Allgemein – Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Vorderer Orient

The German Middle East Studies Association (DAVO) hereby announces the DAVO Dissertation Award 2026 and invites applications.

The award recognises outstanding doctoral dissertations written in German or English in the field of contemporary research related to North Africa, the Near and Middle East, and West Asia. Eligible are dissertations submitted in 2025 by current DAVO members at their respective universities. The prize is endowed with €3,000 and may be shared among multiple recipients. Applications may be submitted either directly by candidates themselves or through nomination by university faculty members in the relevant field. The following documents must be submitted

Call for Papers for semi-open panels

Panel Nr. 1: Energy and the MENA: State power, international relations, development This panel investigates the interconnections between energy and state power, international relations, and societal developments in the MENA. This can include past energy transitions, the emergence of rentier states and geopolitical conflict around energy in the region, including the logistics of energy trade and the role of maritime security. Contemporary development perspectives that entail energy diversification into nuclear energy and renewables and the growing role of natural gas and

Call for Papers: DAVO Congress 2026 | 10–12 September 2026 | LMU Munich

Submit your contribution (presentation/poster/organised session) NOW >> The German Middle East Studies Association (DAVO) invites submissions for its 32nd international annual congress. The congress will take place from 10 to 12 September 2026 at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Germany, and is hosted by the Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies at LMU’s Institute for Near and Middle Eastern Studies. The DAVO Congress is dedicated to advancing academic research and public understanding of North Africa, the Middle East, and West Asia, by

Upcoming Event: Teach-in on the current situation of the universities in Rojava (Northern Syria) and the potentials of solidarity

Teach-in on the current situation of the universities in Rojava (Northern Syria) and the potentials of solidarity Like many of you, we’re following developments in Rojava/Northern and Eastern Syria. To better understand the situation and in response to the call for support and solidarity from faculty and students of the three universities in Rojava, we are organizing a teach-in and information event with representatives of faculty and students from the universities in Rojava on February 11 at 18:00 (CET) via Zoom.

Supporting statement for the film screening at the Düsseldorf Art Academy with internationally renowned artist Ms. Basma al-Sharif.

We are the Committee on Academic Freedom of the German Middle East Studies Association (DAVO) are sending a supporting statement for the film screening at the Düsseldorf Art Academy with internationally renowned artist Ms. Basma al-Sharif. The committee’s mission is to monitor and defend academic freedom in research, study, and teaching on contemporary Near and Middle East as well as North Africa in German-speaking countries and beyond, including institutions in the Near East. Statements are published in their original language

BRISMES and DAVO Committees on Academic Freedom Statement on Israeli Military Attack on Birzeit University Campus

The Academic Freedom Committees of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) and the Germany Middle East Studies Association (DAVO), as bodies committed to protecting and advancing academic freedom and freedom of expression within the Middle East and in relation to the study and teaching of the Middle East, strongly condemn the Israeli military attack on Birzeit University on 6 January 2026. This violent incursion onto a university campus constitutes a serious violation of the fundamental rights and safety

Public statement by the Association of Palestinian and Jewish Academics, the Alliance for Critical Scholarship in Solidarity (KriSol), and DAVO-GfW on the cancellation of the LMU event “The Targeting of the Palestinian Academia.”

The cancellation on November 17, 2025, of the planned lecture “The Targeting of the Palestinian Academia” (November 28, 2025) by the university administration of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) is a serious encroachment on the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of science. This cancellation is not only a setback for academic discourse on Palestinian scholarship in the context of Israel’s gross violations of international law, but also raises fundamental questions about academic freedom, institutional racism, and the university’s self-image as a

Public Statement by DAVO-CAF regarding the possible cancellation of the event “The Targeting of Palestinian Academia” at LMU

Universities have a duty to engage in scientific debate on controversial, sensitive, and politically charged issues. Scientific debates on conflicts or human rights situations must take place precisely when social tensions are high. We are observing with growing concern attempts by political and state actors to influence scientific debates through predefined terms and assessments, to defame researchers, and to criminalize them on this basis. Statements are published in their original language without translation. To view the statement in German, please

Photo Competition DAVO Website 2025

Showcasing Research Through Images Your research could shape the new look of the DAVO website! We are excited to invite all DAVO members to share the visual side of their research in our first Research Photo Competition. The ten winning photos will become banner images across the DAVO website – featured on pages such as Home, About Us, Working Groups, CAF, and DAVO Congress. In addition, the top five entries will each receive a €50 book voucher. Research is not