Institute of Arabic & Islamic Studies

IAIS Launches New Partnership with the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP)

The University of Exeter’s Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies (IAIS) is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP)

Beginning this year, MERIP’s Executive Editor and Managing Editor positions will be based at Exeter within IAIS’ Centre for Middle East Politics. Dr. Katie Natanel, a Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies at IAIS, has been appointed in the Executive Editor position. In September 2023, Dr. Marya Hannun, currently at Georgetown University, will become MERIP’s Managing Editor as part of a two-year postdoctoral position at IAIS.

MERIP was established in the US in 1971 to educate and inform the public about contemporary Middle East affairs. It has since become a leading source of critical, alternative reporting and analysis on the region. Drawing upon cutting-edge scholarship and research, MERIP publishes a quarterly online magazine, Middle East Report, as well as frequent articles and educational primers on its website (merip.org).

Professor Sajjad Rizvi, Director of IAIS, commented “We are extremely excited about this partnership with MERIP, which will strengthen our global links with scholars, journalists, and NGOs working on the Middle East. MERIP has always been at the forefront of public scholarship on the contemporary Middle East, and this partnership confirms the global standing of IAIS. We are confident that this partnership will provide valuable opportunities for our staff and students to become more involved in writing, editing, and publishing on the region.”

Paul Silverstein, Chair of MERIP’s Board of Directors, remarked “We see this partnership with IAIS as a crucial step in furthering our mission to reach academics, journalists, NGOs and informed citizens beyond North America. We anticipate that the partnership will additionally help MERIP achieve financial and organizational sustainability for decades to come.”

Date: 10 June 2022