Events
Please check back for the fall 2008 schedule
2008
March 25, 2008
Crown Forum at The Brandeis House, NYC
"How are Arab Oil-Exporting Countries Investing their Petrodollars?"
Nader Habibi - Henry J. Leir Professor of the Economics of the Middle East, Brandeis University
April 9, 2008
Brown Bag Lunch Seminar
Nader Habibi - Henry J. Leir Professor of the Economics of the Middle East, Brandeis University
March 5, 2008
Brown Bag Lunch Seminar
Prof. Asher Susser - Senior Fellow on the Myra and Robert Kraft Chair in Arab Politics, Crown Center
February 12, 2008
Brown Bag Lunch Seminar
Prof. Kanan Makiya - Sylvia K. Hassenfeld Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Brandeis University
February 7, 2008
Crown Forum at The Brandeis House, NYC
"Israel's Place in the 'New' Middle East"
Prof. Asher Susser - Senior Fellow on the Myra and Robert Kraft Chair in Arab Politics, Crown Center
2007
December 5, 2007
Brown Bag Lunch Seminar
All in the Family? Voices of Dissent in Post-1991 Saudi Arabia
Dr. Ondrej Beranek - Postdoctoral Fellow, Crown Center; and specialist on Saudi Arabia
December 1-2, 2007
Symposium
One Land, Two Peoples: 60 Years Since the 1947 U.N. Partition Plan for Palestine
Streaming Video and Audio Available
November 14, 2007
Brown Bag Lunch Seminar
Dr. Khalil Shikaki - Senior Research Fellow, Crown Center; and Director, Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research
November 2-3, 2007
Iranian Underground Music: Conference and Concert
Featuring the Iranian Underground Band - Kiosk
Streaming Audio Available
October 20-21, 2007
The Middle East Today: New Perspectives on a Changing Landscape
Streaming Audio Available
October 3, 2007
Brown Bag Lunch Seminar
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Question of Democracy
Dr. Abdel Monem Said Aly - Senior Research Fellow, Crown Center for Middle East Studies; and Director, Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies
September 6, 2007
Challenges Facing the Next U.S. President
Shai Feldman, Judith and Sidney Swartz Director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies.
Abdel Monem Said Aly, Senior Research Fellow at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies.
Naghmeh Sohrabi, Assistant Director for Research at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies.
Streaming video available.
September 4, 2007
Crown Center Open House
Introducing our new office, faculty, and courses.
July 8-11, 2007
Brandies in the Berkshires
Institute: International Law and Disorder in the Middle East
July 7-8, 2007
Brandeis in the Berkshires
Symposium: Middle East Briefing: An Insider’s View.
April 22, 2007
Fence, Wall, Border
Film Screening and panel discussion with guest speaker; Director Eli Cohen.
April 17, 2007
Bridging Across the Divide: Peacebuilding in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict.
Edy Kaufman, current Co-Director of the Partners in Conflict and Partners in Peacebuilding Projects at the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland.
March 20, 2007
Iran: Domestic Developments and Strategic Impact.
Dr. Carol Saivetz, Research Associate, Davis Center for Russian Studies; and Visiting Scholar, Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Prof. Shai Feldman, Judith and Sydney Swartz Director, Crown Center for Middle East Studies, Brandeis University
Dr. Naghmeh Sohrabi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Crown Center for Middle East Studies, Brandeis University
March 14, 2007
From Lebanon to Tehran: A Middle East Update.
Prof. Shai Feldman, Judith and Sidney Swartz Director, Crown Center for Middle East Studies
March 9, 2007
Sounds of Silence: the Underground Iranian Music Scene.
Film screening followed by a discussion with the film's directors, Amir Hamz and Mark Lazarz.
2006
November 14, 2006
Israel and Palestine: Towards Another Explosion?
Prof. Shai Feldman, Judith and Sidney Swartz Director, Crown Center for Middle East Studies
Dr. Khalil Shikaki, Senior Fellow, Crown Center for Middle East Studies and Director, Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, Ramallah
Dr. Mohammed Samhouri, Senior Fellow, Crown Center for Middle East Studies
November 11-12, 2006
War in Iraq: Regional Ramifications
A Joint Conference with: Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston College.
November 7, 2006
Impact of Palestinian Domestic Dynamics on Israeli-Palestinian Relations
Dr. Khalil Shikaki, Senior Fellow, Crown Center for Middle East Studies and Director, Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, Ramallah
November 7, 2006
Targets: Reporters in Iraq
Film Screening and Q & A with director Maziar Bahari
November 6, 2006
Iran Today: Combating Drug Addiction and HIV/AIDS
Film Screening: Mohammad and the Matchmaker (2004) and Methadone in Iran (2006)
October 10, 2006
The Middle East After the War in Lebanon: An Egyptian Perspective
Dr. Abdel Monem Said Aly, Senior Fellow, Crown Center for Middle East Studies and Director, Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, Cairo, Egypt
September 13, 2006
The Hezbollah-Israel War & Its Regional Impact
Prof. Shai Feldman, Judith and Sidney Swartz Director, Crown Center for Middle East Studies
September 6, 2006
The Hezbollah-Israel War: What's Next
Prof. Shai Feldman, Judith and Sidney Swartz Director, Crown Center for Middle East Studies
Dr. Abdel Monem Said Aly, Senior Fellow, Crown Center for Middle East Studies, and Director, Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, Cairo, Egypt
Mr. Charles Radin, Specialist on Religion and Society, Boston Globe
July 8-9, 2006
Brandeis in the Berkshires
Symposium: Crises and Change in the Middle East
Leading experts and scholars discussed today's issues, from Iraq to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, to the latest developments in Lebanon and Syria. Presenters discussed strategies for understanding and addressing conflict and change in the Middle East. Led by the Crown Center for Middle East Studies.
