CAIS 2020 Showcase

Introducing the ANU Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies (The Middle East & Central Asia) in ANU Orientation Week.

All new students are welcome to join us for an advisory session, language 'taster classes' and a get-together in ‘O’ Week. There will be three sessions:

1. Arab & Islamic Studies - including Bachelor and Master of Middle East & Central Asian Studies - A/Prof. Karima Laachir

2. Languages: Arabic, Persian, Turkish - Dr Huda Al-Tamimi, Dr Zahra Taheri and Dr Burcu Cevik-Compiegne
3. CAIS Postgraduate Induction & Information Session - A/Prof. Karima Laachir

Cool refreshments will be provided and we guarantee a friendly Middle Eastern/Central Asian atmosphere.

There is no doubt that recent events confirm the importance of the Middle East and Muslim worlds. Although the media and policymakers devote considerable attention to them, they are often mis- or partially understood. ‘Arab and Islamic Studies’ seeks to rectify this by presenting a comprehensive view that links the Arab countries to Iran, Turkey, Central Asia and often parts of the Muslim world beyond. The approach is naturally interdisciplinary, drawing on the insights of history, political science and international relations, anthropology, literary criticism, and linguistics to make sense of the culture, societies and politics of the region. Language training is a particularly important foundation upon which to pursue these studies. The overall aim is to present integrated and mutually reinforcing insights while dispersing the facile explanations and stereotypes that have been all too common.