum, which is monitored by the CIEE lecturer through office hours, check-ins, and follow up with the internship on-site supervisor. In addition, the class meets bi-weekly for guest lecturers, planned site visits, and discussions on topics related to development in Jordan and international careers to provide practical insight into donor/host organizations and their efforts to support Jordan.

The course analyzes the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East as presented in films, the point of view of the press, NGOs, international relations experts, and international law academics . Topics covered include the origin of the conflict, occupation of Palestinian territory, and Israeli national security.

In the 19th century, the Tibetan Plateau was one of the last so-called "blank spots" on European maps, along with other regions of Central Asia. Due to its strategic position in Central Asia and growing economic interests, developing Tibet became an ambitious goal for many Europeans. The seminar examines in what form and with what motives different interest groups such as missionaries, traders, adventurers, scientists and colonial officials acquired and circulated knowledge about Tibet. Why was certain knowledge considered important? How was the collected knowledge interpreted, used and presented? The aim of the seminar is the methodical introduction of the students to colonial history in Asia and the discussion of the role of the so-calledGreat Game between Great Britain and Russia for supremacy in Central Asia, the effects of which reach into the present.
 

Topics include Islamic Reformism (al-Afghani and Abduh), the Arab Renaissance (Tahtawi, Amin), nationalism (al-Husri, Arslan), national culture (Hussein and Mahfouz), Pan-Arabism (Aflaq, Nasser), communism and leftism, Palestine Question (Zurayq, Kanafani), 1967 Critique (al-Azm, Laroui, Mernissi), Islamic Revival, Political Islam, and Arab Liberalism (Jabri, Ibrahim, Saadawi).

This course explores various perspectives on identity and life in Israel. It includes meetings with representatives of Israeli cultural, religious, and national groups to learn from them about their work and life and explore how these experiences shape their identity. Students conduct observation and interview assignments in different locations of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and participate in excursions to other parts of the country to understand the complexity and intersection of culture, language, religion, and national identities in Israel. Students reflect on these experiences, field trips, and course readings through a research report on identity and experience in Israel.

This course engages critical and creative discussions about the various aspects of Jerusalem as a rallying point for the contesting groups in the Middle East. Topics include competing narratives; the clash of ethos; city boundaries and territory; demographic and social challenges; citizenship rights; the national and religious character of the city; Islam and nationalism in the local, regional, and international realms; the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa controversy and the future of the Old City and the Holy Basin; Arab neighborhoods and the security barrier; and the struggle for sovereignty and negotiating the Jerusalem issue in the peace process. The course provides an opportunity to conduct a simulation of negotiating the future of Jerusalem within the framework of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This course examines the impacts of disease and disaster on individuals and societies in the Middle East from Medieval times to the 20th century. It uses primary and secondary sources to analyze how the Middle East conceptualized disease and crises, and how they dealt with their effects when they struck. This course trains students in the interpretation of Mesopotamian (Babylonian, Assyrian, and Sumerian) literature in translation. It equips them with both questions and methods, and pays detailed attention to the examination of primary sources.