Welcome!
Welcome to the CIES Middle East Special Interest Group web page. Here you will find basic information about our goals, how to become a member, updates about upcoming events, and resources.
The Middle East Special Interest Group brings together scholars, educators, and development practitioners interested in the study of the region. Through high quality scholarship, dissemination, and service we seek to enhance educational policy, programming, and pedagogy, and to foster understanding of the region’s peoples more generally.
The Middle East Special Interest Group operates under the auspice of the Comparative and International Education Society, and offers a nexus for those who are interested in educational issues within or about the broader Middle East and North Africa region, or with peoples from the region.
About Us
The Middle East Special Interest Group of the Comparative and International Education Society
The Middle East Special Interest Group (MESIG) was founded in 2007 and operates under the auspice of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES). The CIES MESIG brings together scholars, educators, and development practitioners interested in the study of the region. Through high quality scholarship, dissemination, and service we seek to enhance educational policy, programming, and pedagogy, and to foster understanding of the region’s peoples more generally. The MESIG is not associated with any political or religious affiliation. Our geographic scope includes the broader Middle East and North Africa region, as well as locales with historic or contemporary ties to the region and their peoples. Membership is open to all registered CIES members.
Purpose
Through scholarship and service, the CIES MESIG seeks:
- To promote high quality scholarship and dissemination on education in and about the broader Middle East and North Africa region
- To further the collaboration of scholars, educators, and development practitioners working in and on the region
- To enhance educational policy, programming, and pedagogy in and about the region
- To foster understanding of the region's peoples
Current Activities
The MESIG currently engages its purpose through the following activities and seeks to develop it functions according to the growing needs of its membership and the field. Members wishing to serve the MESIG by enhancing its capacities are invited to contact the MESIG by
email or bring ideas to the MESIG Business Meeting at the CIES Annual Conference. At present, the MESIG:
- Facilitates forums and panel discussions about educational issues pertaining to the region
- Disseminates information about research, publications, opportunities, and events through an active listserv
- Mentors junior scholars and promotes quality emergent scholarship through an annual student paper prize
- Promotes the scholarship of our membership through the MESIG website (under construction)
- Facilitates access to resources for scholars and practitioners through the MESIG website (under construction)
- Convenes an annual business meeting at the CIES conference to connect members for the purposes of furthering collaboration, supportive networks, and the overarching goals of the MESIG
History
The Middle East Special Interest Group was established in 2007 through the initiative of several founding members with the support of Gita Steiner-Khamsi. The founding officers were Sina Mossayeb, Reza Arjmand, and Maryam Soltanzadeh. Today there are close to 50 registered and unofficial members of the MESIG.
Current Officers (2012-2014)
Carine Allaf, Ph.D. - Co-Chair
Teachers College, Columbia University
Roozbeh Shirazi, Ph.D. - Co-Chair
University of Minnesota
Past Officers
Zeena Zakharia, Ed.D. - Chair - (2010-2012)
Columbia University
Maryam Soltanzadeh - Secretary - (2010-2012)
Florida International University
Maryam Borjian, Ed.D. - Treasurer - (2010-2011)
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Founding Officers
Sina Mossayeb - President (2008-2010) and Secretary (2007-2010)
Maryam Soltanzadeh - Treasurer (2007-2010)
Reza Arjmand - Convener (2007)
Membership
Becoming a Member
We welcome all members of the Comparative and International Education Society with interest in the broader Middle East and North Africa region to join the MESIG. To become a registered member, you must first update your CIES membership, and then pay the nominal MESIG membership fee of 10 USD (required by CIES for administrative purposes). This can be done through the online registration system.
This can be done while subscribing online to the CER at https://subfill.uchicago.edu/JournalPUBS/Society.aspx
News and Announcements
Call for Member Publications
In an effort to promote the scholarship and publication of CIES MESIG members and to provide a growing list of resources to colleagues on topics within the scope of the MESIG, we are calling for works authored by CIES MESIG members to be listed on the MESIG website under Resources. Send in APA format the full citation, including title and publication information, for articles, chapters, books, reports, working papers, and other documents to: cies.mesig@gmail.com. Include a link to web-published materials. Contributions will be compiled periodically and listed on the MESIG website.
