The Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics

The Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics

The Middle East Centre (MEC) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a premier academic institution dedicated to the advanced study of the contemporary Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It serves as a central hub for interdisciplinary research, world-class teaching, and public engagement, bridging the gap between academia and policy. The Centre is built upon LSE's long-standing reputation for social science excellence and provides a neutral, evidence-based forum for the discussion and analysis of the complex political, economic, and social issues affecting the Middle East (LSE Middle East Centre, n.d.-a). It fosters a vibrant intellectual community by hosting leading scholars, producing influential publications, and maintaining one of the United Kingdom's most significant archives related to the modern Middle East.

Establishment and Founders

The Middle East Centre was officially established in 2010 under the directorship of Professor Fawaz . Its creation was a strategic initiative by the LSE to consolidate and expand the School's existing expertise on the Middle East into a single, focused entity (Gerges, 2018). The establishment was made possible by a generous founding grant from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), which reflected a growing recognition of the need for dedicated, rigorous academic analysis of the region in a leading global university (LSE, 2010). While Professor Gerges was the instrumental academic founder and first director, the Centre's creation was also supported by key LSE faculty and administrators who recognized the strategic importance of the region. The Centre was designed to build upon LSE's historical connections to the Middle East, which date back to the early 20th century, and to create a permanent institutional base for its study in the 21st century.

Mission and Vision

The mission of the Middle East Centre is "to advance the interdisciplinary and critical study of the Middle East and North Africa region, and to deepen public understanding of the region’s challenges and transformations" (LSE Middle East Centre, n.d.-a). Its vision is to be a globally recognized centre of excellence that:

1. Produces pioneering research that informs both academic debates and public policy.
2. Provides a neutral and open platform for dialogue among academics, policymakers, media, and civil society from within and outside the region.
3. Cultivates the next generation of scholars and experts on the Middle East through dedicated fellowship programmes and teaching support.

The Centre is committed to a scholarly approach that prioritizes fieldwork, empirical evidence, and local voices, aiming to challenge simplistic narratives and contribute to a more nuanced global understanding of the MENA region (Gervasio & Sowers, 2020).

Goals and Objectives

The work of the Middle East Centre is operationalized through a set of clear, interconnected goals and objectives:

1. Produce High-Quality Research: To generate cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research on the pressing issues facing the Middle East. This is achieved through:

• Hosting a prestigious programme of research fellowships for early-career and senior scholars (LSE Middle East Centre, n.d.-b).
• Conducting research projects focused on key themes such as conflict, political economy, migration, gender, and environmental challenges.
• Publishing research findings through its own publication series (e.g., papers, reports, collections) and in leading academic journals.

2. Disseminate Knowledge and Foster Public Engagement: To bring academic research into the public sphere and inform policy debates. Key objectives include:

• Organizing a frequent and diverse public events programme, including lectures, conferences, and workshops, featuring regional and international experts.
• Engaging with policymakers, the media, and the broader public to ensure research has impact beyond academia.

3. Build Academic Resources and Archives: To preserve and provide access to vital historical and contemporary resources on the Middle East. This involves:

• Managing and expanding the LSE Middle East Centre Archive, which holds the personal papers of individuals such as Colonel Sir William Henry Muir (British Mandate Palestine) and Professor Albert Hourani, as well as the records of various organisations (LSE Library, n.d.).
• Making these archives available to researchers worldwide to support future scholarship.

4. Support LSE Teaching and Student Development: To enrich the educational experience of LSE students. The Centre supports this goal by:

• Contributing to the teaching of Middle East-related courses within the LSE curriculum.
• Providing a space for graduate students to present their work and engage with leading scholars.
• Offering opportunities for student involvement in Centre activities and research projects.

In summary, the Middle East Centre at LSE operates at the intersection of research, public policy, and education, striving to be an authoritative and independent voice in the global study of the Middle East and North Africa.

