Middle East and North Africa Research Group

Nieuwe ManaBa Conflict & Development

Na vele jaren succesvol als Master-na-Master te hebben bestaan, zal de Master In Conflict & Development vanaf volgend academiejaar (2018-2019) veranderen in een reguliere Master (ManaBa).

Globalized Authoritarianism. Megaprojects, Slums, and Class Relations in Urban Morocco

Over the past thirty years, megaprojects have transformed Morocco’s urban centers into laboratories of capital accumulation, political dominance, and social control.

Is terrorisme eigen aan de islam? Een lezing van Sami Zemni @ Universiteit van Vlaanderen

Politicoloog Sami Zemni pleit naar aanleiding van zijn college voor de Universiteit van Vlaanderen voor meer nuance als het gaat om de relatie tussen terreur en de islam. Het is niet de religie die de mens maakt, maar de mens die de religie maakt.

ONDERWIJSLAB #1: Persona Non Grata in de klas

Gedurende de eerste participatieve studiedag van het actieonderzoek ‘Conflicten van de wereld in de klas’ van de Universiteit van Gent komen onderwijspersoneel uit Vlaanderen en Brussel samen met experten om nieuwe perspectieven te ontwikkelen en bestaande strategieën te verdiepen

“Where’s ‘the field’? Ethnography and conflict policy analysis”

Sometimes conflict researchers get involved in policy-related work, which gives insights in a different kind of ‘field’. Working in offices and meeting venues far removed from the areas of armed conflict, many people have an everyday with a relation to conflict and security dynamics around the world

Personal and professional lives merging:experiencing the Self beyond the in- or outsider, and allowing a “travelling identity” to break out

What is at stake when thinking and writing about Africa from its diaspora, its elsewhere? Borrowing this interrogation from A. Mbembe (2013), this presentation aims to reflect on my position as a “midsider” during an ethnography based between Algeria and Europe

The ‘Tribal Politics’ of Field Research in 21st-Century Warzones. Can fieldwork still be done in today’s most violent warzones?

In his talk, based on the Perspectives on Politics article he co-authored with Dipali Mukhopadhyay, Romain Malejacq will explain why long-held methodological principles about power and impartiality do not hold in
today’s conflict-ridden environments.

Social Network Analysis (SNA) in Research on Conflict Dynamics: Exposing Additional Ethical Challenges or Exacerbating Extant Ones?

Social Network Analysis (SNA) is gaining popularity across the social sciences. This presentation focuses on what it is; why we do it; and how we do it.

Eye on Palestine - Processions of the sun

For its 7th edition, the Eye on Palestine Arts and Film Festival is moving towards Convergence with the curated program ‘Processions of the sun’. It explores carceral politics by drawing on the long legacy of Black-Palestinian solidarity.

THURSDAY PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES

This series runs in connection with the Doctoral School course Pragmatism for Social Scientists: Histories, Criticisms & Opportunities. During this series, guest speakers who will be leading seminar sessions in the Pragmatism course will be giving public lectures on their own work.

Call for videos - Participatory Video Festival 2018

The Festival’s aim is to explore the possibilities and value of Participatory Video for social sciences. Participatory Video appeals to many students and researchers, but is not institutionalized (yet) as a ‘conventional’ research method.

SALAFISM AFTER THE ARAB AWAKENING. CONTENDING WITH PEOPLE’S POWER

The Middle East and North Africa Research group warmly invites you to the presentation of the book ‘Salafism After the Arab Awakening. Contending with People’s Power’.

The State of Turkey's Academia: A Space for Critical Thinking?

Since the attempted coup in Turkey on 15 July 2016 almost 6,000 academics have been dismissed from their positions in the country, 15 universities have been shut down, and almost 70,000 students remain imprisoned as of the end of 2016, which accounts for one-third of the total number of prisoners in

EVIDENCES AND FUTURES - Prof. Richard Rottenburg

Prof. Rottenburg’s talk will focus on the production and disputation of facts in knowledge infrastructures. He suggests that the way matters of fact are made, confirmed, certified, contested or rejected, is unavoidably related to imaginaries, moral worlds and the kinds of accountabilities

YOU, THE WEST AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Met welke bril kijk jij naar het Midden-Oosten? Heb je die bril wel eens ingeruild voor die van jouw buurman? Begrijp jij de wereld nog als je de krant leest?

Moviemiento

Verschillende vormen van verzet zijn overal ter wereld aanwezig, van grote acties tot stil verzet. Telkens wordt de film voorzien van een inleiding en/of nabespreking.

Monstrous Extractions: A feminist technoscience studies approach to cross-border reproduction

MENARG AND CRG kindly invite you to the following lectures, which are part of a series of research seminars on “Methods and Ethics in Fieldwork”. During these seminars national and international guests will be sharing their ‘story behind the findings’

Lunch Lecture: Hiking in the West Bank

The Abraham Path Initiative is a non-profit international organization focusing on the development of the Abraham Path that spans across the Middle East. In the Palestinian West Bank the initiative is working as Masar Ibrahim, bringing a different perspective on the Palestinian reality.

