Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa
The Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa is an American learned society, dedicated to promoting research and teaching in Middle Eastern and African studies, and related fields. It was founded on October 24, 2007 by Bernard Lewis and Fouad Ajami as a rival to the learned society Middle East Studies Association of North America as it was regarded to have become "dominated by academics who have been critical of Israel and of America's role in the Middle East." ASMEA states that its mission is "to promote the highest standards of academic research and teaching in the fields of Middle Eastern and African studies and related disciplines through programs, publications, and services that support its members, the international community of scholars, and interested members of the public." ASMEA is administrated by Mark T. Clark, J. Peter Pham, and Joseph Skelly.
Inaugural conference
ASMEA’s Inaugural Conference — titled — was held in Washington, D.C., April 24–26, 2008. The conference featured a combination of panels and roundtables with academics and policy makers focused on the Islamic influence in these regions. ASMEA chairman, Bernard Lewis, delivered the keynote address titled, "Studying the Other: Different Ways of Looking at the Middle East and Africa," in which he discussed the threat to the freedom of scholarly inquiry regarding these two regions and the prospects for enhancing the body of knowledge in an open and inter-disciplinary manner.
Past conferences
Since its Inaugural Conference in 2008, ASMEA has held an Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
: The Middle East and Africa in the 21st Century: Local Trends, Regional Challenges, Global Impacts was held in Washington, D.C., November 4–6, 2010. Opening remarks were made by professor Bernard Lewis. The keynote titled, "How to Stop Failing, From Israel to Pakistan," was delivered by Dr. Leslie H. Gelb.
: History and the "New" Middle East and Africa was held in Washington, D.C., October 11–13, 2012. Opening remarks were delivered by H.E. Houda Ezra Nonoo, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The keynote speech, "Gaddafi's Downfall and its Impact on Sub-Saharan Africa," was presented by acclaimed scholar Dr. Gérard Prunier.
: Tides of Change: Looking Back and Forging Ahead in the Middle East & Africa was held in Washington, D.C., November 21–23, 2013. Opening remarks were delivered by H.E. Mbarka Bouaida, Minister Delegate of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Kingdom of Morocco. The keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Michael Young, opinion editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut. The keynote address was titled, “The Arab Upheavals: A View from Beirut.”
, Searching for Balance in the Middle East and Africa was held in Washington, D.C., October 30 - November 1, 2014. Opening remarks were delivered by Lukman Faily, Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the United States. The keynote address was titled "Rouhani’s Iran: How Real is the Change?" and was delivered by Prof. Meir Litvak, Tel Aviv University.
The , For Better or Worse? Historical Trends in the Middle East and Africa was held in Washington, D.C. on October 29–31, 2015.
Publications
The is the flagship publication of ASMEA and "is the first peer-reviewed academic journal to include both the entire continent of Africa and the Middle East within its purview." The Journal publishes four issues a year.
