Supporting Social Science Research in a Turbulent Middle East

Over the past several years some countries in the region are increasingly encountering a resurgence of authoritarianism while others are experiencing heightened civil conflict. In addition, in our immediate neighborhood, the geopolitics of the GCC are in a process of reconfiguration, and the current rupture between the six monarchies are creating serious difficulties for scholars, doctoral students, and academics. In light of its commitment to study 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, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) launched a project that explores issues around how the research community can address the multiple challenges encountered when carrying out studies on the Middle East.