Gender & Fieldwork

This seminar looks at the ways in which gender intersects with fieldwork methods. A fieldworker’s sex and gender (besides his/her class, age, ethnicity...) impact on his/her adjustment to the field setting, on information gathering and on the interpretation and analysis of the data

Blurring the lines between method, theory and ethics in studying the state

Do theories have political implications outside their own normative framework? Should theories about the state explain or prescribe?

Covering the city: how ethnography and photography work together

Filip De Boeck will talk about his collaboration with Congolese photographer Sammy Baloji. Their joint research resulted in a book, "Suturing the City", and an exhibition.

It’s not just a game of football – Methodological and ethical issues in ethnographic research with militant activists

How is one to do ethnographic research among and with militant activists who have been labelled as radicals’, ‘crazies’, ‘idiots’ and ‘dangerous fanatics’ by the international media and public opinion?

Lecture Series “Contemporary Political Islam"

During this lecture series national and international guests will be sharing their insights on contemporary forms of political Islam and the many forms of Islamist activism in Europe and the Arab world in an interdisciplinary manner.

How does your sex determine your career at UGent? A feminist viewpoint on contemporary Academia

When looking at the gender statistics from Ghent University, it is hard not to see the perpetuating imbalances. Gender discrepancies exist both among researchers and students, and they take shape both horizontally and vertically.

The governance of the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan

What does the response to the Syrian refugee crisis in the neighbouring states look like, and why? Who responds? How are the numbers and needs of Syrian refugees assessed, decisions taken, and policies designed? What are priorities, catchwords and red lines?

De vluchtelingen-crisis?

De vluchtelingen-crisis? Gastles Pieter Stockmans in het vak Structuur & Conflict in het Globale Zuiden

Eye On Palestine 2016

Eye on Palestine is a festival that promotes quality and stimulating Palestine-related film and arts in Belgium.Born in 2010 the festival has grown from an exclusively film based program to one that also includes visual and live arts, theater and music performances along with lecture and debates.

The International Jihadi Movement After the Arab Uprisings

MENARG kindly invite you to the following lecture on “Contempory Islam”. During this lecture series national and international guests will be sharing their insights on contemporary forms of Islam and the many forms of being Muslim in Belgium and the Arab world in an interdisciplinary manner.

Challenging Borders: The Citizenship of Undocumented Immigrants in Belgium

The increase in the scale of labour migration in Russia, its complex migration regulatory regime and ineffective implementation have led to the formation of various migrants' or diaspora associations which offer a variety of services in the face of weakness of rule of law and civil society organisat

Migrants' Associations in Moscow

The increase in the scale of labour migration in Russia, its complex migration regulatory regime and ineffective implementation have led to the formation of various migrants' or diaspora associations which offer a variety of services in the face of weakness of rule of law and civil society organisat

Syriza: Inside the Labyrinth

Boekvoorstelling “Syriza: Inside the Labyrinth” Gevoolgd door een debat mett Kevin Ovenden, Petra De Sutter, John Crombez, Peter Mertens en Francine Mestrum

Feminist perspectives on labour

As part of the doctoral course "Conceptualizations and meanings of labour: classical and contemporary perspectives", this workshop looks at a century, feminist discussing on how labour is a crucial site where gender relations are performed.

21st century universities: exploring alternative futures

The academic world has undergone significant changes over the past fifteen years.Research and education are getting more important, and higher education is evolving in a globalized world. Universities seem to become true multinationals, led by managers and guided by quantitative objectives.

Re-organizing labour: Perspectives on recent developments

As part of the doctoral course "Conceptualizations and meanings of labour: classical and contemporary perspectives", this workshop focusses on the Marxist conceptualization of labour received an innovative interpretation in the works of the autonomist Marxists.

Podcasts "Contemporary Political Islam"

During the lecture series on "Contemporary Political Islam" national and international guests will be sharing their insights on contemporary forms of political Islam and the many forms of Islamist activism in Europe and the Arab world in an interdisciplinary manner.

Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. An experienced and lived ideology

Since the 1960s against the backdrop of conflicts with political regimes, specifically in Egypt, Syria and Iraq., the Brotherhood is slowly but steadily integrating in Europe, as they established a network of religious, social and political organizations.

‘Salafism’ in The Netherlands - Accommodation, Da`wa and Struggle

The global Islamic Salafi movement has slowly but surely established itself in the Netherlands over the last 30 years. One of the features of Salafi religiosity is the often very strict interpretation of particular Islamic traditions, one which is sometimes regarded by other Muslims, and non-Muslims

Wahhabism and Saudi Arabia - Controlling Global Jihadism?

In recent times there is much talk about the Saudi ‘export of Wahhabism’, and some even allege that Saudi Arabia is at least partly to be held responsible for Jihadist extremism, including the Islamic State’s brutalities.