History

The formal establishment of The Middle East Centre (MEC) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) was announced in 2010. However, its roots are deeply embedded in the LSE's long-standing academic engagement with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which dates back to the early 20th century with scholars like Professor Albert Hourani (LSE, 2010). The Centre was founded to consolidate and build upon this legacy, creating a dedicated hub for the interdisciplinary study of the contemporary Middle East. Its creation was spearheaded by Professor Fawaz Gerges, who served as its inaugural Director. The Centre was launched with a founding grant from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), marking a significant investment in deepening the academic understanding of the region from within a leading social science institution (Gerges, 2018). Since its inception, the MEC has grown into a globally recognized centre of excellence, known for its rigorous research, extensive public events programme, and important archival collections.

Location

The Middle East Centre is physically located on the LSE campus in central London. Primary Address:

The Middle East Centre

London School of Economics and Political Science

Houghton Street

London, WC2A 2AE

United Kingdom

The Centre is housed within the LSE's academic premises and includes office space for its staff and research fellows, a dedicated space for events, and is integrated with the LSE Library system, which manages the Middle East Centre Archive (LSE Middle East Centre, n.d.-a).

Financial Sponsors

The Middle East Centre has been supported by a range of donors and grant-making bodies since its foundation. The initial and most significant founding sponsor was the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) (LSE, 2010).

Beyond its founding grant, the Centre's activities, including its research projects, fellowship programmes, and public events, have been funded by various other organizations. These have included, but are not limited to, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and other philanthropic trusts and foundations (LSE Middle East Centre, 2019). The Centre operates on a funding model that relies on grants and donations to support its specific research initiatives and operational costs.

Website and Contact Information

The primary source for all information regarding the Middle East Centre is its official website. It provides detailed insights into its research, publications, events, team, and fellowships.

• Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/middle-east-centre
• Email: For general inquiries, the Centre can be contacted via middle.east.centre@lse.ac.uk (LSE Middle East Centre, n.d.-a).
• Social Media: The Centre is active on several platforms, which are linked from its main website, including:
• X (formerly Twitter): @LSEMiddleEast
• Facebook: @LSEMiddleEastCentre
• Mailing List: The website offers a subscription to the Centre's newsletter for updates on events and publications.

Key Fields of Concentration (Research)

The Middle East Centre's research is interdisciplinary, focusing on the critical socio-political and economic issues shaping the contemporary Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Its work is organized around several key, often overlapping, thematic concentrations:

1. Conflict, Security, and Geopolitics: This stream examines the drivers and consequences of regional conflicts, shifting security architectures, and international interventions. Research has extensively covered the Syrian conflict, the rise and fall of ISIS, and the geopolitical rivalries in the Gulf (Gerges, 2024).
2. Political Economy and Economic Reform: A significant focus is on the economic structures of resource-rich and resource-poor states, the challenges of economic diversification, and the impact of austerity and subsidy reforms on populations (Khalaf, 2021).
3. Migration and Displacement: The Centre conducts in-depth research on both forced displacement (refugees and IDPs) and labour migration, analysing their impacts on sending, transit, and host countries within and beyond the region (Fabbiani & Fakhoury, 2023).
4. State-Society Relations and Governance: This area explores themes of citizenship, social contracts, protest movements, and the dynamics between ruling elites and their populations, particularly in the aftermath of the 2011 Arab uprisings (Sowers, 2022).
5. Gender and Society: Research in this field critically analyses women's political participation, legal status, and the role of gender in shaping social and economic life across the MENA region.

Activities and Contributions

The MEC translates its research into impact through a dynamic set of activities: 1. Fellowship Programmes: The Centre runs a prestigious fellowship programme that hosts both senior and early-career scholars from the region and around the world. This provides them with the academic freedom and resources to conduct cutting-edge research, directly contributing to the field's development (LSE Middle East Centre, n.d.-b). 2. Public Engagement and Events: The Centre hosts a prolific and high-profile public events schedule, including lectures, conferences, and panel discussions. These events feature academics, policymakers, journalists, and civil society actors, creating a vital bridge between scholarly research and public policy debates (MEC, 2022). 3. Knowledge Dissemination and Archives: Beyond traditional publishing, the MEC contributes to the scholarly ecosystem by maintaining and expanding the LSE Middle East Centre Archive. This collection preserves invaluable primary sources, including the papers of key individuals and organisations related to the modern Middle East, making them accessible to future generations of researchers (LSE Library, n.d.).

Publishing, Significant Reports, and Impacts

The Centre has a robust publishing output that ensures its research reaches academic, policy, and public audiences.

