https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPdY1q6E5cg

The Global Middle East Seminar Series (GMES) is a new webinar series through the cooperation of the Woodrow Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program (HAPP) and Bilkent University's Center for Russian Studies (CRS) aimed at advancing the two programs' shared goal of developing a strong, collaborative network of scholars dedicated to advancing the study of Middle East history. The new seminar series is also designed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, which has made research trips to archives and in-person gatherings for history conferences and workshops all but impossible. Over the past several months (and, likely, into the foreseeable future), historians and scholars have not had the same ability to pursue their own research agendas or to interact and engage with their peers in the field. Researching and writing about the contemporary history of the Middle East was challenging enough before COVID-19, but the pandemic has greatly amplified the challenges of studying this region. But by coming together in a virtual platform HAPP and CRS hope to help push the field on Middle East history forward and bring scholars and experts on the region into a global discussion.

In the first panel of this new series, CRS Director Onur Isci will explore the history of Turkish diplomacy in the Cold War. Joining him are author and contributing writer at the New York Times, Suzy Hansen and Associate Director of the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at New York University, James Ryan. The three experts of modern Turkish history will explore the major themes, issues, and lessons from Turkey's diplomatic experiences in the Cold War.

On Thursday, March 4, the second panel of the Global Middle East Seminar Series will feature Mahsa Rouhi and Hassan Elbahtimy exploring the nuclear history of the region, and of Iran and Egypt in particular. They will be joined by Or Rabinowitz and Eliza Gheorghe as discussants.