• Football and the State in the Middle East

    This panel discussion was the second event being hosted to highlight the research conducted under CIRS project Football in the Middle East, the outcome of which is a new book edited by Professor Abdullah Al-Arian published by Hurst/Oxford University Press. The panel looks at how football is affecting states, governments, and societies across the region.  Moderator:…

  • Russian Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East

    Moderated by GUQ Professor Mehran Kamrava, the event discusses Russia’s motives in the Middle East, examining its growing role in the region and its efforts to defend its national interests. The discussion addresses both domestic and external drivers of Moscow’s foreign policy, tracing the historical evolution of Russia’s presence in the region within the last…

  • Qatar’s World Cup Goals: Moving from the Periphery to the Center Working Group II

    On September 25 and 26, 2022, the Center for International and Regional Studies held the second working group under its research initiative, “Qatar’s World Cup Goals: Moving from the Periphery to the Center.” The meeting convened regional and international scholars who discussed their draft papers and received extensive feedback for revisions. The topics discussed at…

  • CIRS Lunch Talk: The Beautiful Game in America

    Speaker: Andrew Guest (University of Portland in Oregon USA) Moderator: Danyel Reiche (Georgetown University in Qatar) Location: CIRS Conference Room, Georgetown University in Qatar

  • Energy and the World Cup

    This special panel is hosted as part of CIRS and GUQ's research focus on Qatar and the FIFA World Cup 2022, and addresses issues related to energy and the hosting of the tournament. In this panel, we consider what lessons and avenues the World Cup 2022 offers for the energy humanities in the Gulf region…

  • UNDP Human Development Report 2021/2022

    This panel is the country launch for the 2021-2022 UNDP Human Development Report. The report authors will discuss how to understand and navigate today's uncertainty complex as explored in the report - driven by the Anthropocene, by purposeful societal transformation, and by intensifying polarization. Distinguished panelists will reflect on the report’s implications for Qatar, the…

  • A World Cup for Qatar or the Middle East?

    In 2010, Qatar won the bid to become the first ever Middle Eastern and Arab country to host a FIFA World Cup. Even though all 32 teams will be hosted in Qatar and all 64 games will be played in local stadiums, the state is emphasizing the broader regional character of the event. Join us…

  • A Century of Football in the Middle East

    In this Webinar, the panelists offer a historical perspective of football in the Middle East. Moderator: Abdullah Al-Arian (Georgetown University in Qatar) Panelists: Simon Chadwick (Skema Business School in Paris), Ibrahim Elhoudaiby (Bard College),Yağmur Nuhrat (Bilgi University), Maher Mezahi (Football Journalist), and Zahra Babar (Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar)

  • Russian Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East

    The panel discuses the motives behind Moscow’s behavior in the Middle East, considering Russia’s growing role in the region and its desire to protect national interests using a wide array of means. The panel considers Russian involvement in the Middle East from several points and analyze global geopolitical risks affecting Russia's Middle Eastern strategy and…

  • POMEPS-CIRS Politics of Sports in the Middle East Workshop

    On January 14 and 15, 2023, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University in Qatar, in collaboration with the Project on Middle East Politics (POMEPS) convened a two-day closed-door workshop to explore and study the complex relationship between politics and sports in the Middle East. During the meeting invited regional and…

  • The Evolution of African Regional Organizations Working Group I

    On January 29 and 30, 2023, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University Qatar held a book manuscript workshop under its project, “The Evolution of African Regional Organizations.” Several international and regional scholars were invited to present their papers on various African Regional Organizations (ROs) operational on the African continent. During…