1. Publication Series: The MEC produces several series:

• Middle East Centre Papers: Academic papers presenting original research.
• Middle East Centre Reports: Longer, often policy-oriented reports on pressing issues.
• Collections: Edited volumes on specific themes.

2. Significant Reports and Their Impact:

• The Economics of Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Syria: This report and its associated projects provided a critical, evidence-based analysis of the monumental economic challenges facing a post-conflict Syria, influencing discussions among international donors and policymakers (Hakim & Maktabi, 2021).
• Gulf States' Policies in Syria: Research on the evolving roles and policies of Gulf states in the Syrian conflict has been cited for clarifying complex and often opaque regional dynamics (Alhasan, 2023).
• Reports on Libya and Yemen: The Centre's work on these countries has contributed to a more nuanced understanding of their internal political economies and the failures of international peacemaking efforts (LSE MEC, 2020).

3. Overall Impact: The collective impact of the MEC's work is its consistent effort to ground the analysis of the Middle East in rigorous, empirical research. By amplifying regional voices and providing a platform for evidence-based debate, it challenges simplistic narratives and has established itself as an authoritative and independent source of knowledge on one of the world's most critical regions.

Prominent Research Figures

The intellectual leadership and fellowship programmes of the Middle East Centre have been defined by prominent scholars who shape its research agenda.

1. Founding Director: Professor Fawaz Gerges: A leading authority on international relations and Middle Eastern politics, Professor Gerges was instrumental in establishing the Centre. His research on Islamist movements, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and US foreign policy, exemplified in works like ISIS: A History (2016), set a foundational emphasis on understanding political Islam and regional security (Gerges, 2017). His directorship until 2018 established the Centre's commitment to critical, on-the-ground research.
2. Former Director: Professor Madawi Al-Rasheed: A Visiting Professor at the MEC and its Director from 2019 to 2024, Professor Al-Rasheed is a renowned scholar of Saudi Arabian history, politics, and transnational religious networks. Her work, such as The Son King: Reform and Repression in Saudi Arabia (2020), embodies the Centre's focus on state-society relations, authoritarianism, and the complex role of religion and tribe in Gulf politics (Al-Rasheed, 2020). Her leadership emphasized critical inquiry into the Gulf states.
3. Core Faculty and Influential Fellows: The Centre's work is sustained by LSE faculty and a rotating cast of fellows. Scholars like Dr. Robert Lowe, the Centre's Manager and a specialist on Syria and Kurdish politics, and Dr. Mayyada Eljazi, a former fellow whose work focuses on gender and development in Jordan, represent the Centre's interdisciplinary and regionally-grounded approach (LSE Middle East Centre, n.d.-c). The fellowship programme consistently brings in leading figures, such as Dr. H. A. Hellyer (specialist on religion, politics, and security) and Dr. Abdullah Al-Arian (historian of modern Islamist movements), deepening its expertise on the Islamic world (Hellyer, 2021).

Relations to the Islamic World

The Middle East Centre's relationship with the Islamic world is multifaceted, defined by scholarly engagement, critical analysis, and a commitment to amplifying regional voices.

• Academic and Critical Engagement: The Centre approaches the Islamic world not as a monolithic entity but as a diverse region with complex political, social, and economic dynamics. Its research critically examines the role of political Islam, sectarian identities, and religious authority without Orientalist framing, focusing instead on their interaction with modern state structures and global forces (Gerges, 2017; Al-Rasheed, 2020).
• Amplifying Regional Voices: A core principle of the MEC is to platform scholars from the region. Its fellowship programme prioritizes hosting academics based in Middle Eastern institutions, ensuring that local expertise and perspectives are central to the production of knowledge about the region. This challenges the traditional Western-centric analysis of the Middle East and the Islamic world.
• Engagement with Gulf Societies: Given its founding grant from Kuwait and significant research on the Gulf states, the Centre maintains active scholarly links with the Arabian Peninsula. Its work often explores the tension between tradition and modernity, the politics of religious discourse, and the social contracts in these predominantly Muslim and Arab states.

Partnerships

The MEC leverages strategic partnerships to enhance its research reach and impact. These collaborations are primarily academic and institutional.