‘Islamism’ & Islamist alterity – Understanding political Islam

De vakgroep Conflict- en Ontwikkelingsstudies excuseert zich voor eenzijde samenstelling panel

De vakgroep Conflict- en Ontwikkelingsstudies betreurt de initiële samenstelling van het panelgesprek ‘Het migrantenprobleem - een reconstructie’ van 24 oktober. Na veel terechte externe en interne kritiek wensen de organisatoren van de studiedag zich oprecht te excuseren voor het gebrek aan vrouwel

Syria Teach-in

MENARG and Ghent University warmly invite you to an afternoon of talks, discussions and films on Syria and geopolitics, history, art, refugees, ISIS, arms, Rojava, resistance, food and more

Conceptualizations and meanings of labour: classical and contemporary perspectives

The course is aimed to provide a solid theoretical background for PhD students working on or interested in issues related to labour, in the broadest sense of the term. The course brings together a range of theoretical perspectives from political economy, sociology of work and gender studies.

Before and after Marx: The centrality of work

As part of the doctoral course "Conceptualizations and meanings of labour: classical and contemporary perspectives", the course begins with a close look at Karl Marx’s contribution to the studies of labour.

Leerstoelen Hedendaagse Islam aan UGent en UCL

Het Fonds Baillet Latour financiert twee Leerstoelen ‘Hedendaagse Islam’ aan de UGent en de UCL. Doel ervan is de maatschappelijke dynamieken die gepaard gaan met de aanwezigheid van de islam en moslims in Europa, beter te begrijpen.

Lunch Lecture with human rights activist Jeff Halper ‘War Against the People: Israel, the Palestinians and Global Pacification’

Pacification’The Middle East and North Africa Research Group and Ghent University kindly invite you to a Lunch Lecture with human rights activist Jeff Halper, who will present his new book ‘War Against the People: Israel, the Palestinians and Global Pacification’ in Gent on Wednesday December 9th 20

Omar Barghouti on the Academic Boycott of Israel

MENARG and CRG kindly invite you to join us on Friday November 27th for a lunch lecture with Omar Barghouti, a renowned Palestinian researcher and human rights activist. He is the co-founder of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and the Boycott, Divestme

Schismes politiques, dialogue national et recomposition des partis en Tunisie

Professor Hatem M'rad:

"Schismes politiques, dialogue national et recomposition des partis en Tunisie"

La gauche tunisienne face à la révolution

Professor Baccar Gherib:

"La gauche tunisienne face à la révolution"

18th IADL Congress

Het BRussells Tribunal houdt op 16 en 17 april 2014 een congres om de bestaande initiatieven voor vervolging van oorlogsmisdaden, gepleegd in Irak, te evalueren en een concreet stappenplan uit te werken om verantwoordelijken voor de rechtbank te brengen.

Eye on Palestine: Master class with Diana Allan on the Nakba Archive

The Nakba Archive is an oral history collective established in Lebanon in 2002. Since then, the Archive has recorded over 650 video interviews with first generation Palestinian refugees. Diana Allan is anthropologist and filmmaker. She works at the Society for the Humanities at Cornell University.

MENARG condemns Israeli army raid on Birzeit University campus

The Middle East & North Africa Research Group (MENARG) of Ghent University strongly condemns the Israeli army's raid of Birzeit University | جامعة بيرزيت campus in the morning of Thursday 19 June.

“How to study gender in the Middle East and North Africa?” A masterclass with Hania Sholkamy

This master class aims to reflect on qualitative research methodologies that are often used when studying gender in the Middle East. It has become common knowledge among critical gender scholars that avoiding cultural essentialism is primordial.

A talk on Human Rights in Hebron with Issa Amro,

Issa Amro is a prominent Palestinian human rights defender and founding member of many non-violent organisations in Hebron who work peacefully against Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

What does it mean to be a researcher in 21st century Academia?

Recent events, receiving substantial attention in our national media, have caused concerns among academic staff and the general public about research deontology, increasing publication pressure and the changing professional environment in which academics have to work.

Beyond the straw men

Post-colonial urban theory and ‘Western’ urban theory: perspectives and possibilities

Globalisering en sociale strijd in Zuid-Afrika met Leonard Gentle

Op maandag 9 december 2013 organiseert de vakgroep Conflict en Ontwikkelingsstudies van de Universiteit Gent een lezing over ‘Globalisering en sociale strijd in Zuid-Afrika’ met Leonard Gentle als gastspreker.

Wat blijft er over van de Arabische Lente?

Is de Arabische Lente uitgebloeid of is er nog hoop? Zijn we getuige van een vierde democratiseringsgolf? Heeft de Arabische Lente als progressieve revolutie gefaald? Kan Tunesië de Arabische Lente redden? Hoe zit het in de rest van de Arabische Wereld?

Quantitative research methods and interdisciplinarity. A case study

MENARG AND CRG kindly invite you to the following lectures, which are part of a series of research seminars on “Methods and Ethics in Fieldwork”. During these seminars national and international guests will be sharing their ‘story behind the findings’ with researchers from different departments, to have a profound reflection on methodological and ethical questions in performing empirical research.

Menarg Activities