Center for International and Regional Studies

We are a premier research institute devoted to the academic study of regional and international issues through dialogue and exchange of ideas, research and scholarship, and engagement with national and international scholars, opinion makers, practitioners, and activists.

Featured Research Projects

Building a Legacy: Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022

The Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 in November and December will be the first World Cup in the Middle East. This CIRS research initiative provides a platform for academic engagement with the tournament.

Read About our world cup research

The COVID Project

Since March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the COVID-19 virus a global pandemic, countries around the world have adopted various measures in order to limit the spread of the contagion on their territories and to protect their populations. The Middle East is no exception.

More about the COVID Project

Research Clusters

Regional Studies

Since its establishment in 2005, CIRS has sought to enhance knowledge production and to provide original, interdisciplinary analyses of the Gulf and the Middle East. This region’s geopolitics continue to unfold at remarkable speed, with ruptures in traditional regional and international alliances and the emergence of new political arrangements, and this remains a focal point of interest for CIRS research. Through this thematic focus, CIRS also considers a range of research efforts that provide deeper insights on historical, social, economic, and cultural developments in the region.

ReaD About the Research

Environmental Studies

Building on CIRS’s previous record of research and scholarship on the topic, the thematic focus on Environmental Justice continues to address central questions related to climate change, the politics of natural resources, food security, water conflict, and other issues of environmental concern. Through this thematic focus, CIRS considers projects that examine the Middle East in comparison to other regions, or that pursue cross-national understandings of environmental issues. CIRS seeks to translate this knowledge into practice through targeted outreach to entities that support a safer and sustainable future for all.

Read About the Initiative

Race & Society

Critically important for geopolitics, there is a range of social undercurrents and phenomena that require in-depth examination. Additionally, CIRS aims to enhance our understanding of race, ethnicity, religion, and cultural and national identity and belonging in multiple global contexts and geographies, including the Middle East. Through this thematic focus on Race and Society, CIRS supports original research production on diverse topics such as citizenship, migration, labor and employment, the family, education, technology and communication, as well as arts and cultural production.

Read About the Project