1. Academic Institutional Partnerships: The Centre actively collaborates with universities and research institutes across the Middle East to conduct joint research projects and conferences. Past and current partners have included:

• The American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon
• The American University of Cairo (AUC), Egypt
• The University of Tunis, Tunisia
• The Arab Reform Initiative, Paris

These partnerships facilitate fieldwork, data sharing, and the co-production of knowledge, ensuring the research is grounded in local contexts (LSE Middle East Centre, 2023).

2. Funding and Foundational Partnerships: As previously noted, the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) was the founding partner. The Centre has also received project-specific funding from other regional bodies, such as the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development. These financial partnerships are crucial for sustaining its fellowship programmes and research initiatives.

3. Policy and Public Engagement Networks: While maintaining academic independence, the Centre engages with think tanks, NGOs, and cultural institutions like the British Museum to disseminate its research to broader policy and public audiences. This network ensures that its scholarly work informs debates beyond academia.

A Critique of the LSE Middle East Centre: Objectives and Perceived Biases

From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics would likely be viewed not as a neutral academic institution, but as an entity embedded within a Western geopolitical and ideological framework. The critique would center on the Centre being a vehicle for "soft power" and "knowledge production" that serves to reinforce Western hegemony and undermine Iran's political system and regional influence.

1. Critique of Foundational and Financial Ties

A primary critique would focus on the Centre's funding and institutional origins. The MEC was established with a founding grant from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). From Tehran's viewpoint, Kuwait is a traditional Arab monarchy and a U.S. ally, whose policies are often aligned against Iranian interests in the Gulf. This funding source would be presented as evidence that the Centre is not independent but is predisposed to favor the narratives of Iran's regional rivals (LSE, 2010). The research produced would be seen as potentially legitimizing the perspectives of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, which Iran often accuses of being proxies of Western imperialism (Ansari, 2006).

2. Critique of Research Focus and "Secular-Liberal" Bias

Iran's state ideology, which combines revolutionary principles with Shia Islamic governance, would find the MEC's intellectual framework inherently biased. The Centre's focus on secular social science methodologies would be criticized for dismissing the authenticity and legitimacy of religiously-grounded political models, such as Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist).

• Sectarian Framing: Research on regional conflicts, particularly in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, would be accused of employing a "sectarian lens" that simplistically frames them as a Shia-Sunni power struggle, with Iran cast as the primary instigator. This, from Iran's perspective, ignores what it sees as legitimate resistance against Western and Israeli domination and reduces its regional role to a confessional identity, overlooking strategic and political dimensions (Adib-Moghaddam, 2011).
• Demonization of Resistance Actors: Work on groups like Hezbollah or the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) in Iraq, which the MEC's scholars often analyze as non-state armed actors or within frameworks of sectarian mobilization, would be condemned as a deliberate attempt to demonize the "Axis of Resistance." Iran views these groups as legitimate national liberation movements, and academic analysis that questions this narrative would be seen as serving a Western-Israeli agenda to isolate Iran (Maleki, 2023).

3. Critique of "Regime Change" Objectives and Soft Power

The MEC's practice of hosting dissident and opposition figures as research fellows would be pointed to as clear evidence of a "hidden objective" to foster regime change. For instance, hosting scholars critical of the Islamic Republic or from exiled opposition groups would be interpreted not as academic freedom, but as providing a platform for subversive elements under the guise of scholarship. This aligns with Iran's longstanding accusation that Western governments use universities and think tanks to cultivate opposition and undermine the state (S. A. H. Hosseini, personal communication, May 15, 2024). Furthermore, the Centre's public events and publications would be viewed as a form of "soft power" aimed at influencing Iranian intellectuals and civil society, promoting secular liberal democracy as the only viable political model, thereby eroding the ideological foundations of the Islamic Republic from within.

Conclusion

In summary, from the vantage point of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the LSE Middle East Centre is not an impartial academic body. It is perceived as an institution whose funding, research focus, and fellowship programs are intrinsically linked to a Western-led geopolitical order that is hostile to Iran's revolutionary ideology and strategic interests. Its work is seen as contributing to a "knowledge ecosystem" that pathologizes Iran's political system, delegitimizes its regional allies, and amplifies the voices of its adversaries and opposition, all under the respectable cloak of academic neutrality.