July 9-12, 2006
Brandeis in the Berkshires
Institute: Is Democracy the 'Right Answer' for the Middle East?
Participants engaged in a dynamic roundtable discussion with scholars and experts on the democratization of the Middle East. The links among democratization, peace and war in the region were explored, as will the role of the United States. Session topics included elections and civil society, and the interplay of democracy, religion,and the law. Participants entered a series of discussions concerning the relationship between a constitution and the realities of politics, security, and society.
June 25-27, 2006
The Middle East 2006: Reform, Insurgency, and Proliferation
The 7th Annual GCSP, RAND, and Crown Center Conference in Gstaad, Switzerland.
June 20, 2006
Iran and Its Nuclear Efforts: A Briefing by the Crown Center for Middle East Studies
Professor Shai Feldman, Judith and Sidney Swartz Director, Crown Center for Middle East Studies
Dr. Naghmeh Sohrabi, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Crown Center for Middle East Studies
This briefing at the Brandeis House in New York City addressed the latest developments in the Iranian nuclear standoff and answered the questions: Can Iran be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons? Is a military confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program inevitable? What does Ahmadenijad's presidency tell us about the Iranian society?
April 6, 2006
Update from Beirut
Prof. Habib Malik, Lebanese American University
Dr. Malik analyzed the situation in Lebanon after a dramatic year that included: the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the withdrawal of Syria’s military forces from Lebanon, the parliamentary elections, and the inclusion of Hizbollah in the Lebanese government.
A Koret Guest Lecture Series Seminar
March 21, 2006
Demography and Politics in the Middle East: Looking to the Future of Israeli-Palestinian Relations
Introduction by: Professor Leonard Saxe, Director Steinhardt Social Research Institute and the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
Presentations by: Professor Sergio DellaPergola, Visiting Scholar at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
Professor Shai Feldman, Director Crown Center for Middle East Studies
February 28, 2006
Considerations in Determining Israel's Boundaries
Dan Rothem, Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation, Washington, DC
This graphic presentation used sets of electronic maps and aerial photography to survey the relevant issues dealing with the territorial aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
February 16, 2006
Why Iran Moved from Khatami to Ahmadinejad and from Detente to Defiance
Dr. Siamak Namazi, Atieh Bahar Consulting, Tehran, Iran
Dr. Namazi provided a unique perspective from Tehran on questions that are at the top of our agenda.
A Koret Guest Lecture Series Seminar
February 13, 2006
Hamas' Electoral Victory and the Upcoming Israeli Elections
Professor Shai Feldman; Professor Menachem Klein, Senior Lecturer at Bar-Ilan University; and Mr. Ghaleb Darabya, Mason Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government.
Faculty and experts led a discussion on the recent developments in the Israeli-Palestinian dynamic and their implications. Co-hosted by the Malkin/Slifka Scholars, the Crown Center for Middle East Studies, and the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life.
January 4, 2006
Israel and the Palestinians: Where Do we Go from Here
A conversation chaired by Jill Sinclair, Canadian Representative to the Middle East Peace Process.
A conversation held by a small group of Israelis and Palestinians on the path the two sides might take after the elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Israeli Knesset. Co-sponsored by Crown Center for Middle East Studies and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.
2005
November 10, 2005
Conversing with Suicide Bombers: Insights from Interviews
Yoram Schweitzer, Research Associate at Tel Aviv University's Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies
Mr. Schweitzer shared his unique research on the motivations propelling individuals to take such extreme action.
A Koret Guest Lecture Series Seminar
November 9, 2005
Avoiding a Bloodbath: Negotiating Israel's Disengagement
Moty Cristal, IDF General Staff's Crisis Negotiations Unit and Ph.D. candidate at the London School of Economics
Mr. Cristal shared his insight from his experience negotiating with Israeli settlers during the disengagement from Gaza.
A Koret Guest Lecture Series Seminar
October 26, 2005
Israeli-Palestinian Relations: The Next Steps
Professor Shai Feldman, Director of the Crown Center
Dr. Khalil Shikaki, Senior Fellow at the Crown Center
Mr. Shlomo Brom, a Guest Scholar at the U.S. Institute of Peace
Mr. Ghaleb Darabya, Former Counselor for Political and Congressional Affairs with the Palestinian National Authority.
The symposium addressed the possible impact of recent changes in the Israeli and Palestinian domestic scenes. Co-hosted by the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.
Webcast Available
October 19-20, 2005
Israel and the Palestinians: The Road Ahead
Keynote Speaker: Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, Egyptian Ambassador to the United States
The two-day conference explored different possibilities for future Israeli-Palestinian relations in the aftermath of Israel's disengagement from Gaza.
Streaming Audio Available
May 10, 2005
A Discussion with Ambassador Peter Ford
Peter Ford, British Ambassador to Syria
An 'off the record' talk on the contemporary situation in the Middle East.
Co-hosted by the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life.
April 4-5, 2005
Inaugural Conference
The conference provided an assessment of the state of Middle East studies programs in the United States as well as a tour d’horizon of the Middle East environment.